[Butch Cassidy Slept Here]

Hopefully, someone in the Obama Administration will have the courage to stand-up to the airline lobby and institute some consumer friendly regulations.
Mandating minimum connecting times at major airports should be one such regulation. The existing minimum connecting times, at major US airports, border, in a number of examples, on blatant fraud. Until the government puts the brakes on this nonsense one should ASSUME your in-bound flight is going to be late, REGARDLESS of what the on-time figures show. Remember, US-based airlines are notorious liars. Accordingly, booking flights that have a connecting (lay-over) time of, no less, than 2 hours is important. With some airlines, and some airports, a 2-hour connecting time may be impossible. The choice may come-down to a 30 to 40 minute connecting time, or staying overnight, with a resulting higher fare, at the connecting airport. If you're willing to fly to an alternate airport, then use surface transportation to your final destination, you may be able to realize your extended connecting time. Again, however, this arrangement may require an overnight stay, at the arrival airport, if your flight arrives much after 5:00 PM. Surface connections, to your final destination, may not be available if your flight arrives much after 5 PM. One should look upon connecting flights as a source of potential trouble and ask themselves whether it's worth a saving of a few dollars to take a connecting flight. If you miss your connection, those savings can be, not only eradicated, but your final cost can equal, or exceed, a first class fare. Finally, I lived, for 25 years, about 40 miles north of Philadelphia International (PHL). Generally, that airport should be avoided, no matter who you are flying with. Some of the TSA Officers there get their kicks by acting like Nazis. If PHL is unavoidable, Southwest is the ONLY airline I would take a chance with.