in 30 minutes
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Tarheel
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Alice promised to return in 30 minutes. Instead, she got back ten minutes late.
She didn't return in 30 minutes. Instead, it was after 30 minutes had passed. (40 minutes.)
She didn't return in 30 minutes. Instead, it was after 30 minutes had passed. (40 minutes.)
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When we say "I'll be back in XXX minutes/hours/days", we mean that that is the latest we will be back. We might be back earlier. If someone said "I'll be back in about 30 minutes" and then returned in 40 minutes, that would fall under the definition of "about 30 minutes".
My opinion on this is, of course, coloured by the fact that I am extremely punctual and people being late drives me mad. This caused great amusement to my Spanish friends when I lived in Madrid. We would arrange to meet at, say, 9pm a a local bar. I would get there at 8.55. They would roll up any time from about 10.15pm onwards and be baffled as to why I was sitting tapping my foot, looking at my watch and being generally a bit grumpy. I did at least stop texting them asking where they were, checking they were OK, asking if I'd maybe got the wrong evening etc. It was pointless anyway because they never replied to those texts.
My opinion on this is, of course, coloured by the fact that I am extremely punctual and people being late drives me mad. This caused great amusement to my Spanish friends when I lived in Madrid. We would arrange to meet at, say, 9pm a a local bar. I would get there at 8.55. They would roll up any time from about 10.15pm onwards and be baffled as to why I was sitting tapping my foot, looking at my watch and being generally a bit grumpy. I did at least stop texting them asking where they were, checking they were OK, asking if I'd maybe got the wrong evening etc. It was pointless anyway because they never replied to those texts.
GoesStation
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It was 9pm somewhere. 
jutfrank
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It's simple: in 30 minutes means 30 minutes from now.
The time now is 3 p.m. and I say I'll be back in 30 minutes. This literally means that I'll be back at 3:30 p.m.
3:40 p.m. is not in 30 minutes
3:31 p.m. is not in 30 minutes
3:29 p.m. is not 30 minutes.
in 30 minutes does not mean 'within 30 minutes', it means '30 minutes from now'.
The time now is 3 p.m. and I say I'll be back in 30 minutes. This literally means that I'll be back at 3:30 p.m.
3:40 p.m. is not in 30 minutes
3:31 p.m. is not in 30 minutes
3:29 p.m. is not 30 minutes.
in 30 minutes does not mean 'within 30 minutes', it means '30 minutes from now'.
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