Connections and Layovers: Making the Wait Work

A layover is either an inconvenience or a small bonus, depending mostly on how much you understand about how transfers work.

Minimum connection time

Every airport publishes a minimum connection time - the shortest gap the airport believes is workable between an arriving and a departing flight. It varies by airport, by terminal pairing, and by whether the connection is domestic to international.

Booking engines will not sell you a single ticket below that number. That does not make the number generous. A 45 minute connection at a large hub is legal and uncomfortable, particularly if the inbound flight arrives at a remote stand and you take a bus to the terminal.

For a connection you actually want to relax through, aim for 90 minutes on short-haul and two hours on long-haul or when changing terminals.

One ticket versus two

This is the distinction that matters most.

On a single ticket, the airline is responsible for getting you to your final destination. If you miss the connection because the first flight was late, they rebook you, usually at no cost. Your bags are normally checked through.

On two separate tickets, the second airline has no obligation to you at all. A missed connection is a missed flight, and the fare is gone. You also usually have to collect your bags, exit, and check in again from scratch, which needs far more time than the airport's published minimum.

Self-transfer products sold by some booking sites sit in between and include a limited guarantee. Read what that guarantee actually pays before relying on it.

What happens during a transfer

On a through connection you follow signs marked Transfer or Flight Connections rather than Arrivals. Depending on the country you may pass through:

• A transfer security screening, with liquid rules applied again
• A transit visa check, in a few jurisdictions
• A terminal train or shuttle bus
• Occasionally, full immigration and re-check of baggage

Duty free liquids bought at your first airport can be confiscated at a transfer checkpoint unless they are in a sealed tamper-evident bag with the receipt visible. Even then, some countries do not accept them.

Short layovers

If your connection is tight, ask a crew member near landing whether you can be let off early. Some airlines will announce tight connections and ask other passengers to remain seated. It works often enough to be worth asking.

Pick a seat near the front when you book, if the connection worries you.

Long layovers

Anything over about six hours is worth planning.

1. Check whether your airport has sleeping pods, quiet zones or showers
2. Look at day-rate lounges, which are often better value than several airport meals
3. See whether a transit hotel exists inside the secure area
4. Check visa rules before deciding to leave the airport for the city
5. Some airports and airlines run free transit tours on long stopovers

Leaving the airport is the big decision. It needs a visa or visa-free entry, enough time to clear immigration twice, and a plan that gets you back at least three hours before the next departure. Done well, a nine hour layover becomes an afternoon in a city you were not planning to visit.

If it goes wrong instead, read our note on what to do when you miss a connection.