Layover calculator
Enter when you land and when the next flight leaves. See how long you really have, how long this connection needs, and whether it's tight.
- International connection
- +1h 30m
Comfortable. Enough time to make the connection without running.
Rules of thumb. On a single ticket the airline has already checked the airport's minimum connection time, and rebooks you if a delay makes you miss the second flight; on separate tickets it doesn't have to.
How long to allow
Our rules of thumb for comfortable connections, built up the same way the calculator does:
| Connection | Allow at least |
|---|---|
| Domestic to domestic, same terminal | 1h |
| International, same terminal | 1h 30m |
| International, changing terminals | 2h |
| Arriving in the US and connecting on | 3h |
| Separate tickets, domestic | 3h |
| Separate tickets, international, bags to re-check | 4h |
Busy hubs, bad weather and the last flight of the day all argue for more.
Making a tight connection
- Sit near the front, and travel with carry-on only if you can.
- Look up the gate before you land: the airline app usually shows it while you're still in the air.
- Tell the crew if you're late; they sometimes help tight connections off first.
- On one ticket, don't panic: if you miss it because the first flight was late, the airline rebooks you.
Long layover?
Hours to fill at Singapore, Istanbul or Doha? Some hubs offer city tours for transit passengers, and most have quiet areas to work. Plug in your headphones, play the cabin hum or some brown noise, and get a few Pomodoros done.
Questions
How long should a layover be?
As a rule of thumb, at least an hour for a domestic connection and an hour and a half for an international one, plus half an hour if you change terminals, an hour for passport control and customs, and half an hour if you have to re-check bags. On separate tickets, allow three hours or more.
What is a minimum connection time?
The shortest connection an airport allows airlines to sell on one ticket, set for each airport and kind of connection. If your connection was sold on one booking, it meets that minimum; the airline is then responsible for getting you onto a later flight if the first one is late.
Do I have to go through customs on a layover?
It depends on the country. Connecting in the United States, you clear immigration and customs at your first US airport even if you're flying on, and usually collect and re-check your bags. Many other hubs let international passengers transfer without entering the country.
Why do the times use the connecting airport's clock?
Because that's what your tickets show: arrival and departure times are always local to each airport. Enter both as printed, and the calculator works out the gap, daylight-saving changes included.
Further reading
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