When most consumers go to book airline tickets, there are several factors they may consider, from price, to the time of day a flight departs, to the total travel time. In this post, I’d like to talk a bit about minimum connection times on connecting itineraries, as this is something that many travelers don’t put enough thought into, in my opinion.
In this post:
The basics of airline minimum connection times
When you go to book an airline ticket, you might notice that some itineraries have really short connections, while other itineraries have really long connections. The decision of whether or not an itinerary allows sufficient time to connect is based on the published minimum connection time (MCT) for a particular airport.
There’s not just one minimum connection time across the board for an airport or airline, but rather, there are several things that factor into this:
- Minimum connection times vary based on the airport you’re connecting at
- Minimum connection times vary based on whether you’re connecting from a domestic to domestic flight, domestic to international flight, international to domestic flight, or international to international flight (after all, clearing immigration can take a long time)
- Minimum connection times vary based on the airlines that you’re connecting between, and on top of that, specific flights sometimes have different connection times, depending on the terminal they depart from
Personally, I look up minimum connection times through ExpertFlyer, which is a paid subscription service. You can expect that if an airline will sell you a connection, then it’s “legal” (meaning it meets the minimum connection time requirement). If you don’t have ExpertFlyer, you can just search online for “[airport name] minimum connection time,” and hopefully the results will come up.
To look at some extreme examples, Helsinki Airport (HEL) is one of the most efficient in Europe, and has minimum connection times ranging from 20 to 40 minutes.
The other extreme is Manila Airport (MNL), which has minimum connection times ranging from 45 minutes to 120 minutes.
Minimum connection times are unrealistically short
It’s important to emphasize that minimum connection times aren’t designed to maximize the odds of a passenger making their connection, but rather are designed to maximize airline profitability:
- Airlines used banked hubs to maximize connections, whereby a lot of planes arrive around the same time, and then depart 45-90 minutes later, in some cases making for very short connections
- Airlines create these short connections because planes don’t make money sitting on the ground, and also because itineraries with the shortest travel time look appealing to many travelers when they go to book
However, for the most part, airlines aren’t terribly invested as to whether or not you make your connection, so you really have to advocate for yourself. Why don’t they really care? Well, because they already have your money, and their only obligation is to get you to your destination on the next available flight.
Many people operate under the assumption that if you book an itinerary that meets the minimum connection time, then you’ll definitely make your connection if your flight is on-time. That’s simply not the case, though.
For example, American has an absurdly short 25-minute minimum connection time at Phoenix Airport (PHX). Even assuming your flights are on-time:
- If you’re seated in the back of the plane, it can take 5-10 minutes to get off
- If you’re connecting between concourses, it can easily take 15 minutes to get to your connecting gate, and that’s even the case if you’re walking at a fast pace
- American Airlines states that boarding ends 15 minutes before departure
Often people are of the belief that if you’re just a few minutes late, the airline will hold the plane for you. While that will happen sometimes, it’s the exception rather than the norm. Generally speaking, gate agents are more incentivized by getting the plane out on-time, rather than ensuring that as many passengers as possible are onboard.
My approach to airport minimum connection times
Personally I don’t trust airlines when it comes to their minimum connection times, so I won’t book a ticket just because the airline claims there’s enough time to connect. Here’s my general approach:
- While it varies by airport, I typically prefer a connection in the range of 90 minutes to three hours, which minimizes the odds of misconnecting
- There are various factors that determine how long of a connection I’m comfortable with, like how important it is for me to get to my destination on-time, what time of day I’m traveling (airlines are more reliable in the mornings), what the odds are of a weather delay (I expect delays if flying out of Florida on a summer afternoon), and how many alternative flights are available (in some high frequent markets, I might be less worried)
- If I’m checking bags, I’ll particularly avoid a short connection, since I don’t want to be in a situation where I make my connection, but my bag doesn’t (fortunately AirTags put me a bit more at ease than in the past)
- If I’m connecting between separate tickets, I’ll leave way more time than needed, especially if it’s in a region where airlines have a “use it or lose it” situation if you arrive at the airport too late
Conversely, let me also say that there are some situations where “gambling” with a short connection isn’t necessarily a bad idea. For example, Europe has generous government mandated compensation for passengers who arrive at their destination late. So if you have a very short connection and are just a little bit late, you could potentially be looking at up to €600 in compensation, given how much later the next available flight may get you to your destination.
Bottom line
Airlines publish minimum connection times, which are the minimum amount of time needed to connect at an airport “legally.” However, you shouldn’t assume that just because an itinerary is “legal” means that you’re likely to make your connection. Lots of airports have unrealistically short minimum connection times, especially if it’s a long walk between gates, if you’re flying later in the day, if you’re seated in the back of the plane, etc.
Personally I’d almost always prefer to plan a longer layover, where I don’t have to run to make my connection. I understand that airlines create these kinds of connections to make travel duration seem short and to maximize revenue, but it seems to me like there are some markets where these times are just unrealistically short, and are a disservice to passengers.
What’s your approach to minimum connection times, and what kind of a connection are you comfortable with?
Sometimes you don’t get a choice though. The airline booking engine finds the “connection” for you. The worst is when one leg is a code-share and only the “connecting” flight is code shared.
As you should be aware, carriers usually add 25 minutes yo flight times in order to have on time arrivals and have been doing it for decades. Ztgstbsldo adds extra time for connections.
Apologies for numerous typos. They add 25 minutes to flight times. Which adds additional time for connections.
Again, 15 minutes. Sorry.
Nothing new here. All of the common points are mentioned.
Helsinki airport is like many airports in europe and the words "international" and "domestic" really have different meanings because of the schengen zone. Also the expertflyer results don't take account of security checks, because arrivals from SOME non schengen countries do not to through transfer security (eg from UK/Singapore/USA) but flights from other non schengen countries DO go through security. When a flight from London arrives it's common to see some passengers rushing up the...
Helsinki airport is like many airports in europe and the words "international" and "domestic" really have different meanings because of the schengen zone. Also the expertflyer results don't take account of security checks, because arrivals from SOME non schengen countries do not to through transfer security (eg from UK/Singapore/USA) but flights from other non schengen countries DO go through security. When a flight from London arrives it's common to see some passengers rushing up the jetway thinking they will miss their connecting flight to Singapore which departs in 30 minutes, when in reality their new gate might be 1 minute walk away with no passport control and no security check needed. These are no doubt passengers used to transfers in London or USA, not a properly laid out Schengen zone airport.
I love to add extra time. AA will sell me a flight to DFW that leaves my homeport about 8pm and gives just under 1 hour before the second leg to AKL. Miss that, you can't get there any sooner than 24 hours late. Or, leave at about 5:30 pm and get an easy connect. What was I going to do with an extra 2.5 hours sitting at home? I'm flying J, so I get...
I love to add extra time. AA will sell me a flight to DFW that leaves my homeport about 8pm and gives just under 1 hour before the second leg to AKL. Miss that, you can't get there any sooner than 24 hours late. Or, leave at about 5:30 pm and get an easy connect. What was I going to do with an extra 2.5 hours sitting at home? I'm flying J, so I get lounge access for that extra time. And, there's no guarantee that, if I miss the original flight, I'll get J on the new one. My flights are few and long flung; it really costs me nothing to build in extra padding. I'll gladly replace a 45 min layover with a 2:45. Arriving home 2 hours latter isn't a big deal. Oh, course, I'm voluntarily and permantly unemployed. Things are different when you're balancing work and family.
American Airlines is definitely the worst offenders in this area with low reliability of on time performance. The challenge is that when they are offering me a 7,500 mile redemption to fly PVD-CLT-SAN, I am often willing to chance it even with a 35-40 minute connection. I always look up when the next flight departure occurs to ensure I am not stuck overnight if I arrive late and have to be put on a later...
American Airlines is definitely the worst offenders in this area with low reliability of on time performance. The challenge is that when they are offering me a 7,500 mile redemption to fly PVD-CLT-SAN, I am often willing to chance it even with a 35-40 minute connection. I always look up when the next flight departure occurs to ensure I am not stuck overnight if I arrive late and have to be put on a later flight. Flighty on time performance statistics really comes in handy in being able to determine if the calculated risk is worth a tight connection.
I was concerned about my BOS-CLT-AUS flight with a 40min connection, but I found out my inbound and outbound plane were the same deplaning and reboarding at the same gate.
One of those interesting itineraries with 0 chance of missing your connection.
I think we can all agree AA is the worst offender. I don't care if it's PHX, DFW, or CLT -- the short connection times that appear on the schedule are ludicrous! Yeah, 25 minutes at PHX? Who are they kidding?!?!? That said, I've only missed one connection in the last ten (10) years -- the connection was from one American flight to another with a 30-minute connection (IIRC) @DFW. I actually made it, but...
I think we can all agree AA is the worst offender. I don't care if it's PHX, DFW, or CLT -- the short connection times that appear on the schedule are ludicrous! Yeah, 25 minutes at PHX? Who are they kidding?!?!? That said, I've only missed one connection in the last ten (10) years -- the connection was from one American flight to another with a 30-minute connection (IIRC) @DFW. I actually made it, but the connecting flight left early..and it was the last flight out until morning! The lines at the Customer Service were ridiculously long. Thankfully, I went into the Admiral's Club, was re-booked on a flight in the morning and given a hotel voucher within 15 minutes. Best outcome under the circumstances.
Hopefully with AA "rebanking" their flights at DFW, this won't happen anymore.
BA call centre has several times refused to sell me avios tickets with short connections even when convincing the agent to check, and getting them to admit that cash tickets are for sale with SHORTER connections! @Ben do you know if there are actually separate rules on this for avios vs cash tickets, and if so, what are they? I know there are randomly some avios-specific restrictions on other matters (e.g. Qantas doesn't allow some...
BA call centre has several times refused to sell me avios tickets with short connections even when convincing the agent to check, and getting them to admit that cash tickets are for sale with SHORTER connections! @Ben do you know if there are actually separate rules on this for avios vs cash tickets, and if so, what are they? I know there are randomly some avios-specific restrictions on other matters (e.g. Qantas doesn't allow some specific domestic connections with mixed classes)... just curious !
Thanks for pointing out AA’s absurd 25 minute MCT in Phoenix. Mayor Pete would have been on it.
Thanks for pointing out AA’s absurd 25 minute MCT in Phoenix. Mayor Pete would have been on it.
For anyone who has the level of interest and care to plan this thoroughly, you can also look up the historical statistical on-time-ness of your inbound given flight to see whether you have a chance, or it's risky. As well as the outbound too, to know whether you need to book it in the terminal or not. But I would advise that only for more advanced travelers for whom once in a while missing a...
For anyone who has the level of interest and care to plan this thoroughly, you can also look up the historical statistical on-time-ness of your inbound given flight to see whether you have a chance, or it's risky. As well as the outbound too, to know whether you need to book it in the terminal or not. But I would advise that only for more advanced travelers for whom once in a while missing a flight is no big deal. Not for people who stress out and have never missed a flight.
Short answer - No
On the other hand, many airlines in Europe give unrealistic flight times - a flight per airline should take 1.5 hours from take off to landing - but it may be less than one hour when you look at real flight times. I wonder if this is also included in MCT. I frequently transferred in MUC when flying to US with (as far as I remember) 40 minutes transfer (it was also MCT) - never...
On the other hand, many airlines in Europe give unrealistic flight times - a flight per airline should take 1.5 hours from take off to landing - but it may be less than one hour when you look at real flight times. I wonder if this is also included in MCT. I frequently transferred in MUC when flying to US with (as far as I remember) 40 minutes transfer (it was also MCT) - never missed my connection as I usually landed 20-30 minutes before scheduled arrival time.
Btw Ryanair is the expert in this… they don’t do any connections though.
Anything under one hour, particularly in a large airport with congested alley and taxiways is asking for trouble. You can land on time and still arrive late. Preferably would be at least 90 minutes. It's more germane if you have reserved/paid for a premium or economy plus seat. You might get reaccommodated on the next flight but you might not get the seat you thought you would have.
Personally I shoot for 1 1/2-2 hours if I don't have to re-clear security/passport control, or 2-3 if I do. Especially traveling with the kid, that's plenty of time to walk leisurely to the gate, get seats, make a food run for the wife and kid, refill on snacks, etc. (or time to find the lounge and relax for a bit if I have access). The problem is, it's increasingly difficult to find reasonable connections...
Personally I shoot for 1 1/2-2 hours if I don't have to re-clear security/passport control, or 2-3 if I do. Especially traveling with the kid, that's plenty of time to walk leisurely to the gate, get seats, make a food run for the wife and kid, refill on snacks, etc. (or time to find the lounge and relax for a bit if I have access). The problem is, it's increasingly difficult to find reasonable connections in these days of banked hubs. You're either taking the technically legal 50-minute connection at DFW or waiting 5 hours.
PSA about United Connection Saver: check your text messages!
United may hold the departure of the connecting flight if they know your previous flight is delayed. But the only way they will notify you is via a text message to the contact mobile number. Nothing in the United app, nothing in the flight status at the airport - all of those will show the next flight as "on time" rather than "delayed".
Had the...
PSA about United Connection Saver: check your text messages!
United may hold the departure of the connecting flight if they know your previous flight is delayed. But the only way they will notify you is via a text message to the contact mobile number. Nothing in the United app, nothing in the flight status at the airport - all of those will show the next flight as "on time" rather than "delayed".
Had the pleasure of experiencing this twice on a single flight, BOS-SFO-NRT-GUM-ROR, all 4 segments on United metal. 50 minute connection at SFO was busted by fog arrival delays at SFO, including a fun go-around from about 200 ft altitude directly over the runway. 60 minute connection at GUM (which requires going through US immigration/customs) was busted by aircraft maintenance delay at NRT. Seeing the text message (which iPhone conveniently marked as spam and suppressed notifications) would've saved me a run from D to G gates at SFO.
I knew this was a risky itinerary, but I had no checked bags and was arriving in Palau a day early before the start of a snorkeling trip. And 85k United miles for a Polaris award to Palau was a pretty good deal, especially when NRT-GUM-ROR is also in business class.
Here I am choosing a 4.5 hour connection time in LAX in September instead of chancing 50 minutes.
As a PHX-based flyer, a 25 minute MCT is insane.
I like 3 hours give or take. That gives me enough time to enjoy the lounge and walk around as I like to be at the gate an hour before boarding.
CX does a fantastic job with connections at least with their own passengers; they have ground staff at your arrival gate with your name and connecting flight information for those with tight connections. And if you miss your flight, sometimes they either hold...
I like 3 hours give or take. That gives me enough time to enjoy the lounge and walk around as I like to be at the gate an hour before boarding.
CX does a fantastic job with connections at least with their own passengers; they have ground staff at your arrival gate with your name and connecting flight information for those with tight connections. And if you miss your flight, sometimes they either hold a the connecting flight a little bit longer or just put you on the next flight out. And in Asia, there are plenty of flights some within hours of each other.
I laugh when AA's cheapest itinerary YYZ-??? is the one with the 41-minute connection in CLT. In winter. When you look at MCTs you really need to consider the origin (and the season!) of the arriving flight. Will AA's YYZ-CLT service leave on time? Remember, an on-time departure is based on pushback/door closed. Deicing can delay departure half an hour, after that.
MCT is meaningless nonsense.
Gotta agree, Charlotte connections are not dependable. THREE times I have been on late incoming flights and ran to the connecting gate, only to find my connecting flight left a few minutes ahead of the scheduled departure. The airport staff has little regard for displaced passengers, saying things like “you’re supposed to be aboard 15 minutes before departure.”
Last time this happened (3 weeks ago) my letter of complaint was resolved with 22.5k miles, and...
Gotta agree, Charlotte connections are not dependable. THREE times I have been on late incoming flights and ran to the connecting gate, only to find my connecting flight left a few minutes ahead of the scheduled departure. The airport staff has little regard for displaced passengers, saying things like “you’re supposed to be aboard 15 minutes before departure.”
Last time this happened (3 weeks ago) my letter of complaint was resolved with 22.5k miles, and a followup call to apologize, allowing me to vent. Still, I’m avoiding CLT going forward. Overworked airport with inconsiderate staff.
As well all well know, MCTs are not even a consideration at the major Delta hubs (this is because Delta is the best airline)
It's marvellous how Delta is exempt from Deicing delays at YYZ.
Even the Toronto Airport Authority knows how superior Delta is to all other airlines on Earth leading to priority treatment. Delta takes priority.
Worst in the US? AA at CLT. I have never seen so many people running for domestic connections at any other US airport.
If I have to connect at CLT, I don't book anything less than a two-hour layover. Thanks to sites like these, I knew about CLT before I switched most of my travel to AA. Their connect times are total fiction there.
A related problem is one I've experienced is connecting from AA to BA at LHR, where the two airlines have (had) different minimum connection times. I had a 1:15 minute connection time a year ago and barely made it from Terminal 3 to 5 in time. The BA gate agent gently chided me for for a connection time of less than 1:30 minutes. When I flew this fall on the same route, I was careful...
A related problem is one I've experienced is connecting from AA to BA at LHR, where the two airlines have (had) different minimum connection times. I had a 1:15 minute connection time a year ago and barely made it from Terminal 3 to 5 in time. The BA gate agent gently chided me for for a connection time of less than 1:30 minutes. When I flew this fall on the same route, I was careful to book a AA to BA connection of 1:45 minutes, but AA changed my flight times a couple weeks later bringing me to 1:15 again. I called AA and told them of the issue, and the agent confirmed that 1:15 was still the AA minimum, though a bad idea given the gymnastics of terminal change at LHR. She suggested I wait a couple weeks, and sure enough AA contacted me to change flights to avoid the short connection time. I assume that the AA agent either escalated the issue or BA noted and objected to the short time. BA gets stuck rescheduling your second flight if you miss the BA connecting flight.
These minimums may have changed with the new pass through security at LHR for some international connections, but I'd still error on the high side at this airport.
I hear so many passengers seated near me complain and say they wish they drove, that they'll never fly x airline again, etc. All because they couldn't resist that itinerary with a 30 or 45 min connection and then encountered a slight delay on the first flight.
I'm surprised they don't pay like $15 more to sit in the front or at least take a free middle seat up front to maximize chances. These...
I hear so many passengers seated near me complain and say they wish they drove, that they'll never fly x airline again, etc. All because they couldn't resist that itinerary with a 30 or 45 min connection and then encountered a slight delay on the first flight.
I'm surprised they don't pay like $15 more to sit in the front or at least take a free middle seat up front to maximize chances. These are the people who push past everyone and disrupt the routine plane deboarding because they want to run through the terminal like it's Home Alone.
I think half the people don’t even look at the connections until they actually head to the airport. They just trust the airline(s) when they booked it 4 months ago.
They don’t look at the connection at all. They look at the total trip time.
These minimum connection times are often corruption and lies for these airports to bolster their skytrax rating and achieve International customer experience awards and certifications. Standard industry best practice (that insiders will follow) is to always allow a minimum of 2 hours assuming customs clearance and 1.5 hours without customs clearance. A 25 minute minimum connection time at major airports is nothing short of a LIE! The airlines often times are in on it as...
These minimum connection times are often corruption and lies for these airports to bolster their skytrax rating and achieve International customer experience awards and certifications. Standard industry best practice (that insiders will follow) is to always allow a minimum of 2 hours assuming customs clearance and 1.5 hours without customs clearance. A 25 minute minimum connection time at major airports is nothing short of a LIE! The airlines often times are in on it as well as less people on a plane equates to less fuel burn which equates to more profit for them, hence why they have an incentive to have passengers miss flights! Not to mention more money made in tickets.
Can they be relied on? It depends where. At Schipol (AMS), sure. At CDG? No freaking way.
I had -somewhat reluctantly- booked a Delta flight DCA-BUR with a 40 min connection in SLC, and by the time we landed in SLC, the time had shrunk to 30 min. I made the flight and surprisingly my checked bags did too.