How Much Connection Time You Need, Airport by Airport Type

The airline minimum is not your minimum

Every airport publishes a minimum connection time, and airlines will sell a ticket that meets it: often 30 to 45 minutes domestic and 60 to 90 minutes international. Those numbers assume an on-time arrival, a nearby gate, and no security or immigration. Plan on more.

Rules of thumb

Use these as floors, and add time for checked bags, small children, or a wheelchair request.

• Domestic to domestic, same airline: 60 minutes at a mid-size airport, 90 at a hub with multiple terminals such as Atlanta, Dallas/Fort Worth, Chicago O'Hare, or Denver.
• Domestic to international, same ticket: 90 minutes to two hours, because you may change terminals and re-clear security.
• Arriving international, connecting onward in the US: two to three hours. You clear immigration, collect and re-check bags, and go through security again, even on one ticket.
• Two separate tickets: treat it as three hours minimum, and know that the second airline owes you nothing if the first is late.

Why a longer layover can be cheaper

Airlines price tight connections at a premium because business travelers want them. On many routes the itinerary with a two-hour layover is the cheaper one, and it is also the one that survives a 40-minute delay. Ask for it.

When a connection fails

On a single ticket the airline rebooks you on its next available flight at no charge and, if the cause was within its control, covers a hotel when the wait is overnight. On separate tickets you buy a new ticket unless the second airline chooses to help.

Booking it

Tell the agent at (708) 866-8751 how much connection time you want, and whether you have checked bags or mobility needs. The agent can see the actual gate layout and on-time history for the connection and will say when a layover is too tight to recommend.