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A few times a day, almost every day, a version of the following connection time question is asked in our Award Travel 101 Facebook group: “I am flying from [start] to [destination] with a layover in [airport]. My flight to [destination] leaves two hours after I land at [layover airport]. Is that enough time?”
The short answer? Maybe.
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Minimum Connection Time
When it comes to connections, there are a few things you should know. If you book an itinerary as a single ticket, you and the airline have a contractual agreement. You agree to pay the price of the ticket, and the airline agrees to transport you to your final destination. This agreement, also known as the contract of carriage, legally requires the airline to re-accommodate you if you miss a connection.
Since a missed connection costs the airline money, it's in their best interest to sell itineraries where the passenger has enough time to connect. Using data from millions of itineraries, the airlines have established a minimum connection time (sometimes called MCT) for each airport. If an itinerary doesn't meet the minimum connection time, the airline won't sell you the ticket.
Minimum connection times vary depending on whether you're flying domestically or connecting to or from an international flight. For some of the biggest airports in the United States, you can expect the minimum connection time on domestic connecting itineraries to be 30 minutes; expect 60 minutes on international connecting itineraries.
As long as the flights before and after your connection are part of the same ticket, you can rest easy knowing that risk-averse number crunchers working for the airlines feel good about your odds of making the next flight. And if something goes wrong, you'll be on the next available flight out since the airline is required to help you reach your destination if you miss the connecting flight.
Related: Using ExpertFlyer To Find Minimum Connection Times
Protect yourself further with a travel rewards card
Another advantage to booking an itinerary as a single ticket is that you may be eligible for travel insurance from the rewards card you use to pay for your flights — or the card you use to pay the taxes and fees on an award ticket.
Many cards offer passenger reimbursements for expenses like hotels, meals, and transportation if your flight is delayed or canceled. Check out our post on the best cards with trip delay insurance for more details.
Our top recommendation for most travelers is the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees), due to its excellent earning rates and the top-tier protections it provides for unexpected delays and lost or stolen luggage.
Related: Best Credit Cards for Travel Purchases
Connection Time When Booking Separate Tickets
For points and miles maximizers, getting the best deal might require booking separate tickets.
Why might you book a trip on separate tickets in the first place? Sometimes, there can be significant savings in points or cash by booking two itineraries. Alternatively, if you want to explore more than one place, you can build in a longer break between flights than what a stopover or layover can provide. Or maybe you need one ticket from your smaller, home airport to a major hub where you found available space for an award flight to another country.
However, there are trade-offs and risks to booking multiple itineraries. First, if you mash two itineraries together with a tight connection time and miss your connecting flight, you might be on your own. The airline might not be contractually obligated to help you out; you could even be labeled as a “no show” for the second flight, often negating your rights to a refund or rescheduling for a small fee. Second, the credit card protections we discussed go right out the window. Any coverage for delays or missed flights may not apply since you're booked on multiple itineraries.
Depending on your appetite for potential risk, the strategy of booking separate tickets might not be for you, but that doesn't mean it's not for other travelers.
Separate ticket example
Let’s look at an example using an itinerary from New York City to Zagreb, Croatia, with a layover in Paris. Most frequent-flyer programs will require a minimum of 19,500 points (plus taxes and fees north of $100) for this one-way itinerary.
Conversely, Virgin Atlantic, a partner of many major transferrable currencies, charges 12,000 miles plus taxes and fees for a one-way flight from New York to Paris. By booking this flight, you're already saving 7,500 miles.
Depending on the time of year, you can find nonstop, paid airfare for less than $100 from Paris to Zagreb, Croatia.
There's a great opportunity for potential savings
In this example, you save 7,500 points by booking a separate ticket itinerary. You'll still be on the hook for the one-way cost between Paris and Croatia, but this is an excellent alternative if you can't come up with the extra miles to book the award ticket all the way through — or just want spare time to explore Paris before making your way to Croatia. It also makes sense if there's award space on the New York–Paris flight but not on the Paris–Zagreb flight.
If you understand the risk of booking separate tickets, it always pays to check and compare costs. You might save a lot in doing so, but make sure you don't harm your chances of making a connection by overlooking the details on your itineraries. Mind your connection time.
Related: How Many Miles Do You Need for a Free Flight?
Evaluating the Connection Time Risks
One way to minimize the financial risk of traveling on separate tickets is to get as close as possible to your final destination on a single ticket. In the previous example, the worst-case scenario is paying for a ticket from Paris to Croatia. Although this can still be expensive if you have to rebook at the last minute, it's much better than being in a situation where you need to buy a transatlantic flight on the day of departure. Thus, connecting somewhere in Europe before starting the second ticket would be much smarter than starting your second ticket in the U.S.
Potential risk doesn't mean you shouldn't take advantage of savings from split-ticket itineraries. However, it's a great idea to build in extra flexibility, whether that be through ensuring a longer layover or flying each leg on separate days. A great tip is to ensure you aren't taking the last possible flight on either ticket; this provides a backup plan in case of delays or canceled flights.
With few exceptions, separate tickets will also require you to leave the secure part of the terminal and go through the same check-in process you'd follow if you were arriving at the airport by car. That could mean waiting for bags at the luggage carousel, standing in line to print boarding passes, rechecking luggage, and going back through security. For international connections, you'll also need to account for time to clear customs and immigration. If you're able to connect airside (in the transit terminal), that can save time, but plan for not being able to do this just in case.
Related: How to Get Expedited Security Screening Programs for Free
Airport Specifics Affect Connection Time
The final consideration has to do with specific airports. A two-hour layover in Los Angeles might not look or feel the same as a two-hour layover in Minneapolis. As a general rule, the larger the airport, the more time you might want to give yourself on a layover — if you can swing it.
There are too many variables to reliably predict what you'll experience in a particular airport on your travel day, so having more time to connect can provide peace of mind.
Before you book your itinerary — or itineraries, if you're flying on separate tickets — it's a great idea to map out the airports you'll connect in. This way, you're not surprised when you get to Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) and need to hop on the Skylink to switch terminals. Look up where your arriving flight typically lands (by checking the arrivals board at the airport) and where the next flight typically departs. If these are in separate terminals, that will require extra time.
Bottom Line
If possible, you should try booking all your flight segments on the same itinerary. In case you miss a connection, you won't have to stress about how you're going to reach your final destination.
If you like the thrill of booking separate tickets, or you've just found a better deal by doing so, one of the best things you can do is familiarize yourself with the airports you'll visit and try to leave yourself enough time to connect. No matter how you get to where you're going, eliminating stress is key, and paying attention to connection times is an essential part of that.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees)
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