hopway

Is my layover long enough?

Tell us what the connection involves and we will add up the steps it actually takes, then compare that to the gap you have.

Time between the two flights

Scheduled arrival to scheduled departure, as printed on the ticket.

What the connection involves

Where the time goes

  • 15mGet off the planeTaxi to the gate, wait for the doors, walk up the jet bridge.
  • 20mWalk to the gate and boardGates close well before departure, not at it.
  • 35mTotal the connection realistically needs

The verdict

Comfortable, about 55m spare

Enough slack to absorb a late inbound flight and still eat something.

You have

1h 30m

Between scheduled arrival and scheduled departure.

You need about

35m

Added up from the steps this connection actually involves.

These are planning estimates, deliberately on the cautious side, not airline or airport policy. Real minimum connection times vary by airport, terminal and airline. Check the airport's own published figure for the connection you are booking.

Legal is not the same as comfortable

Every airport publishes a minimum connection time, and airlines will happily sell you exactly that. It assumes your inbound lands on schedule, you are near the front of the plane, and no queue is longer than usual. It is the floor, not a recommendation.

What actually eats the time is a short list: getting off the plane, immigration, collecting and re-checking a bag, moving between terminals, going back through security, and walking to a gate that closes well before departure. Most people forget at least two of those.

This tool adds those steps up and shows you the breakdown, so you can argue with any line of it rather than trusting one number. Anything under thirty minutes of slack is a connection you will spend the flight worrying about.

Common questions

How long should a layover be?

It depends far more on what the connection involves than on the airport. A same-terminal domestic hop with a bag checked through can work in under an hour. Change terminal, clear immigration, and collect a bag, and two hours starts to look thin.

What happens if I miss my connection?

On a single ticket the airline has to get you to your destination, usually on the next available flight, and may owe you care or compensation depending on the cause and the rules where you flew. On two separate tickets, a missed connection is your problem and your cost.

Why are separate tickets so much worse?

Because nothing is joined up. Your bag is only tagged to the first destination, so you collect it, leave the secure area, and check in again from scratch. The second airline has no obligation to hold anything for you or rebook you if you are late.

Does the airline not check this when it sells me the flight?

Airlines will only sell connections above the airport's published minimum connection time, but that figure assumes everything runs perfectly and is often shorter than what the connection realistically needs. Legal and comfortable are different numbers.

Do I clear immigration if I am only transiting?

Sometimes. Some countries let you transit airside without entering, others make everyone clear immigration regardless, and a few require a transit visa to do it at all. Check the specific airport, because this is the single biggest variable in the whole calculation.

Other tools worth a look

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Schengen 90/180 calculator

Enter your entries and exits. See days used, days left, and the next date you can safely fly back in.

Overstay risk checker

Put a planned trip against the days you have already used and see if it tips you over.

Your connection is already in your inbox

Hopway reads your flight confirmations and lays the whole day out in order, so a tight connection is obvious before you book the next leg.

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