Question 1

What is a minimum connection time (MCT)?

Accepted Answer

Minimum connection time is the shortest interval an airline or airport will allow between an arriving and departing flight on the same booking. If your connection falls below the MCT, the flights cannot be sold as a single itinerary and you will not be automatically rebooked if you misconnect.

Question 2

Which US airport has the shortest minimum connection time?

Accepted Answer

30 minutes is the shortest airport-standard domestic-to-domestic MCT among the 50 US airports we track, and 43 of them share it, including DFW, DEN, ORD, JFK and CLT.

Question 3

Why is the international-to-domestic MCT longer than domestic-to-domestic?

Accepted Answer

International-to-domestic connections require clearing US Customs and Border Protection, recollecting checked bags, and re-checking them with your onward carrier before the walk to the next gate, and the minimum has to cover all of it. Across the 50 US airports we track, the airport-standard international-to-domestic MCT runs from 60 minutes (CVG) to 120 minutes (LAX). Domestic-to-domestic runs from 30 minutes (43 airports, including DFW and DEN) to 70 minutes (LAX).

Question 4

Does American Airlines have a 25-minute connection time?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but only at PHX among the airports we track. American Airlines' published same-airline domestic-to-domestic MCT is 25 minutes at PHX, 30 minutes at CLT and PHL, 35 minutes at ORD and LAX and 40 minutes at DFW and MIA. These carrier minimums cover American-to-American connections only; a connection to another airline uses the airport-standard MCT instead.

Question 5

What happens if my layover is shorter than the MCT?

Accepted Answer

Booking engines should not allow this — they check MCT at search time. If you are booking two separate tickets (self-connecting), MCT does not apply, but you lose all airline protection: if you misconnect, you pay for a new ticket. For a single itinerary booked on one ticket, always verify MCT compliance and add buffer for real-world delays.

Question 6

Which airports are airside-connected between all terminals?

Accepted Answer

9 airports are airside-connected between all terminals, including ATL (Plane Train), DFW (Skylink), DEN (underground train), LAX, CLT and IAH. We have a sourced answer on this for 17 of the 112 airports we track; the rest show "Not published" until we find a source. ORD, JFK, MIA, EWR, BOS and LGA are not fully airside-connected, so some terminal changes mean exiting and re-clearing security.

#	Airport	Dom-Dom	Airside	Transfer
1	AKL Auckland	20 min	Not published	International and domestic are separate terminals ~10 min apart: free transfer bus every 15 min (5am-11pm), or a 950 m covered walkway (~10-15 min). An integrated terminal is under construction.
2	AMS Amsterdam	25 min	Not published	Walking / moving walkways
3	DFW Dallas	30 min	Yes	Skylink (automated people mover)
4	DEN Denver	30 min	Yes	Underground Train to Concourses (automated people mover)
5	ORD Chicago	30 min	No	Secure-side walkways link Terminals 1, 2 and 3; Terminal 5 by the secure Terminal Transfer Bus (11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.) or the landside ATS people mover
6	JFK New York	30 min	No	AirTrain (24/7 free within the airport; adjacent terminals 5-8 min, full loop 20-25 min)
7	CLT Charlotte	30 min	Yes	Walking only, through the central atrium
8	LAS Las Vegas	30 min	Not published	Underground tram between T1 and T3; Concourse D is shared
9	MCO Orlando	30 min	Not published	Automated people mover within each terminal; shuttle between terminals landside
10	MIA Miami	30 min	No	Skytrain (serves Concourse D / North Terminal only); walkway links elsewhere (D-E bridge, H-J walkway)
11	PHX Phoenix	30 min	Not published	PHX Sky Train (24/7, connecting T3, T4, Rental Car, and Metro Light Rail)
12	SEA Seattle	30 min	Not published	SATS underground train to N and S satellites
13	EWR Newark	30 min	No	AirTrain Newark (monorail between terminals, landside only)
14	IAH Houston	30 min	Yes	Skyway train (above-ground, connects terminals A-E)
15	BOS Boston	30 min	No	Terminals B, C and E connected post-security; Terminal A by pre-security walkways or the free On-Airport Shuttle

#	Airport	Intl-Dom	Dom-Intl	Intl-Intl	Global Entry
1	VIE Vienna	30 min	30 min	30 min	—
2	DUS Düsseldorf	35 min	35 min	35 min	—
3	VCE Venice	35 min	35 min	35 min	—
4	OSL Oslo	40 min	40 min	50 min	—
5	CPH Copenhagen	45 min	45 min	45 min	—
6	HAM Hamburg	45 min	45 min	45 min	—
7	DUB Dublin	45 min	45 min	45 min	Yes
8	KEF Reykjavík	45 min	45 min	45 min	—
9	HEL Helsinki	45 min	40 min	40 min	—
10	AMS Amsterdam	50 min	50 min	50 min	—
11	ZRH Zurich	50 min	50 min	40 min	—
12	BRU Brussels	50 min	50 min	50 min	—
13	PRG Prague	55 min	55 min	55 min	—
14	KUL Kuala Lumpur	1 hr	1 hr	1 hr	—
15	CVG Cincinnati	1 hr	1 hr	1 hr	Yes

Shortest Minimum Connection Times

Quick answer

15 shortest domestic-to-domestic MCTs

15 shortest international-to-domestic MCTs

9 fully airside-connected airports

Frequently asked questions

Sources