Is your layover long enough?
At 75 of the 112 airports we track, the published minimum connection time is 30 minutes domestic to domestic. For international to domestic, 78 of 112 airports set it at 90 minutes. These are airport minimums (OAG standard), not a recommended layover.
Enter your airport and connection details. The headline is the official minimum connection time for that connection. Next to it is a comfortable time: the minimum plus 30 minutes, or plus 60 when you clear customs or go through security again after a terminal change.
- 112 airports with verified minimum connection times
- Headline: the OAG minimum connection time, or your airline's own same-airline minimum
- Comfortable time: the minimum plus 30 minutes, or plus 60 when you clear customs or re-clear security
Minimum connection times by airport
Sortable comparison of domestic MCT, international-to-domestic MCT, and airside connectivity. Across all 112 airports, the airport-standard domestic-to-domestic MCT runs from 20 minutes (AKL) to 120 minutes (MXP, YYZ), with most major US and European hubs in the 30-55 minute band.
MCT = minimum connection time (the published floor airlines use when selling a connection on a single ticket; varies by carrier). The international-to-domestic MCT includes the time to clear customs. Last verified .
In-depth connection guides by hub
The table above gives the published minimum connection time for every airport. For the busiest connecting hubs, these guides go deeper: terminal-by-terminal transfers, customs and re-screen timing, and how much to actually pad beyond the MCT floor.
The Plane Train runs between every concourse, and the published floors actually hold.
Read the guide →AirTrain between terminals and no airside connections: pad 90 min domestic, 3 hours international-to-domestic.
Read the guide →A Schengen advantage and a 2-minute SkyLine make FRA easy. The catch is the move between terminals.
Read the guide →The Schengen shortcut Heathrow lacks, but terminal sprawl and the CDGVAL train are the real time sink.
Read the guide →No terminals are airside-connected: every transfer is a bus plus a full security re-screen.
Read the guide →A 120-minute published floor, tied with Milan Malpensa for the highest we track, but Air Canada files 60-75 min same-terminal. Two borders in one building.
Read the guide →One terminal, 1-14 minute walks and document-free transfers. The 90-minute floor covers queues, not distance.
Read the guide →The only mega-hub with a flat 60-minute floor for every connection type, and it mostly holds. Watch Midfield gates and SkyPier deadlines.
Read the guide →JAL domestic in T1, ANA in T2, international in T3. The airline picked your terminal when you booked.
Read the guide →One terminal, and Delta files a 30-minute minimum. International arrivals are a bags-first border: the airport itself says 2-3 hours.
Read the guide →Walkways link every terminal, so the building has earned your trust. The fog has not.
Read the guide →International transit with transfer buses, done properly. The catch: the airport closes overnight.
Read the guide →One terminal and a 50-minute international-to-domestic floor that mostly holds. Schengen passport queues are the variable.
Read the guide →T1-T3 connect airside and 45-60 minutes is realistic there; Terminal 4 rides a shuttle and earns its own padding.
Read the guide →T1 and T3 connections are comfortable in 60-90 minutes. Terminal 2 is a separate building, and its 3-hour worst case is real.
Read the guide →One enormous terminal: 60-75 minutes near your gates, 90-plus across the far piers. Distance is the whole story.
Read the guide →Easy within one terminal. An international T1-T2 transfer stays airside on the shuttle train via the Concourse, but give it 90 minutes to 2 hours.
Read the guide →Fast intra-Schengen connections in Terminal 1. EES border queues and the separate Terminal 2 are the traps.
Read the guide →A 30-minute domestic floor, and Terminal 5 sits in a separate building from the rest.
Read the guide →The hardest major US hub: nine terminals and the steepest published floors in the country.
Read the guide →Skylink links all five terminals with a train every two minutes, which makes DFW one of the easiest US hubs.
Read the guide →One terminal, three concourses on a 24/7 underground train, and United files 40-minute minimums. Weather is the only catch.
Read the guide →Five concourses joined on foot through one atrium, no train. Arguably the most predictable hub in the group.
Read the guide →Plan by your concourse pair and arrival type, not the low published floor. International arrivals clear customs and recheck bags.
Read the guide →The Skyway train links all five terminals. Just do not board the Subway by mistake.
Read the guide →United within Terminal C or A-C avoids re-screening; everyone else rides the AirTrain landside. Northeast weather is the wildcard.
Read the guide →Lufthansa and Star Alliance connect within Terminal 2 and its satellite; Terminal 1 means a shuttle bus. The Schengen border is the variable.
Read the guide →One central building with a 3-minute Skymetro to the non-Schengen Dock E. Intl-to-intl is the low floor; crossing the Schengen border under EES is the cost.
Read the guide →The fastest flat floor we track at 30 minutes, helped by a 4-minute pier shuttle. Austrian files an exceptional 25.
Read the guide →One terminal built for short Europe-Asia transfers; Finnair files 35 minutes. Only a non-Schengen arrival continuing into Schengen earns real padding.
Read the guide →A clean flat 45 across every sector. The only variable is whether you cross the Schengen border.
Read the guide →A single terminal with non-Schengen F-gates behind passport control, and bags forwarded on the intl-to-domestic transfer.
Read the guide →Easy within consolidated Terminal 5; the T2-to-T5 hop is a bus that can idle up to 20 minutes.
Read the guide →A flat 50-minute floor, but the airport recommends 70. Pier A is Schengen, Pier B non-Schengen, and a border change adds control plus security.
Read the guide →Floors run by sector, with a Satellite Terminal reached by an underground link. A Satellite gate or a Schengen crossing adds time.
Read the guide →A flat 35-minute floor across concourses A, B and C; passport control is the only add on a Schengen-border change.
Read the guide →Terminals 1 and 2 share one central Plaza security, so the flat 45 holds. Passport control sits in Terminal 2 for non-Schengen.
Read the guide →A single terminal split Schengen versus the N-gate non-Schengen zone, with the floors inverted: intl-to-intl sits below intl-to-domestic.
Read the guide →Terminal 1 is non-Schengen, Terminal 2 Schengen, so a terminal change is a border crossing. Same-terminal connections are quick.
Read the guide →Piers 2A (Schengen) and 2B (non-Schengen) link via SkyCourt with passport control between. A low-cost base, so most connections are self-transfers.
Read the guide →Not built for connecting: a Schengen change or a T1-T2 move means reclaiming and re-checking bags. Treat anything past Schengen carry-on as a self-transfer.
Read the guide →A single terminal with security on transfer and passport control on a Schengen-border change. Quick same-status, longer non-Schengen to Schengen.
Read the guide →A compact single terminal where the rare connection is easy. A leisure origin-and-destination airport, not a hub.
Read the guide →Terminals 1 and 2 are linked by a free tram, with Nice Connect self-connect priority lanes. Bags or a border crossing add time.
Read the guide →One terminal split by a French Sector customs line and a non-Schengen East Wing. Swiss files 50 minutes same-airline.
Read the guide →Icelandair's transatlantic shortcut: one terminal, with passport control between the Schengen and non-Schengen zones. No US preclearance.
Read the guide →Terminal 1 (network carriers) and Terminal 2 (easyJet) connect only by shuttle, so the floor is a flat 120, tied for the highest we track.
Read the guide →A flat 60-minute floor, but every international connection goes through the UK border. Same-terminal intl wants 90 minutes to 2 hours.
Read the guide →Check whether you are in Terminal 2 or Terminal 3 (Ryanair). International arrivals clear UK Border Force at a 120-minute floor.
Read the guide →Post-Brexit, any international connection clears UK Border Force. Domestic is the only quick case.
Read the guide →T2 has a connections route, and US Preclearance is handled pre-departure. Aer Lingus single-ticket is the smooth path.
Read the guide →Terminals 1 and 2 link by Skytrain. Almost entirely an intl-to-intl hub, so 90 minutes is the real floor.
Read the guide →One complex, including the SAT-1 satellite via people mover, on a high flat 75. Do not confuse it with Don Mueang, a separate airport an hour away.
Read the guide →Fast within Terminal 1 on a flat 60, but KLIA and KLIA2 are separate buildings. A Malaysia Airlines-to-AirAsia connection is a two-hour self-transfer.
Read the guide →Four terminals, and a terminal change is a drive in Manila traffic. The operator advises three hours-plus across terminals.
Read the guide →International T1 is a separate building from domestic T2/T3, joined by bus or train. International-to-domestic is a 2.5-3 hour border-and-transfer.
Read the guide →Four walkable terminals under one roof with no shuttle, on a steep 75-minute domestic floor. International arrivals clear customs and biosecurity.
Read the guide →The lowest domestic floor we track at 20 minutes, but international and domestic are separate terminals. Air New Zealand recommends 2 hours off an intl arrival.
Read the guide →The 2023 Midfield Terminal A consolidates every flight into one building, so each connection is a walk. Etihad files about 90 minutes.
Read the guide →Terminals A and B join through the Central Terminal. Intl-to-intl (60) is the low floor; crossing into the domestic system is the 90-minute case.
Read the guide →Ethiopian engineered Bole as an Africa connector and files Swift Connections tighter than the airport floor. Keep your connection on one ticket and 45-60 minutes works.
Read the guide →Domestic, international and US zones, plus US preclearance for US-bound flights. CBSA makes intl-to-domestic the long case at 110 minutes.
Read the guide →A single terminal with three jetties and US preclearance for US-bound flights. Air Canada files about 45-60 minutes; the border or a US flight is the long case.
Read the guide →An inverted floor where the outbound leg is slower, linked by the YYC Link shuttle, with US preclearance in Concourse E. Same-airline runs 45-60 minutes.
Read the guide →Copa's Tocumen joins Terminals 1 and 2 with a short free shuttle. Copa same-airline is 60-75 minutes, plus a little if you change buildings.
Read the guide →Terminals 2 and 3 share a walkway; Terminal 1 (Azul) needs a shuttle. Stay within T2/T3 and 60-75 minutes holds.
Read the guide →Avianca runs all flights from Terminal 1; the Puente Aereo shuttle terminal sits a kilometer away. Same-terminal is 60-75 minutes.
Read the guide →The new single terminal, opened 2025, puts domestic and international under one roof. LATAM domestic is quick; a border crossing is the 90-minute case.
Read the guide →International T1 and domestic T2 sit 4 km apart, linked by Airtrain or a free bus. Intl-to-intl stays within T1, but a terminal change adds customs and biosecurity.
Read the guide →Split precincts (T1/T2 versus the Qantas T3/T4) about a 10-minute drive apart. Within a precinct is quick; cross-precinct can run up to 150 minutes.
Read the guide →Every major hub ranked by minimum connection time and airside connectivity. SIN and AMS win; JFK and LHR cost the most buffer.
See the ranking →Common layover scenarios
Quick answers to the most common layover questions, checked against the same minimum and comfortable times the calculator uses. For a connection target with your exact airport and timing, use the calculator above.
Is 60 minutes enough at JFK with a terminal change?
JFK's airport-standard domestic-to-domestic MCT is 30 minutes. At 60 minutes you are 30 minutes over the floor, short of our 90-minute comfortable guidance. The catch is the terminal change: you ride the AirTrain to your departure terminal and go through TSA screening again there. At peak times a long security line can use up the spare 30 minutes.
Is 90 minutes enough at ATL international-to-domestic?
ATL's airport-standard international-to-domestic MCT is 90 minutes. At 90 minutes you are exactly at the floor, short of our 150-minute comfortable guidance. What helps: once you are back through TSA after customs, the airside Plane Train reaches every concourse. Customs is the variable, and when several European flights land together the queue can take the whole layover. Delta files its own same-airline connections at 85 minutes.
Is 1 hour enough at LAX with a terminal change?
LAX's airport-standard domestic-to-domestic MCT is 70 minutes. At 60 minutes you are 10 minutes under the floor, so airlines will not sell it on a single ticket and a self-transfer is risky. Since 2023 the terminals are linked airside, so a domestic terminal change needs no TSA re-screening, but the walk can run about 2 miles.
Is 45 minutes enough at DEN domestic?
DEN's domestic-to-domestic MCT is only 30 minutes, one of the shortest among major US hubs. At 45 minutes you are 15 minutes over the floor, short of our 60-minute comfortable guidance. All three concourses (A, B, C) are airside-connected via an underground train running every 2-3 minutes, so the connection works, but a late inbound flight or a far gate leaves little slack.
Is 2 hours enough at ORD international-to-domestic?
ORD's international-to-domestic MCT is 90 minutes, and that floor already includes customs time. At 120 minutes you are 30 minutes over the floor, short of our 150-minute comfortable guidance. Terminal 5 handles most international arrivals; after customs you recheck your bag and clear TSA again. A secure Terminal Transfer Bus links T5 with Terminals 1 and 3 from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; between 9:30 p.m. and 11:30 a.m. a terminal change means leaving security, riding the ATS people mover and rescreening. A slow customs hall or a long TSA line can use up the spare 30 minutes.
Is 75 minutes enough at LHR Terminal 3 to Terminal 5?
LHR's international-to-international MCT is 90 minutes. At 75 minutes you are 15 minutes under the floor, so airlines will not sell it on a single ticket and a self-transfer is risky. Booked as one journey, a Heathrow connection skips passport control and bag collection, but every connecting passenger goes through security again, and a T3-to-T5 change adds the inter-terminal transfer on top.
Is 90 minutes enough at SIN international-to-international?
Singapore Changi's airport-standard international-to-international MCT is 90 minutes. At 90 minutes you are exactly at the floor, short of our 120-minute comfortable guidance. Terminals 1, 2, and 3 link by the Skytrain inside the transit area, and you stay airside without clearing immigration as long as your itinerary is through-checked to your final destination. Terminal 4 is reached by a shuttle bus in the transit area, a ride of 10 to 18 minutes, so a T4 connection uses more of the layover.
Is 45 minutes enough at CLT domestic?
CLT's airport-standard domestic-to-domestic MCT is just 30 minutes, one of the lowest in the US. At 45 minutes you are 15 minutes over the floor, short of our 60-minute comfortable guidance. All concourses (A through E) connect airside through the central Atrium, but the longest walk (A to E) is about 18 minutes, so a far-concourse connection leaves little slack.
Is 50 minutes enough at DFW with a terminal change?
DFW's airport-standard domestic-to-domestic MCT is 30 minutes. At 50 minutes you are 20 minutes over the floor, short of our 60-minute comfortable guidance. All five terminals (A through E) are airside-connected via the Skylink train, which runs every 2 minutes and takes 6-14 minutes depending on the terminal pair, so the ride eats into the spare 20 minutes.
Is 90 minutes enough at MIA international-to-domestic?
MIA's international-to-domestic MCT is 90 minutes. At 90 minutes you are exactly at the floor, short of our 150-minute comfortable guidance. MIA is a major Latin American and Caribbean gateway, so the customs hall gets busy when arrivals bunch up. After customs you recheck bags and re-clear TSA security, and MIA's concourses are only partly airside-connected, so a concourse change can add time. This close to the floor, any queue makes it tight.
Is 1 hour enough at EWR with a terminal change?
EWR's airport-standard domestic-to-domestic MCT is 30 minutes. At 60 minutes you are 30 minutes over the floor, short of our 90-minute comfortable guidance. For most passengers a terminal change means riding the AirTrain and going through TSA screening again, and that line varies by time of day and checkpoint. United passengers connecting between Terminals A and C can take United's shuttle bus and skip security. If TSA lines are long, a terminal change can still cost you the flight.
Is 2 hours enough at SFO international-to-domestic?
SFO's airport-standard international-to-domestic MCT is 105 minutes. At 120 minutes you are 15 minutes over the floor, short of our 165-minute comfortable guidance. Non-precleared international arrivals claim bags, clear CBP at the International Terminal, recheck, and pass a security checkpoint. Those spare 15 minutes are workable for most connections but not generous if the customs line is long.
Is 90 minutes enough at CDG international-to-international?
CDG's international-to-international MCT is 90 minutes. At 90 minutes you are exactly at the floor, short of our 120-minute comfortable guidance. Transfers between Terminal 1, T2, and T3 use the CDGVAL automated train. Non-Schengen arrivals also queue at passport control. Schengen-to-Schengen transfers within T2 are faster since you skip passport control.
Customs and immigration by region
International arrivals clear immigration and customs, and the wait depends on the airport, the time of day, and whether you have a trusted-traveler program (Global Entry, eGates, SmartGates). The rules for who clears entry differ by region.
United States
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) requires all international arrivals to clear customs at their first US port of entry, even on connecting itineraries. Global Entry members use a separate expedited lane.
- Airports covered
- 50
Europe
Schengen-zone arrivals from other Schengen countries skip passport control entirely. Non-Schengen arrivals face immigration queues. PARAFE (France), EasyPASS (Germany), and eGates (UK) are the main automated fast-track programs.
- Airports covered
- 34
Asia-Pacific
Automated immigration lanes are available at most large airports for eligible nationalities.
- Airports covered
- 14
Middle East, Africa, Canada & Latin America
Canadian airports with US Preclearance (Toronto, Vancouver) let you clear US customs before departure, arriving as a domestic passenger. Dubai, Doha, Johannesburg and Addis Ababa are major connecting hubs where transit passengers often skip immigration entirely.
- Airports covered
- 14
How the calculator works
- 1. MCT lookup. Every airport publishes a minimum connection time (MCT) for four scenarios: domestic-to-domestic, domestic-to-international, international-to-domestic, and international-to-international. The calculator loads the correct MCT for your connection type.
- 2. Same-airline minimum. If you fly one airline both ways and that airline files its own same-airline minimum here, the headline switches to that airline's figure.
- 3. Comfortable time. Next to the minimum, the calculator shows a comfortable time: the minimum plus 30 minutes, or plus 60 when you clear customs or go through security again after a terminal change. That margin is our guidance, not an airline or airport figure.
- 4. Nothing else is added. The calculator adds no customs, security or bag-recheck wait estimate, because those lines change hour to hour and we have no sourced typical figure for every airport. The airport's minimum already covers the steps airlines expect, including customs on an international arrival. Check the airport's or border agency's live wait times before you fly.
Airports where every terminal connects airside
Each airport here has a quoted source saying every terminal connects airside. International arrivals in the US still clear customs first.
- DEN Denver International30/90 min MCT
Underground train, airside between concourses
- CLT Charlotte Douglas30/90 min MCT
Central atrium, airside between concourses
- DFW Dallas/Fort Worth30/90 min MCT
Skylink every 2 minutes, airside between terminals
- SIN Singapore Changi90 min intl MCT
Skytrain, airside between terminals
- ICN Seoul Incheon30/90 min MCT
Shuttle train, airside between terminals
- ATL Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson55/90 min MCT
Plane Train every 2 minutes, airside between terminals
Airports to avoid for tight connections
A terminal change here can mean a fresh security screening, or the longest US domestic MCT we track.
- JFK New York JFK30/90 min MCT
AirTrain between terminals, every change re-screens
- LHR London Heathrow30/90 min MCT
Heathrow Transit between terminals, every change re-screens
- ORD Chicago O'Hare30/90 min MCT
ATS between terminals, some changes re-screen
- LAX Los Angeles International70/120 min MCT
Pedestrian path, longest domestic MCT of 50 US airports
All 112 supported airports
Every airport has its OAG minimum connection time, read through ExpertFlyer. A terminal transfer appears only where the airport publishes one we can cite, marked ★.
Frequently asked questions
What is minimum connection time (MCT)?
Minimum connection time is the published floor an airline or GDS will use when selling two flights as a single-ticket connection at a given airport. It is a commercial threshold (not a legal one) and varies by connection type and by carrier. The authoritative per-carrier values live in the OAG MCT manual and are visible to consumers through ExpertFlyer or the airline's own MCT page. The value we display is an airport-wide simplification of that. A domestic MCT might be 30 minutes at an efficient airside hub like Charlotte (CLT) but 70 minutes at Los Angeles (LAX). LAX's published floor stayed high even though its terminals have been linked airside since 2023 (the constraint is a walk of up to about 2 miles, with no re-screening). If your layover is shorter than the carrier's MCT, the airline will not sell it as one ticket.
Why does the calculator show only the MCT as its headline?
MCT is the floor an airline will sell a connection at, and it is the one number in the calculator that comes from filed data. Next to it we show a comfortable time, which is our guidance rather than a rule: the minimum plus 30 minutes, or plus 60 when you clear customs or go through security again after a terminal change. You clear customs when an international arrival connects to a domestic flight, and on international transfers unless the airport or border agency says transit stays airside. A 30-minute domestic MCT at ORD is the floor, so a connection that sits between the minimum and the comfortable time is legal but tight.
Do I need to clear customs on a connecting flight through the US?
Yes. US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) requires all passengers arriving on international flights to clear customs at their first US port of entry, even if you have a connecting domestic flight. You will collect your checked bags, clear customs, recheck your bags, and re-clear TSA security. The exception is flights from US preclearance airports (Dublin, Shannon, Abu Dhabi, and several Canadian cities) where you clear US customs before departure and arrive as a domestic passenger.
How long does customs take at US airports?
It depends on the airport, the time of day, and whether you have a trusted-traveler program such as Global Entry, so we do not publish a fixed customs wait. The international-to-domestic minimum connection time already includes the time airlines expect you to spend clearing customs, and the comfortable time adds 60 minutes on top of it when you clear customs. For the line on your travel day, check CBP's Airport Wait Times page for US airports, or the border agency of the country you land in.
What counts as a same-terminal connection?
A same-terminal connection means your arriving and departing gates are in the same terminal building or concourse. You stay airside (inside security) and walk to your next gate. At airports where all terminals are airside-connected, like Atlanta (ATL) and Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), even "different terminal" connections are effectively same-terminal since you never leave the secure area.
Do I have to re-clear TSA security during a connection?
Only if you leave the secure area. At airports with airside connections between all terminals (ATL, DFW, DEN, CLT, IAH), you stay inside security for any domestic connection. At airports without airside connections between all terminals (ORD, JFK, MIA, EWR, BOS), a terminal change can mean exiting security, taking a train or shuttle, and re-clearing TSA. LAX moved out of this group in 2023: its terminals are now linked post-security, so domestic terminal changes there stay airside. International arrivals at US airports always clear customs, which puts you landside. Elsewhere, an international arrival connecting to a domestic flight clears customs, and an international-to-international transfer stays airside only where the airport runs an airside transit route.
What happens if my checked bag does not make a tight connection?
If you booked a single itinerary and the airline sold you the connection, they are responsible for forwarding your bag on the next available flight at no charge. Short-check bags (tagged only to the connecting airport, not your final destination) are your responsibility to collect and recheck. On separate tickets, the airline has no obligation to transfer your bag.
Is a 1-hour layover long enough?
It depends on the airport and connection type. At Charlotte (CLT) and Denver (DEN), each with a 30-minute domestic MCT, 60 minutes is right at our 60-minute comfortable guidance (the MCT plus 30 minutes: guidance, not a rule). At JFK, with a 30-minute domestic MCT, 60 minutes is 30 minutes over that minimum but short of our 90-minute comfortable guidance (the MCT plus 60 minutes). Changing terminals at JFK means leaving security, riding the AirTrain and re-clearing TSA. At LAX, with a 70-minute domestic MCT, 60 minutes is 10 minutes under that minimum, so airlines will not sell it on one ticket. LAX terminals connect inside security, but the walk can be up to about 2 miles. Enter your trip in the Travel Vient connection time calculator for a specific answer.
What is the shortest minimum connection time in the US?
Among the 50 US airports we track, 43 share the shortest domestic-to-domestic MCT at 30 minutes, including Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), Denver (DEN), and Charlotte (CLT), where every concourse connects inside security. The longest is Los Angeles (LAX) at 70 minutes, a conservative floor kept from the era before its terminals were linked airside in 2023; today the cost of an LAX terminal change is a long post-security walk, with no re-screening. A low published MCT does not always mean an easy connection: JFK also lists 30 minutes, but with no airside terminal connections, a terminal change there means leaving security and clearing it again.
Which airport has the most reliable transfer times between gates?
Airports where every terminal connects airside tend to have the most reliable gate-to-gate transfer times, because a terminal change never means leaving the airside for a landside shuttle. Examples include Denver International (DEN, underground train), Charlotte Douglas (CLT, central atrium), Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW, Skylink every 2 minutes), Singapore Changi (SIN, Skytrain), Seoul Incheon (ICN, shuttle train), and Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL, Plane Train every 2 minutes). At JFK and LHR, every terminal change means a shuttle ride and a fresh security screening, and at ORD, not every terminal connects airside, so some changes do.
Which airports require international rebag?
All US airports require international arrivals to collect checked bags, clear customs, and recheck bags at the first port of entry. This applies even if your bags were tagged through to a domestic destination. The only exception is flights from US preclearance airports (Toronto, Vancouver, Dublin, Shannon, Abu Dhabi, and others), where you clear US customs before departure and your bags transfer as domestic.
Do US preclearance airports skip customs?
Yes. At US preclearance airports, you clear US Customs and Border Protection before boarding. When you land in the US, you arrive as a domestic passenger: no customs line, no bag recheck, and no TSA re-screening if you are connecting, so the connection works like a domestic one. Major preclearance airports include Toronto Pearson (YYZ), Vancouver (YVR), Dublin (DUB), Shannon (SNN), and Abu Dhabi (AUH).
What is a self-transfer layover?
A self-transfer (also called a self-connect or separate-ticket connection) means you booked two independent tickets and are connecting on your own. The airline has no obligation to transfer your bags, rebook you if you miss the second flight, or wait for you. You must collect your bags, exit the airport, check in again, and clear security. Always add at least 2-3 hours for self-transfer connections.
How does Schengen affect connection time?
Within the Schengen Area (most of mainland Europe), flights between member countries are treated as domestic: no passport control, no immigration queues. If you are flying from a non-Schengen origin (US, UK, etc.) to a Schengen destination via a Schengen hub like Frankfurt or Amsterdam, you clear immigration at your first Schengen airport. Schengen-to-Schengen connections skip passport control entirely, making them significantly faster.
What if I miss my connection?
If you booked a single itinerary and miss your connection due to a late inbound flight, the airline must rebook you on the next available flight at no charge. This applies even if the delay was weather-related. If you miss it due to your own actions (slow at customs, wrong gate), the airline may rebook you standby or charge a change fee depending on your fare class. On separate tickets, you have no protection and must buy a new ticket.
Methodology and data sources
Minimum connection times (MCT) shown here are the airport-standard minimums for all 112 airports, from the OAG minimum connection time data that airlines file, read through ExpertFlyer. MCT is set per carrier and per connection type: the airport standard is the floor for any carrier that files no minimum of its own. When you pick one airline for both flights and it files its own same-airline minimum, the number switches to that airline's figure. For a booking decision, confirm with your airline. See how the calculator works.
Terminal transfer notes appear only where the airport publishes a terminal-to-terminal time or transfer mode we can cite. Everywhere else the tool shows the minimum connection time on its own.
Customs and immigration waits are not shown, because we have no sourced typical wait for every airport. Instead the comfortable time allows 60 minutes over the minimum, instead of 30, whenever you clear customs or go through security again after a terminal change.
Last verified . Data is verified against primary sources on a rolling basis. Individual airport pages link to their specific source URLs.
If a figure looks wrong, email hello@vient.org, see how we handle corrections, or browse past fixes in our public changelog.
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