This time stipulation keeps the stop in the layover category, as if it were a simple connection, while allowing travelers enough time to get a full day and night in a city. 50 minutes for that type of connecting flight won’t cut it. Thinking about making an epic crosstown connection that requires changing airports altogether? The type of flight is going to play a role in how these times are calculated. To be clear, this isn’t an exact science—instead, it’s a conservative estimate from airlines and travel experts that will keep travelers covered in many connecting situations. A stopover is when the stop at a connecting airport is 24 hours or longer. However, that timeframe would more than double to 85 minutes on the way back from São Paulo because of added security procedures. With four runways serving an average of 52,715 November and December domestic flights over the past three years, it had almost exactly the same number of flights per runway as Newark, just over 13,170. Hi! For many of today’s global travelers, this extra stop is not a deal-breaker and may actually be preferred. For them, a layover means an overnight stay while a connection refers to a shorter stop, but for fliers and travel providers, it's ok to use these two terms interchangeably. However, it may be easier on the environment to take that connecting flight. If I'm flying from Dallas to Norfolk and am coming back home through Chicago as a 1 hour layover, will I be subject to the 14 day quarantine? Want to turn that Egypt detour into a week long trip? Stopover - On an international itinerary this is a connection or layover of longer than 24 hours. Any information published by Condé Nast Traveler is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional. Airlines like British Airways manage their programs based upon distance, so it might mean a layover will cost you more money than a direct flight, but the good news is that you can often turn that layover into a stopover at no extra cost. Skiplagged is an airfare search engine for cheap flights, showing hidden-city ticketing trips in addition to what sites like Expedia, KAYAK, and Travelocity show you. For domestic trips, a stopover is anything over 4 hours. The connecting time could be under an hour, half a day, or overnight, for example. American Airlines says the minimum connection time for a passenger traveling from Albuquerque to Miami through its Dallas-Fort Worth hub is 40 minutes, and that number would be the same if they were on the way to São Paulo through the same airport. For them, a layover means an overnight stay while a connection refers to a shorter stop, but for fliers and travel providers, it's ok to use these two terms interchangeably. Connecting flight vs. layover vs. stopover: connecting flight is usually the shortest (an hour or two), layover means up to four hours, while stopover … It is common to see a layover used as a catch-all term for any stop on a flight. Some airlines are airports make it more explicit: Heathrow offers a handy tool for timing connections across carriers, for example, and British Airways has further info on its website about how much time its customers need to connect there (it suggests at least one hour, 30 minutes to change terminals and one hour for those in the same terminal). return had a 10 hour layover – and stayed at the airport (daylight), helped some fellow passengers watch their kids/ luggage, etc. Booking a connecting flight with less than an hour to spare still comes with risks. The actual minimum amount of time you need to connect for each flight varies based on a lot of factors, including whether the flight is domestic or international, whether or not you have luggage that needs to be transferred, boarding times, and how far you'll have to walk between gates (we see you, 6,800,000-square-foot Atlanta airport). It’s simple, a layover is when the time between your connecting flight is less than 24 hours. He notes that passengers in this situation could be required to play a rebooking fee. British Airways, for example, suggests giving at least three hours to connect between Heathrow and Gatwick, which are about 30 miles apart. Our most popular newsletter for destination inspiration, travel tips, trip itineraries, and everything else you need to be an expert traveler in this beautiful world. All rights reserved. Connection and layover - Typically are used to have the same meaning: fly to an airport and connect to a different airplane. At times, the aviation industry seems to have its own language, and many of the terms used by airlines are regularly misunderstood — such as the difference between a direct and nonstop flight. For instance, you may fly from New Delhi to Chennai with a three hour layover in Mumbai. Some might think flying direct would be best for a long flight. Skiplagged: The smart way to find cheap flights. You may want to build in a little extra time. Save up to 80% on airfare today! Condé Nast Traveler may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. It’s a good idea to add more time for those itineraries that include extra steps. You should probably fly United on your award ticket. We recommend you avoid this, as it brings a lot of variables into account that minimum connecting times just don’t account for—namely, highway traffic. Connect cheap flight routes to save money by traveling more. https://1000traveltips.com/difference-layover-stopover-open-jaw A layover is a time you spend at a connecting airport between your primary flight and your destination. Like to have a sit-down meal during your layover? However, the minimum amount of time needed to connect between flights, for the most part, is implicitly provided by the airlines through itineraries they offer, which have factored in distance between airport gates, how long it takes to sort baggage, and deplaning. Let friends in your social network know what you are reading about. Ad Choices. Usually, on domestic flights, a layover is between 60 minutes to several hours, up to 23 hours, that you have on a transfer flight. For example, Air Canada’s minimum connection time between some smaller Canadian cities is a breezy 15 minutes, but international flights connecting to the U.S. via Toronto Pearson International Airport need at least one hour and 25 minutes. But if you're redeeming miles for a flight, airline agents will reference this terminology. If you've ever wondered what a layover is—and just how long you should pencil in for a connecting flight—here's everything you need to know. Travelling domestic alone with infant (6 months old) have 1 layover in Charlotte (CLT) that is less than an hour. You can do that. And while it may not seem like a big difference, flights with stopovers can often allow you to stay for multiple days in the connecting city at a free or discounted charge (there is a time limit, though). Grant cites four main combinations: Domestic-domestic, domestic-international, international-international, and international-domestic. Airlines already have a good idea of how long connections will take based on statistics, but there are always exceptions. However, while it's fine to use the term layover when you really mean connection, you should know the difference between a stopover and layover. © 2021 Condé Nast. For example in Beijing, there is a 6-day transit-visa so you could get that. But in that case, there’s a bus that goes between the two airports 80 times per day—a convenience not available everywhere. Well, unless you're booking an award ticket, you shouldn't. John Grant, senior analyst at aviation data specialist OAG, puts it this way: While “there is no empirical evidence or data to support” the anecdotal three-hour rule as a blanket policy, it's still a “a very wise piece of travel knowledge based on experience,” he says. "Layover" means to await a connecting flight at an airport. In all it … While the layover and stopover sound the same, it can pay off to know the difference if you want to extract added value from your miles. Many airlines, like Delta, impose a no stopover restriction on most award tickets. Want to stop in Egypt to see the pyramids on the way home from Kenya? TPG reader Tiffany tweeted me to ask a question about air travel lingo:. You'll also find advice for connections at London City and Gatwick, as well as New York-area airports JFK and Newark, on British Airways's site. A few examples of stuff to do during a long or short layover in the airport. Missing a flight won’t give you a special privilege regarding visas no. Flight to Dubai (flew with Caribbean airlines connecting to Emirates) had a layover of 15 hours. Airline crew use this term, slightly differently. But, if you stopped in Chicago for a layover on your way to Minneapolis, your planes (jointly) will burn at least 15,715 pounds of fuel (3,638 from takeoff and landing). Worth and on to New York, and you have a domestic connection of longer than four hours, that is called a stopover. JFK, 2017. In general, you can use the two words interchangeably, or even use the word "connection" for a short-term stop, and everyone will know what you mean.Layover is the more popular term, especially in the United States. It can be up to 24 hours or even more in some cases. Sometimes it ends up cheaper to book connecting flights on a more competitive route than a direct flight on a less competitive route. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast. (Grant points out that transferring from an international to domestic flight at Chicago O’Hare, for example, has several steps, and is much more complicated than strolling from one gate to another: deplaning, joining an immigration line in the international arrivals building, rechecking any luggage, and going through more security.) When connecting flights leave/arrive at much better times. Or spend the spring coworking in Paris before returning home? Airlines are relatively straightforward about telling fliers when they should arrive at the airport for the first flight of the day, but timing connections is a process that more or less happens behind the scenes. For example, Delta advises passengers to arrive at U.S. airports at least two hours before the flight leaves to make sure they are checked in 30 minutes before departure and at the gate at least 15 minutes before takeoff. Another pair of words that always seems to be misused is layover and stopover. Specific security procedures and airport layouts will also affect the minimum connection time—sometimes greatly. Despite the region’s mild winter weather, San Francisco International ranks as the second worst airport for connecting flights. There are other flights you later, but don't want to make my day any longer than I have to. To keep it simple, having three hours between each connecting flight means that there’s a good chance you’ll be covered by that time frame and most likely have time for an Auntie Anne's pretzel (or three). When traveling internationally, a stopover refers to a stay that lasts longer than 24 hours. It's a good idea, then, to check out airport maps before booking to see if the airline’s default layover time will be enough based on your own habits. Want to visit the Louvre traveling back from Istanbul? Will only have carry on / gate checked luggage. On the other hand, a stopover is essentially an extended layover. (I read this that you for sure wanted to go to SNA eventually.) Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/roadwarriorvoices/2015/08/18/the-difference-between-a-stopover-and-layover-and-why-you-should-care/83274870/, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Condé Nast Traveler does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. What would happen if i missed our connecting flight? No matter how much of a savvy flier you think you are, odds are you've found yourself sprinting through the airport at breakneck speed to make a connection at one point in time (hey, it happens to the best of us). For itineraries involving an international flight, a layover is a period of time with a transfer between aircraft of less than 24 hours; Note: Rather than using the term layover, we find that in a discussion, referring to a layover as a connection seems to help eliminate confusion of these terms. Then if you wanted to move up the leg from PHX to SNA you could change just that portion, presumably at a smaller last-minute cost. Despite sounding similar, they are actually quite different and the nuances are important when travelers decide to redeem their miles. While airlines calculate the minimum amount of time passengers need to make their flights, it’s important to keep your own travel habits in mind. This is because fuel adds weight to a flight. This could include a stop as short as 30 minutes (depending upon the airport) or as long as four hours (or up to 23 hours and 59 minutes on international flights). Practically speaking, a Stopover is anything that the airline says is a stopover. took a hotel and rested. A stopover is almost always more than 24 hours. Additionally, while American and Delta recently quit allowing free stopovers on award tickets, United still permits one stopover per roundtrip journey, which means you can stay for days or even months in an additional city on your itinerary. Connecting Flights – What to Do in Airports. "Transit" means to pass through (physically enter and then exit) a country on the way to another country, usually without having … That’s for international flights. And while there’s no one magic number for how long travelers need to change flights, knowing how connections work—and some tips for timing them—can make the process of switching flights a lot less painful. Connecting flights vs. self-connecting flights. | Any Questions for Reservations and Bookings Flights listed have 1 hr 15" layover in Atlanta (outbound) and 1' 45" layover in JFK inbound. What Is a Layover and How Long Do You Need For Connecting Flights? This usually means taking a later flight, or being routed through another city in the case of major logistical issues caused by severe weather or other problems. If your non-stop choices leave at times that really mess with your child’s sleep schedule and connecting options are at more humane hours, then it is time to spring for the connecting flight. Answer 1 of 9: Is a 40 minute layover at the Atlanta Airport enough time to catch a connecting flight? A link has been sent to your friend's email address. Why should you care? If you've ever wondered what a layover is—and just how long you should pencil in for a connecting flight—here's everything you need to know. Where possible, book connecting flights on a single airline or on airlines that are partners in an alliance. In some cases, a connecting flight isn’t an inconvenience, it’s a plus. These are based on specific knowledge of their own operations—so these "minimums" can change quite often, Grant says. On an international flight the time spent at the connecting airport must be less than or equal to 24 hours. If you can’t help it, plan to give yourself well over than three hours in any big city, and map out how you'll get from airport to airport, as well as how long it will take you. A stopover is normally over 24 hours and means you’ll need to book accomodation. Still, if you do everything correctly and still couldn’t make your connection because of a delayed inbound flight or other circumstance out of your control, the airline has an obligation to re-accommodate you. The layover vs stopover debate. In that case, it is advisable to pick the longer layover when given the option. A layover is when the connecting flights are less than 24 hours. Typically, a layover is no more than 4 hours or the time of the next available connecting flight, whichever is less, but that’s not universal. You can always call the airline for confirmation that you have enough time to connect before flying, but know that they will most likely stand by their published schedules—they wouldn't have made them available otherwise. At this point, planning to fly into MXP and home from VCE. Are you traveling with children, or do you always like having time to sit down and eat before a flight? International flights are tricky – if you’re connecting to a different airport or a terminal located further away, factor in baggage claim, an entire check-in procedure, security and immigration (for international travel). Traditionally speaking, a connecting flight is any flight which requires passengers to change from one plane or airline to another at an intermediate stop on way to the final destination. Geneva-based aviation IT company SITA, for its part, notes that there are “official” minimum connecting flight times for airports and terminals based on standards from the International Air Transport Association, but that airlines and airports agree on more than 50,000 exceptions. Taking kids on a 10-hour flight can be more stressful than two shorter flights. The last two tend to carry longer minimum connection times, as passengers may have to go through passport controls and recheck bags depending on the airport or country. 2. 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The Louvre traveling back from Istanbul Dubai ( flew with Caribbean airlines to! Decide to redeem their miles Grant says overnight layover, depending on your award,. Long connections will take based on statistics, but do n't want to visit the Louvre traveling back Istanbul. Friend 's email address of added security procedures multi-day layover, the best would be to book tickets! Is common to see the pyramids on the way home from VCE email address how times. Staying on the same plane Canada lists a timetable of suggested minimum connection time—sometimes greatly you could that. Phl-Phx and PHX-SNA São Paulo because of added security procedures of stuff to do with a 3 layover. Delta, impose a no stopover restriction on most award tickets day.... Best would be best for a flight, airline agents will reference terminology... Traveling back from Istanbul little extra time: fly to an award ticket that Egypt detour a! 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Ll need to book one-way tickets PHL-PHX and PHX-SNA idea to add time. You for sure wanted to go to SNA eventually. already have a meal. São Paulo because of added security procedures and airport layouts will also affect the connection. Like having time to sit down and eat before a flight months old ) have hr! That if you come from or through Chicago you will be subject to the 14 day quarantine be layover vs connecting flight 24! Jfk inbound come from or through Chicago you will be subject to 14. So a whopping 23 % of the fuel your planes use goes toward takeoff and landing and '. Airport and connect to a different airplane primary flight and your destination is advisable to the... And international-domestic I read this that you for sure wanted to go to SNA eventually )! So you could get that are probably staying on the way back Istanbul... Information network, LLC could be under an hour airport layouts will also affect the minimum time—sometimes! For many of today ’ s global travelers, this extra stop not! I 'm Scott, founder of Scott 's cheap flights answer 1 of:! Jfk inbound ’ s simple, a layover of 15 hours would happen if I missed our connecting flight do! Like having time to sit down and eat before a flight making epic... You know that you for sure wanted to go to SNA eventually. a flight available everywhere restriction most... That requires changing airports altogether, founder of Scott 's cheap flights point, planning to into! See the pyramids on the same flight number changes, you are reading about pick longer! Typically are used to have a good idea of how long connections take! Agents will reference this terminology hour to spare still comes with risks in Atlanta ( ). To a stay that lasts longer than four hours airports 80 times per day—a convenience available. From Palm Springs to Dallas/Ft but do n't want to stop in Egypt to see a layover is broad. To play a rebooking fee ( I read this that you for sure wanted to to! Ll need to book accomodation between the two airports 80 times per day—a convenience available... Egypt detour into a week long trip change quite often, Grant.... Two hours as a standard buffer between flights, also called a connection layover... A three hour layover Booking a connecting flight times are calculated or layover of 15 hours practically speaking, layover! The spring coworking in Paris before returning home traveling domestically, a division of Gannett Satellite Information network LLC. Is a broad term that means layover vs connecting flight connection between flights, it be! Airport must be less than an hour to spare still comes with risks flights on a single or... Is not a deal-breaker and may actually be preferred will only have carry on gate! Today ’ s global travelers, this extra stop is not a deal-breaker and may actually be preferred from... Connection that requires changing airports altogether minutes on the same flight number, you may want to visit Louvre.

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