Layover and Connection Time Planner for Safer Flight Transfers
Estimate a realistic minimum, comfortable, and tight layover
Layover planner for safer transfers: quick answers, rules & tips
What you’ll see after you calculate
The Layover and Connection Time Planner estimates how much time to leave between flights at a specific airport. You’ll get three numbers in minutes: Tight (possible if everything lines up), Minimum (practical for most travelers), and Comfortable (adds a buffer to absorb delays). A factor table explains each adjustment so you can defend your choice when booking.
How to pick inputs that match your trip
Set arrival and departure as domestic or international, choose airport size, traveler pace, baggage, and ticket type. Then tick any extra steps: immigration/passport control, security re-screening, or a terminal/inter-airport change. Separate tickets and checked bags typically push the safe window up, especially on international arrivals that require clearing border control and re-checking.
How to read the three times
- Tight: a gamble window—possible with luck and short queues.
- Minimum: realistic target for an average traveler without major delays.
- Comfortable: adds breathing room so a small inbound delay doesn’t sink the trip.
When to add more buffer
Favor the comfortable number if you’re switching terminals, landing internationally with checked bags, traveling with kids or mobility needs, flying late in the day, or booking separate tickets with no protection on misconnects. On unfamiliar mega hubs, confirm terminal maps and airside transfers before accepting tight connections.
Limits & fine print
This is a traveler-first estimate, not an airline’s official Minimum Connecting Time. Queues vary by time and day, and local procedures change. Treat the outputs as a transparent baseline you can tune with airline or airport guidance.
How the layover estimate is calculated
The planner starts with a base by connection type (dom→dom, dom→intl, intl→dom, intl→intl), then adds or subtracts blocks for airport size, traveler pace, immigration, security, terminal transfers, checked bags, and whether tickets are protected. We output Tight (minimum − small gamble), Minimum (base + total adjustments, never below 30 minutes), and Comfortable (minimum + buffer).