If your last layover before entering the US was in Calgary (YCC), a 50-minute connection would suffice. The minimum connect time at this airport is longer due to its larger size, multiple terminals, and the additional time required for passenger and luggage transfers between flights. No matter what your airline or travel agent tells you, the minimum connection times are no guarantee that your connecting flight won’t leave without you.
They are only guidelines that are meant to get you to your destination as quickly as minimum connecting time possible. The airline has already determined the minimum amount of time necessary for transit, and if you are able to book the ticket, the connection time is sufficient. Thankfully, you don’t have to figure out the connection time; the airline has already done it for you. Each airline has a minimum amount of time for different connections at different airports.
- Finally, it may be worthwhile to avoid checking bags, as the vast majority of lost bags occur during tight connections.
- If you’re making a connection, the minimum connection time ensures you’ll have enough time to reach your next flight.
- This is important to keep in mind, since it can be the difference between being forced into an overnight hotel stay and booking a tight but valid connection at the US gateway airport.
- This extends to a passenger’s luggage, if checked bags do not make the connecting flight the airline is held responsible and is expected to arrange courier delivery of the missing luggage to the owner.
Do You Need to Eat Between Flights?
The airline systems only allow flights to be booked that meet the minimum connection time requirements. This sounds like a simple process, but anyone who has sprinted through an airport might be forgiven for believing that the system does not help the majority of travelers. If you are planning a trip that involves connecting flights, you may wish to choose a connecting flight that is different from the one your airline’s computerized reservation system recommends.
Airline schedule & traveler analytics
I found a deal right by the airport, but it was still an expense and a missed school day we were not planning on. We went home through New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), where we struggled to get seats together so our 2-, 4- and 6-year-olds could all sit with a parent. If you don’t make the flight, you’d either have to take an unpleasant red-eye flight or an overnight layover at the connection point. For example, there may be instances when you’d be within a few minutes of legally making a connection to the last flight back home for the night. This is particularly relevant if you’re using a program like Aeroplan, and you’re piecing together a complex itinerary that can’t be booked online. It’s worth noting that the above timings may vary if one of the flights in the hypothetical itineraries is operated by a different airline.
Airlines with extensive networks can often provide the fastest MCTs, making their connections more appealing. Many people operate under the assumption that if you book an itinerary that meets the minimum connection time, then you’ll definitely make your connection if your flight is on-time. When any airline makes a schedule change, that schedule change must be picked up by the codeshare airline, sometimes via a direct notification from their partner airline or via OAG.
If you know you will need to eat between connecting flights, add at least an hour to your layover time. Some airports, such as London’s Heathrow Airport, make all connecting passengers on international flights go through security screening between flights. Allow extra time for this process in addition to the time you added for clearing customs and immigration. The first few lines of the results show you the “standard” minimum connection times of that airport. The four standard times correspond to connections of the Domestic–Domestic, Domestic–International, International–Domestic, and International–International variety, respectively.
As such, a flight that is running 15 minutes late can quickly turn a reasonable 30-minute window into a very tight 15-minute sprint. Airlines usually try to avoid selling flights with layovers shorter than the MCT to customers, but it is possible to skirt this rule by booking a series of flights separately. However, it is worth noting that airlines will not rebook a passenger on another flight or offer any other form of compensation if a connecting flight was missed because of their own negligence.
Breaking news about Cirium
But on the day he flew to Raleigh, his airline couldn’t have predicted a 25-minute takeoff delay. IATA administers the two-letter airline code and once it is assigned, OAG advises IATA of ports and equipment codes used by the carrier in its schedule. OAG adds an ICAO code where applicable as well as maintaining ICAO codes for airlines that do not have an IATA code to enable their schedules to be distributed. Once the new MCT is established, this becomes the default value for that airport and is used by the entire industry. 10xTravel is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers.
Some tips and tricks for travelers with tight connections
- These airports boast fantastic amenities to help deal with long layovers.
- I have to make it to my connecting gate before the window shade is completely closed.
- Flight connections enable passengers to access new destinations, expanding their travel options, and create new revenue opportunities through codesharing and virtual interlining.
- For passengers, the MCT is the reference time for airlines to make a successful connection.
- This can go a long way in saving precious minutes you may need in case of a delay.
Most online booking engines and airline websites will not offer flights with layovers that break the minimum connection time rule, although there are always exceptions. Before accepting an itinerary that has one or more connecting flights, do some research on the connecting airport. Look at the terminal map and identify the terminals that will be used for the arrival of your origin flight and departure for your connecting flight. Develop a game plan on just how you will make the connection and how long it will take. To determine how much time you will need to change planes in a particular airport, look up minimum connection times online and factor in extenuating circumstances that might apply to your trip.
Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Expert travel tips, dream destination inspiration, and timely travel news delivered to your inbox daily. Understanding the prevailing MCTs at different airports is of paramount importance to airline network planners. Minimum Connect Times (MCT) is a crucial aspect of airline operations and passenger experience. That’s what happened to Tricia Kalinowski when she discovered a 60-minute connection in New York on a recent trip from Minneapolis to Rome. The news will undoubtedly be welcomed by airlines on both sides of the Atlantic.
What are Minimum Connection Times and Why They Matter
Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Travel Codex with appropriate and specific directions to the original content. You can’t tell from the gate number which terminal has your connecting gate. To complicate matters more, MCO has Terminals A and B and each terminal connects to two concourses by train adding more transit time.
It’s no surprise that more passengers are skeptical of minimum connection times. But having your own minimums, established through careful research, and knowing your rights can help you get to your destination on time. For passengers, the MCT is the reference time for airlines to make a successful connection.
If you have to leave the secured area of your arriving terminal you will have to go through TSA security screening to get to your connecting gate. Airport areas are referred to as “landside” and “airside” areas based on the TSA checkpoint. When you leave an airside area and go to landside, you will be required to go through TSA screening to get to your new airside area.
Airlines can file “exceptions” to an airport’s MCT as they seek to secure a competitive advantage; the shorter the connection time, the shorter the total journey time and the flight will appear higher up the search results. Every commercial airport in the world has what’s known as a minimum connection time (MCT). MCT is the amount of time the airport has determined is the absolute least amount of time an able-bodied person needs to make a connection to a continuing flight. Minimum connection times are one of the many factors that you need to consider when planning out a trip.
Had we landed in Richmond on time, this likely would not have been an issue. Interlining is when carrier A sells you an itinerary that includes flights from Carrier A and Carrier B. Interlining not only includes a seat on carrier B but it makes Carrier A responsible for transferring your checked bags to Carrier B. They provide guidance as to how tight of a connection you’re allowed to book on a single itinerary. You you can easily look them up using ExpertFlyer the next time you’re planning a trip to check whether your connection is legal. There are also separate lines for “Online” and “Offline”, which refer to connections between the same airline and different airlines.
The time period for MCT is chosen bearing in mind variables like airport layout, security and whether the connection is between combinations of international and domestic flights. Making a relaxed connection can be easily accomplished by doing your homework and allowing extra time to make that connection. Your luggage is less likely to be left behind if you have allowed enough time between connecting flights for your suitcases to be transferred. Remember to pack all essential items, especially medications and valuables, in your carry-on bag.
Leave a Reply