Yesterday, I was reminded of how important connection times are and how things can go wrong. My first flight from Portland (PDX) to Seattle (SEA) was delayed by over an hour due to an ATC hold at Seattle. I was able to make my connection to Phoenix (PHX) with just minutes to spare. Minimum connection times are initially set by a group of airlines or by an airport operating committee.
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As we fly through the skies, gaining a deeper understanding of the technicalities within aviation can enhance travel experiences whether you are an airline, airport, or traveler. At Cirium, we provide precise, concise, and actionable information to enable an effortless navigation of each journey. «I contacted Delta and they refused to change it, which frustrates me to no end,» says Kalinowski, a retired writer from Blaine, Minnesota. Then she pointed out that she had a wheelchair request in her profile, and that did it. Delta rebooked her on an earlier flight, which gave her plenty of time to make the Rome flight.
Connecting between domestic flights in Anchorage requires a minimum 30 minutes between flights. Note that you’re going to land and the onward flight should already be boarding — so you’re going to have to hustle. I am wondering why the award search website doesn’t display all of the segments to get me from Boston all the way to Fairbanks.
Minimum connection times typically range between 30 minutes and two hours for domestic flights within the continental United States. For international flights, the range increases to between one and three hours. Between January 2016 and November 2016, their itinerary had four schedule changes. One of the changes occured because the connection time between LAX-PHX and PHX-ORD went from 55 minutes to 40 minutes. That resulted in them being rebooked on the next available flight, which meant they would arrive in Chicago 4 hours later than originally scheduled. If you are traveling with a service animal, you will want to give it a bathroom break and, perhaps, a meal.
What is the minimum connection time?
Airline specific connections are flights that are shown in search results from airline or OTA websites. These results will never show a connection time that doesn’t meet airline standards. If you fail to make a connecting flight from the originating flight, the airline is on the hook to make it right. This goes for your checked bags, if they don’t make the connecting flight, you can expect the airline to arrange for courier delivery of your bags. If you have booked travel on two different airlines, you are responsible for deciding how much time to allow between flights. Your airlines do not have to help you resolve flight connection problems if you have not allowed the minimum connection time for your flights and airport.
It’s always a good idea to check your airline’s airport-specific page for any changes. Lots of airports have unrealistically short minimum connection times, especially if it’s a long walk between gates, if you’re flying later in the day, if you’re seated in the back of the plane, etc. Airline specific connections are flights that are shown in search results from an airline or online travel agency (OTA) website – these specifically display a connection time that meets airline standards. If a passenger fails to make a connecting flight from the originating flight, the airline is responsible.
There are many factors that can affect how much time you have to change planes, and it is your responsibility to plan an itinerary that includes an appropriate airport layover. For a smooth connection between flights, it’s important to give yourself adequate time between the arrival of your first flight and the departure of your next. This time between flights is known as your minimum connection time, and it’s needed to allow for security checks and any terminal changes.
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Even if you try to present your case to the agent and ask them to make an exception, you’ll likely be met with steadfast refusal every time. The world of airline jargon can get convoluted very quickly, so don’t be surprised if you see some things that don’t make sense. Rather, the most important MCTs to pay attention to are at the top of the results in the “Online” and “Offline” rows. The remaining lines detail all the exceptions to the rule, which tend to be quite numerous for any major airport. You’ll notice that the MCTs mostly account for how long it would take to make your way from one gate to another, factoring in any obstacles that the passenger must traverse along the way.
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Could it be because the connection time in Anchorage before connecting on to Fairbanks would only be about a half hour? A transit between a domestic flight to another domestic flight at a small airport might only have a MCT of 30 minutes. Meanwhile, the MCT from an international flight to a domestic flight at a large airport might be 120 minutes.
- Look at an airport map to see how far you’ll need to travel and allow plenty of extra time to care for your service animal.
- Rather, the most important MCTs to pay attention to are at the top of the results in the “Online” and “Offline” rows.
- This impact affects search and booking volumes, connection viability and the smooth running of the ever-increasing code share partnerships across the industry.
- Airlines sometimes adjust their minimum connection times on a flight-by-flight basis.
But if you’re connecting from a domestic flight onto an international flight, or vice versa, you’ll require at least two hours to factor in the journey on the inter-terminal monorail. Often people are of the belief that if you’re just a few minutes late, the airline will hold the plane for you. While that will happen sometimes, it’s the exception rather than the norm. At least at American, gate agents are incentivized to get the door closed early, rather than to ensure that as many passengers as possible are onboard. Two paid sources of minimum connection time data are Expertflyer amd the KVS Tool.
- Had we booked a longer connection, there’s a good chance my family would have made the connection to YYZ.
- Do it yourself connections is where you create your own schedule of one-way flights to get to point A, Point B, Point C to your ultimate destination.
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- We are a vaccinated family and still choose to wear masks when indoors with people we don’t know — like in airports, planes and trains — and have been able to avoid COVID-19 despite a handful of family trips.
- If you miss a flight with a connection that does not meet the MCT, airlines don’t have to, and generally won’t offer assistance such as a free seat on the next flight or pay restitution, monetarily or otherwise.
«I got to Reagan and found that I had to change terminals on a bus to make the connection,» he recalls. In August, 22 airlines will fly over 200 international flights to and from Russia, with Aeroflot leading the list at 6,017 flights. To display a specific exception by a carrier, sometimes it is necessary to add an MCT exception at the status standard time. Airline specific Minimum Connection Times typically have a higher level of detail than those published by the airport operator. However, if a schedule change to your original itinerary causes your connection to fall below the MCT, your whole itinerary may have to be rescheduled. Furthermore, since you will be booked on a single itinerary, if a delay of your first flight results in you missing your second flight, the airline will re-accommodate you.
What is Minimum Connection Time?
While that means I might miss out on a lounge or a free meal compliments of my Priority Pass, I would rather just get to where I want to go. Some travelers don’t mind the risk (missing their flight) and running from one terminal to the next, carry-on in tow. Others would rather pay a little more, and rest easy with time to spare. It takes more time to get to your connecting flight’s departure gate at a large airport than at a smaller one. If minimum connecting time you are flying through a large, busy airport, allow extra time to make that connection. Or, there might be a situation in which only one flight for a desired routing is available for the whole day, but it falls afoul of the minimum connection time from a previous flight.
The shorter connecting time can be appealing to many passengers and will often come up higher on flight search platforms due to its shorter overall travel time. Airlines have in their Contract of Carriage (COC) a defined list of minimum connection times at airports, also known as minimum layover times or legal connection times. OAG handles over 157,000 industry-standard MCTs and airline-specific exceptions – these are then used by global distribution systems (GDS) and connection builders.
I have a DL itinerary coming up SFO-LAX-DCA, where the connection time in LAX is 47 minutes. There was no earlier DL flight to get me to LA, so I’m stuck with the connection, but at least, if I make the connection, it’ll be to a Delta One flight. Any missed connection for an airline is an unexpected cost, and when operating margins are quite small, avoiding unnecessary costs must be top of the agenda for any airline. In most cases, a traveler missing a connection can be accommodated on the same day, perhaps on the next flight or via an alternate point. Many airports require 90 or even 120 minutes connecting from an international flight. Interestingly if you’re connecting to an international flight the published minimum is an hour, even though there’s no immigration to clear.
This summer could prove to be one of the busiest for AMS airport as alternative travel options are unavailable. These airports boast fantastic amenities to help deal with long layovers. However, when I search Anchorage-Fairbanks, I find business availability as well at the perfect time. In January 2016, I booked my parents to fly from home Sydney, Australia (SYD) to Chicago (ORD), via Los Angeles (LAX) and Phoenix (PHX) on Thanksgiving Day, 2016 on Qantas using American AAdvantage miles. You may also wish to consider these issues when deciding how much time to allow between flights. The owner of this site is not an investment advisor, financial planner, nor a legal or tax professional.
For example, if an airport has an MCT of 45 minutes, it means that the airline believes a passenger and baggage can comfortably make a connection within this time frame. If you are traveling and have a tight connection, there are a couple of things you can do to increase your chances of making it to your connecting flight on time. Whilst many systems allow passengers to sort flight options by price; for many the default parameter has always been the total elapsed journey time.
If delays or airline issues reduce a traveler’s connection time under the MCT, passengers are entitled to compensation or refunds from the airline. However, it is essential to note that this only applies when booking on a single booking number, and you will likely not be compensated if you are self-transiting. There are also airline-specific minimum connection times that can vary from the standard. Some travelers, particularly those who must pay close attention to their diets, need to eat between flights or need the wider choice of dining options that an airport terminal can provide.
