How long should a layover be? It depends on the checkpoints.
For a domestic connection, plan on at least 1 hour. For an international one, plan on 2 hours. Arriving in the US from abroad, where you clear passport control and customs, collect and recheck bags and go back through security, plan on 2.5 to 3 hours. On separate tickets, add at least another hour, since a delay on the first flight isn't the second airline's problem.
Updated October 2026
Rule-of-thumb layover times
Comfortable times, not airline minimums. Add time for big airports, terminal changes and bad weather.
| Connection | Comfortable layover | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic, same terminal | 45–60 min | Deplaning, the walk, and boarding doors that close 10–15 minutes before departure |
| Domestic, terminal change | 60–90 min | A train or bus between terminals, and sometimes security again |
| International, staying airside | 1.5–2 hours | Transfer security screening and, in Europe, a passport check when you leave or enter Schengen |
| International arrival into the US | 2.5–3 hours | Passport control, baggage claim, customs, bag recheck and TSA security, every time |
| Separate tickets (self-transfer) | 3+ hours | Collect bags, check in again and clear security, with no protection if you miss it |
Is a 1 hour layover enough?
Usually yes for a domestic connection on one ticket, especially in the same terminal. Airlines won't sell you a connection shorter than the airport's minimum connection time (MCT), and if a delay makes you miss it, they rebook you for free. A 1 hour layover gets risky when you change terminals at a big hub, land late in the day, or connect from an international flight, where 60 minutes can disappear in the passport line alone.
The real question isn't the total time, it's the time to spare: what's left after deplaning, the walk between gates, any checkpoints and the boarding door. That's the number LYVR works out.
What eats into a layover
- Deplaning: 10–15 minutes from a seat at the back of a full plane.
- The walk: 5 minutes in a small terminal, 20 or more at hubs like ATL, DFW, ORD or LHR, more with a train between terminals.
- Checkpoints: security again, passport control, customs and bag recheck, depending on where you're coming from and going.
- Boarding doors: they close 10–15 minutes before departure, 20 or more on some international flights.
Busy hubs and what a connection involves
Each guide covers terminal transfers, security and customs, and lounges.
The rest of the answer.
How long should a layover be for a domestic flight?
At least 45 minutes to an hour in the same terminal, and 60 to 90 minutes if you change terminals at a large hub. Airlines won't sell a connection below the airport's minimum connection time.
How long should a layover be for an international flight?
Plan on about 2 hours. Arriving in the US from abroad, plan on 2.5 to 3 hours, because every international arrival clears passport control and customs, rechecks checked bags and goes back through security.
Is a 45 minute layover enough?
For a domestic connection on one ticket in the same terminal, often yes, and the airline rebooks you if a delay makes you miss it. For a terminal change, an international connection or separate tickets, 45 minutes is too tight.
What happens if I miss my connecting flight?
If both flights are on one ticket, the airline rebooks you on the next available flight at no cost. If you booked them separately, the second airline usually treats you as a no-show, so leave a much longer gap.
Is a 2 hour layover enough for an international flight?
Usually, on one ticket, when you stay airside at a hub like LHR, FRA, AMS, DXB or IST. It gets tight arriving into the US from abroad, where passport control, customs, bag recheck and security can take most of 2 hours on their own, and on separate tickets.
Is a 1 hour layover enough for a domestic flight?
Usually, on one ticket, especially in the same terminal. It's riskier at big hubs with a terminal change, like ATL, ORD, DFW or DEN, late in the day when delays stack up, or if you're seated at the back of the plane.
Is a 3 hour layover too long?
No. Three hours covers almost any connection with time left over for a proper meal, a lounge or a walk around the terminal. LYVR shows what fits in the time you have and how long each walk takes.
See exactly how much of your layover is free.
Free, in your browser. LYVR finds the layover, times every walk and fills the gap.
Plan my layover →About these numbers
Times here are general rules of thumb from airline connection rules and LYVR's own walk-time and checkpoint data, not official minimums. Entry rules depend on your passport; confirm with the country's immigration authority and your airline before you travel.