Google Maps is the best general-purpose map ever made, and on a layover that's the problem. It knows where every burger is. It doesn't know your next flight boards in three hours from a gate on the far side of security.
We searched “restaurants jfk terminal 4.” Google lists the first Shake Shack in Terminal 8, and the map mixes in Terminal 6. At JFK, changing terminals means leaving security, riding the AirTrain and queueing again. Every distance is from where you stand, not from your gate.
vs
LYVR · Ask AI
Stops on your way, in your terminal.
Ask AI picks from real places in your departure terminal, drops anything more than 20 minutes off your walk, and orders the rest the way you'll pass them on the way to the gate.
Shake Shack · Terminal 8Another terminal, through security again
BKLYN Blend · 2 minOn your way to the gate
10,000+indoor maps Google says it has, and none of them know about your connection
4places Google sells ads inside Maps: pins, results, autocomplete and place pages
0minutes of layover math done for you: deplaning, walks, security, boarding
20 minthe most Ask AI will take you off your walk to the gate
JFKAS26 → AA100T7 → T8
11h 30m on paper. Here's what's left.
A real connection at JFK: land at Terminal 7 at 6:35 AM, leave from Terminal 8 at 6:05 PM. The terminals don't connect airside, so it means a train and a second trip through security.
What Google Maps shows you
Your flights, in a list.
Google pulls your reservations out of Gmail and shows them in Maps.
It never pairs them into a layover, so the subtraction is up to you.
What LYVR shows you
Every minute, accounted for.
Layover, 6:35 AM to 6:05 PM11h 30m
Deplane, on average−12 min
Re-clear security at Terminal 8, live−26 min
Walk, AirTrain, walk to the gate−11 min
Doors close before an international departure−30 min
Free for you10h 11m
Lines and doorsWalks and trainsYours to plan
The trip checklist
16 things you need, curb to curb.
From the security line on the way out to the pickup at the other end, and how each app handles them.
On a trip, you need…
Google Maps
LYVR
01Departure
A plan from the curb to the boarding door
Google MapsDriving directions to the airport, not through it
LYVRThe checkpoint nearest check-in, the walk to your gate and when the doors close
Live security wait times
Google MapsNot shown
LYVRBy terminal and lane at 100+ airports, live wherever a feed exists
Lounges you can actually get into
Google MapsLounges show up as places, with no access rules
LYVRMatched to your cards, memberships and status, with live waitlists
Indoor terminal map
Google MapsFloor plans at many airports
LYVREvery floor, at any airport worldwide
02Layover
Finds the layover from your flights
Google MapsShows reservations from Gmail, but doesn't pair them
LYVRAdd flights by number and the connection shows up on its own
Real time to spare
Google MapsNo layover window
LYVRDeplaning, every walk and checkpoint, and the doors-close time, all counted
Timed gate-to-gate walk
Google MapsNo timed indoor routes
LYVRRouted on the indoor map, with terminal trains and escalators
Turn-by-turn inside the terminal
Google MapsAR Indoor Live View at a handful of terminals
LYVRFollows you floor by floor, onto the train and up to the gate
Knows which checkpoints you re-clear
Google MapsDoesn't know which side of security you're on
LYVRSecurity, passport control, customs and EES, in the order you pass them
Plans stops that fit the time
Google MapsSearch results, ranked for people with the afternoon free
LYVRAsk AI picks real places on your way, sized to your time to spare
Says if leaving the airport is worth it
Google MapsTransit directions into town, with no verdict
LYVRTime in the city, the ride each way, and a visa check for your passport
03Arrival
Gate-to-curb time
Google MapsNot covered
LYVRPassport control, your baggage belt and customs, timed from landing
Live ETA link for your pickup
Google MapsShares your location, not when you'll reach the curb
LYVROne link, no app or sign-in, and it moves as you walk
··Everyday
Live flight tracking
Google MapsFlight status lives in Google Search, not Maps
LYVRLive status, terminals and gates, but no live map of the plane
Works on Android and the web
Google MapsEverywhere
LYVRAny modern browser, on any phone or computer
Free, with no ads in your results
Google MapsFree, with sponsored pins and results
LYVRFree. No ads. Sign in with Google
Fully coveredPartlyNot at all
Only in LYVR
Everything a map leaves out.
Google Maps knows the places. These are the parts of a trip that depend on your flights.
Ask AI
Three questions. A whole layover, planned.
Who's traveling (kids, a dog, a wheelchair), what sounds good, and a last check. It picks real places in your terminal, in the order you'll pass them, and leaves time to spare.
Live security waits
The line, before you're in it.
By terminal and lane at 100+ airports, and counted in your time to spare.
JFK Terminal 8PreCheck 4 min
26 min
ATL Domestic, MainSouth checkpoint 1 min
17 min
LHR, all terminalsAirport-wide queue
5 min
Plus customs and passport waits for US and Schengen arrivals.
Turn-by-turn, indoors
Directions that know which floor you're on.
Around walls, up escalators, onto the train between terminals and through security on the way. Prefer Elevators sends every floor change to the lift.
Lounge access
Lounges you can actually get into.
Add your cards and memberships once. Every lounge shows whether you're in, and the live waitlist when there is one.
Long layovers
Seven hours? Go see the city.
Getting out, the ride each way, security on the way back and a 30-minute cushion, checked against your passport. Then a day, planned.
WORTH IT 3h+ in town
TIGHT 1.5 to 3h
VISA REQUIRED
Gate to curb
One link. No “where are you?” texts.
Passport control, the right belt and customs, timed from landing. Whoever's picking you up sees your ETA move, with no app and no sign-in.
Christian is on the way outAround 3:26 PMat the National Express desk · LHR time · Now: customs
Fair is fair
Use the right tool for each part of the trip.
Google Maps
Where Google Maps is genuinely good
Getting to the airport. Traffic, transit and driving directions are the best around, and its place data (hours, photos, reviews) is the most complete anywhere. LYVR uses Google's place data too. The difference is that LYVR measures every place against your connection.
The short version
Use both.
Google MapsDriving and transit to and from the airport
LYVREverything between the plane you land on and the plane you catch next
Can Google Maps plan a layover?
Not really. Google Maps can find restaurants and shops at an airport and show floor plans at many of them, but it doesn't pair your flights into a layover, count deplaning, security or boarding, or time the walk from your arrival gate to your departure gate. LYVR does all of that, then suggests stops that fit the time that's left.
Does Google Maps have indoor airport maps?
At many airports, yes, and a few terminals such as JFK Terminal 4 have AR Indoor Live View. What it doesn't do is route and time a walk from gate to gate, or account for the security and passport checks a connection passes. LYVR has indoor maps, timed walks and turn-by-turn at any airport.
Is LYVR free like Google Maps?
Yes. LYVR is free in any browser and has no ads in its results. Sign in with Google to save your flights.
Google Maps screenshot taken in its iPhone app, with photos and personal distances blurred. LYVR screenshots are from the LYVR web app on an iPhone, using a real AS26 and AA100 connection at JFK. This comparison reflects our reading of publicly available information as of October 2026. Products change, and features vary by region, device, version and airline. Google Maps is a trademark of its owner, which is not affiliated with and does not endorse LYVR.
