Is 1hr 25mins long enough to go through international layover processes in the USA?
I am travelling from Vietnam to Washington via Hong Kong and San Francisco, the trip looks like this: SGN - HKG - SFO - IAD. The layover in SFO is only 1hr 25 mins, and I'm not Canadian or American, so I'll have to collect baggages, go through immigration, get to the domestic terminal, go through security and drop off the baggages. Will there be enough time? Im also flying United Airlines for the first time, and from some general opinions on the internet it seems that they are known for being occasionally late. Edit: I booked the flight from United Airlines alone, so it's one whole ticket. Im concerned about the timing because a friend told me that I'd be on a very tight time budget to not miss the flight
Best Answer
In addition to what's mentioned in the other answer, there is one extremely important thing the airline will do to help: if you miss the connecting flight due to late arrival and/or customs delays, they will put you on a later one. (Note this applies only because you have booked the flights on a single ticket.) SFO and IAD are both United Airlines hubs, and as of this writing, United has 9 nonstop flights per day on that route, with many more connecting itineraries possible. So if you miss your planned flight, you probably won't have to wait too long for another one.
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Is 1 hour enough for international layover?
The recommended layover time for international flights is generally longer, as you will have to go through customs and immigration before boarding your next flight. In most cases, a 30-minute layover for domestic flights and an hour for international flights is considered a minimum, or short, layover.Is 1 hour enough to catch a connecting flight?
As a rule of thumb, on domestic routes, you need a minimum of 45 minutes between flights. That's because you don't have to go through security, customs, and immigration.How much time should I leave for an international layover?
In general, Owens recommends allowing yourself at least two hours between flights if you're traveling from or connecting in a city that's prone to delays and your layover is in a large airport; and one hour if the layover is in a small airport.Is 1 hour transit enough?
If the airline is offering it, chances are it's enough for most people. That said, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to tell that it leaves little room for delays and that the risk of missing your connection is higher than if you leave, say, 2 or 3 hours to connect.A Basic Guide to Layovers
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Answer 2
Generally, that is enough time; 95% you will make it easily.
However, there could always be a snafu on the day, but even having 3 hours doesn't securely protect you against that.
If you booked in on one ticket, the airline will help you if needed, like pulling you to the front of the line, driving you over through back-corridors, or have the connection flight wait - they have an interest in you making it too; and probably half the plane are non-americans with a connection. Note that you do not have to carry your baggage over; you drop it right behind customs back to their agents - you can only carry it 100 yards, from belt through customs to another belt.
Airlines have a minimum connection time for each airport, and they are not selling tickets with less space between flights. They typically know what they are doing, so if your paperwork is valid, you can relax.
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