Worried about short layovers
So I'm traveling to Prague and I have some very short layovers...
Currently, it's looking like I have a 96-minute layover in IAD, and then a 75-minute layover in VIE, before flying onto Prague.
On the way back, I have a 105-minute layover in Brussels, before flying back to the US.
Are these layovers doable?
Best Answer
It's all on one ticket
Yes, it is doable and highly likely because the airline/airports involved have determined that it is. Otherwise, they would not have sold this routing.
When necessary, they also account for border clearance between flights.
If you'd like to do further reading, you can search on 'minimum connection time' to find all sorts of rules and stories on the subject.
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How short of a layover is too short?
In most cases, a 30-minute layover for domestic flights and an hour for international flights is considered a minimum, or short, layover.Is a 47 minute layover too short?
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.Is a 54 minute layover too short?
It's not ideal but as long as your first flight is on time, you should be fine. However, there are usually 4 flights a day from Atlanta so it depends which flight you're on. 3 are within 3 hours of each other and the last one is in the evening.Is 55 min too short of a layover?
Agreed. 55 min should be ok. You might need to take the shuttle trains to another set of departure gates, but if your arriving flight is on time, that should be tight, but ok. Check out the arrival & departure gate locations and see where they are on the airport map.DON'T LET THIS RUIN YOUR TRIP! | *Tips for short connecting flights*
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Answer 2
It's not in the airline's interests to sell an impossible routing. Missed connections not only inconviniance passengers, they also cost airlines money.
OTOH if they make the minimum connections too long then airlines/airports will lose buisness to other routes.
The result is that the advertised minimum connection times are times that are possible if everything goes well but don't leave a whole lot of margin for things to go wrong (e.g. delayed flights, long queues for security or immigration, getting sent to secondary at immigration).
What I would look at is what the options look like if you do miss your connection. What do the possibilities look like for later flights? Would you rather take your chances on a short connection that will get you there quicker if it works but leave you hoping for a seat on a later flight if it doesn't or book a confirmed seat on a later flight?
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