Connecting Flights: How They Work
One ticket or two, bags, customs, layover times, and what to do if you miss a connection.
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Edited by Adinda Irawan
Edited by 
TL;DR: Distinguishes single-ticket "protected" connections (rebooking guaranteed) from separate-ticket self-transfers (no rebooking, re-clear security/immigration). Gives Laters' recommended connection times and advises booking one ticket where possible.
What Is a Connecting Flight?
A connecting flight is a trip with a stop where you change planes. You land at an airport that is not your destination, get off, and board a second flight to finish the journey.
The second plane can leave from a different terminal, and it can belong to a different airline. People book connections because they are often cheaper than direct flights, or because no airline flies direct to the town they are going to. A connection takes some planning around your bags, the time between flights and finding your next gate. If you want more than one stop on purpose, see our guide to multi-stop trips.
How a Connection Works, Step by Step
On a single ticket, a typical connection goes like this:
- Check in for your first flight. Ask the agent whether your checked bag is tagged through to your final destination and whether you have boarding passes for every flight.
- Fly the first leg. When you land, follow the signs for connecting flights or transfers, not the exit.
- Go through any checks. On a domestic connection you usually walk straight to your next gate. On an international connection you may go through immigration, customs or another security check, depending on the airport and whether you are entering a new country. These tips can help you get through airport security fast.
- Find your next gate. Check the departure screens for the gate and how far away it is.
- Board your second flight. Your checked bag travels with you and comes out at your final airport.
On separate tickets (a self-transfer), the middle of the trip has more steps. After you land, you leave the airport's secure area, clear immigration if the flight was international, collect your bag, check in again with the second airline, and you may need to go back through security.
One Ticket or Separate Tickets?
Book one ticket when you can. A single ticket is the only booking that protects a connection and tags your bags through. Two tickets on one alliance are not protected, even when the airlines are partners.
There are two kinds of connection, and the kind you have decides who fixes a missed flight:
- Protected connection (single ticket): Booked as one itinerary, through one airline or its partners. Your checked bag is tagged through to your final airport. If a delay makes you miss the connection, the airline must rebook you on the next available option.
- Self-transfer (separate tickets): You booked each leg on its own, often to save money, sometimes on two airlines with no link to each other. You collect your own bags, clear immigration if the trip is international, check in again, and you may need to go back through security. If a delay on the first flight makes you miss the second, you must book a new flight yourself.
Laters.com Tip: If you are combining budget airlines or building your own connections, allow three to four hours between flights.
For bags, check-in and rights on two tickets, read our guide to booking separate tickets with different airlines.
What Happens to Your Bags
Few things ruin a trip faster than a baggage carousel that never delivers your bag. Here is how bags move on each kind of booking:
- Single ticket: Your checked bag is usually tagged through to your final destination, so you do not touch it at the connecting airport. This is the easiest option.
- Separate tickets (self-transfer): You collect your bag at the connecting airport, check it in again, and go back through security, sometimes through immigration too. Check each airline's baggage policy before you book, not after.
Example: Fly Lufthansa and United on a single New York-to-Rome-via-Frankfurt booking, and your bag goes through to Rome. Book the Frankfurt-to-Rome leg separately with a budget airline, and you collect the bag in Frankfurt and check it in again yourself. Check the airport as well: Ryanair lists its Frankfurt-area flights at Frankfurt-Hahn (HHN), a different airport from Frankfurt Main (FRA).
An agent may agree to check a bag through on separate tickets, but you cannot count on it. It depends on the airline's policy and on the agent. United typically allows it onto Star Alliance partners. American Airlines typically refuses it on two separate American tickets, and Iberia has refused despite its joint venture with American. Plan to collect and recheck the bag.
Customs and Immigration at a Connection
Whether you go through customs depends on where you land and what kind of ticket you hold:
- Domestic flights: No customs. You walk to your next gate.
- International flights: You typically clear immigration and customs at your first point of entry into a country. If an international flight connects to a domestic one, expect the checks at the connecting airport, not at your final destination.
- Self-transfer: Assume you will clear customs, collect your bags and go back through security. It is simpler to plan for the full process.
Laters.com Tip: Some airports allow international-to-international transit without passport control. Check the rules for your itinerary and airport before you assume anything.
Transit Entry Rules
Check the transit rules for every country where you change planes, not only your destination. The UK is one example: if you are connecting there and are not sure whether you need an electronic travel authorization (ETA), check with your airline. A UK ETA costs £20, and you apply for it on GOV.UK.
Our one-way flights guide explains the UK ETA in more detail.
How Much Time to Allow
The time between flights is one of the biggest choices you make when you book a connection. Airlines set their own minimum connection times, and these can be as low as 30 minutes on a domestic connection. Laters suggests allowing more:
| Connection | Time Laters suggests |
|---|---|
| Domestic to domestic | 45–60 minutes |
| Domestic to international | 60–90 minutes |
| International to domestic | 90–120 minutes |
| Self-transfer (any) | 3–4 hours |
These times are Laters' guidance, not an airline rule.
Also look at the airport itself: its layout, its terminal transfers and how quickly you can get between gates. JFK, CDG and LHR are very large, and a transfer there can take an hour you did not plan for. For ideas on using the time you have, see what to do during a short layover.
Booking a Connection Safely
- Book one ticket where you can. Separate tickets on airlines in the same alliance, such as Star Alliance, are still not a protected connection.
- Avoid tight connections, especially at airports with long walks or terminal changes.
- Read the ticket rules for each airline before you book. On separate tickets, an airline generally has no obligation to you if you miss a connection.
- If you book separate tickets, allow extra time and consider travel insurance.
Pro Tip: Check the airport's official terminal map before you travel to see the walk between gates.
If a Connection Goes Wrong
What you do next depends on your ticket:
- On a single ticket (protected): Go straight to the airline desk. The airline must rebook you on the next available option. Meals, a hotel or cash compensation depend on the airline and the rules that apply to your flight, so check the airline's conditions of carriage.
- On separate tickets (self-transfer): You will likely need to buy a new ticket yourself. Travel insurance may reimburse you.
Watch your flight times and sign up for airline alerts by email or in the app, so you hear about a delay early.
Book Connecting Flights on Laters.com
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is a connecting flight?
A connecting flight is a trip with a stop where you get off one plane and board another to reach your destination. The second flight can leave from a different terminal and can be with a different airline.
Should I book connecting flights on one ticket or separately?
Book one ticket where you can. A single ticket is the only booking that protects the connection and tags your bags through, and two tickets are not protected even on partner airlines in the same alliance. Our guide to booking separate tickets with different airlines explains the trade-offs.
What happens if I miss a connecting flight?
On one ticket, the airline must rebook you on the next available option; meals, a hotel or compensation depend on the airline and the rules that apply to your flight. On separate tickets, you generally have to book a new flight yourself, and travel insurance may reimburse you.
Do I have to collect my bags on a connecting flight?
On a single ticket, your checked bag is usually tagged through to your final destination. On separate tickets, plan to collect it at the connecting airport and check it in again, because checking it through depends on the airline's policy and the agent.
Do I go through customs on a connecting flight?
Not on a domestic connection. On an international trip, you typically clear immigration and customs at your first point of entry into a country, and on a self-transfer you should expect to clear customs and collect your bags.
How much time do I need between connecting flights?
Laters suggests 45 to 60 minutes for domestic to domestic, 60 to 90 minutes for domestic to international, 90 to 120 minutes for international to domestic, and 3 to 4 hours for a self-transfer. This is Laters' guidance: airlines set their own minimum connection times, which can be as low as 30 minutes on a domestic connection.
What is the difference between a layover and a connection?
The connection is the change from one flight to the next; the layover is the time you spend at the airport between them. For ideas on using that time, see what to do during a short layover.
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