Your first flight is running late and your layover is shrinking. Whether you make the connection comes down to a few numbers you can check yourself, and the decision that matters most is the one you can make before you land.
Step 1: work out your real buffer
- Take your first flight's revised arrival time, not the scheduled one.
- Add the airport's minimum connection time. See minimum connection time, explained.
- Compare it with your onward flight's departure time.
Whatever is left is your buffer. If it is negative, you are very unlikely to make it without help. If it is a few minutes, you need everything to go right.
Step 2: adjust for the things the sum leaves out
- Boarding closes before departure. The aircraft door usually closes 10 to 15 minutes before the departure time. That time is not available to you.
- Arrival time is not gate time. "Arrival" may mean touchdown. Taxiing to the gate can take 10 minutes or more at a large hub.
- Distance. Check the gates in the airline's app. A connection within one concourse is very different from one that needs a train or a change of terminal.
- Where you are sitting. Getting off a full aircraft from the back can take 15 minutes.
- International arrivals. Passport control, customs and re-checking bags can take a long time at peak hours.
Step 3: check the onward flight
Your second flight may be delayed too, especially if it is affected by the same weather, or if its aircraft is coming from somewhere disrupted. Check its status and where its aircraft is coming from in the airline's app. A delay on the onward flight can save your connection.
Step 4: decide early
If the numbers do not work, ask to be moved to a later connection while you are still on the ground at your origin, or as soon as you can contact the airline in flight. The earlier you ask, the more seats there are. If you are on one ticket, the airline will rebook you at no charge either way. Asking early just gets you a better flight. See what happens if you miss a connecting flight.
"My first flight is now arriving at 4:35 and my connection leaves at 5:00 from another terminal. Could you move me to the 7:15 now, while there are still seats?"
If you are going for it
- Tell a flight attendant about your connection. They may be able to move you nearer the front before landing, or ask other passengers to let connecting passengers off first.
- Look up your arrival and departure gates and the route between them before you land.
- Keep your carry-on to a minimum, and have your boarding pass ready.
- Go straight to the departure gate. Do not stop at the transfer desk unless the app tells you to.
If you miss it
Check the app for an automatic rebooking, then follow what happens if you miss a connecting flight. If you are stuck overnight, see who pays.
Next time
Most tight connections are decided when you book. A longer layover, an earlier first flight and keeping both legs on one ticket make this whole page unnecessary. See how long a layover should be. LateGate's Connection Assist does the sums above for you, using the real minimum connection time at your layover airport, and alerts you when your chances drop.
This guide is general information for US travelers, not legal advice. Rules and airline commitments change; check with your airline or the US Department of Transportation for your specific situation.