A connecting flight can save money or open up more itinerary options, but it also can turn a dream vacation into a stressful sprint through the airport. Here, we share the secrets frequent fliers know to reduce the stress and increase the likelihood you’ll make that connection, despite weather delays, equipment malfunctions and crews that time out.
Highlights
- Book a longer connection time, especially when you’re flying internationally or through busy hubs.
- Download airline apps and airport maps to get the most up-to-date information about your flights.
- Learn what to do if you miss a connection so you can get rebooked as quickly as possible.
Are you ready to travel like a pro? Let us show you how!
Editor’s Note: This is an updated version of a post written by Margalit Francus.
1. Book Early Flights
Yes, it can be a challenge getting everyone up and out the door in time to catch a 5am flight. But the reward is the increased likelihood you’ll be swimming the sea by mid-afternoon.
Why does an early flight matter? According to Travel + Leisure, the first flights of the day avoid the “snowball effect” of airline delays that accumulate later in the afternoon. Plus, those flights tend to be cheaper because few people want to get up that early.
2. Book Plenty of Time Between Flights
I used to be a cocky flier who arrived at the airport 15 minutes before my flight and booked the tightest connections to save me travel time. No more! Thanks to fully booked flights, too-common weather delays and other things outside my control, I have now accepted that flying takes longer. I get to the airport the recommended two hours early to be sure I can get through security without stress. And I never book a connection that is less than two hours for domestic flights and three for international flights,
I learned that lesson the hard way, by spending nine hours at Laguardia waiting for a seat on a flight home to Chicago after missing my connection thanks to a late flight from Paris.
3. Book Your Flights on One Ticket
My travel plans often change mid-trip, so I usually book one-way tickets. But I NEVER book separate flights for connections. That’s called a self-transfer in airline parlance. If I did book a self-transfer, the airline would not be responsible for rebooking me if I miss the connection due to their delay.
4. Download the Airline’s App and Learn to Use It
Airline apps are almost always the fastest, most reliable way to find out what’s going on with your flight. It likely is the first place you’ll learn there has been a gate change, that your incoming flight just landed and is rolling to the gate or that your flight has been delayed yet again. It’s also the fastest, easiest way to rebook yourself when your flight is canceled or you miss a connection.
Definitely get in line at the customer service desk, but while you’re waiting, cruise through the app to find out what other options your have. Chances are you can be rebooked and on your way to the new flight before you ever talk to a human at the airport.
6. Download the Airport App and Learn How to Use It
Most major airports have an app that shows:
- terminal map
- gate location
- train/shuttle requirements
- walking time
If the airport where you’ll be connecting has an app, download and it and spend a little time getting familiar with it. The airline app will tell you the gate for your connecting flight; the airport app will tell how to get there fast.
7. Pack Like You Might Not See Your Checked Bag
Personally, I’m Team Carry-on and I never voluntarily gate check my bag. It makes it easy to be nimble if I miss a connection. But I understand that doesn’t work for everyone. If you’re Team Checked Bag, at least pack your underseat “personal item” with the understanding that it might be only bag you have once you arrive at your final destination.
Here’s what to pack in your carryon/personal item:
- medications
- chargers
- one change of clothes
- toiletries
- valuables
- travel documents
8. Buy Seats Near the Front on Your First Flight
If your connection is tight or the weather forecast is dicey, it might be worth shelling out a few bucks to snag seats toward the front of the plane. Yes, the flight attendants might ask passengers who do not have tight connections to let those who do get off the plane first, but there are no guarantees people will listen.
I’m constantly surprised and frustrated with how long it takes people to get off an airplane. And when I’m the one with the tight connection, it’s particularly annoying. Sitting in the back of the plane can easily add 20 minutes to the time it takes you to get off the plane. That’s time you can’t afford to waste when you’re trying to make a tight connection!
9. Ask the Flight Attendant for Help
Make sure the flight attendants know that you have a tight connection. They’ll do what they can to help, including:
- Notify the gate
- Ask other passengers to let you off the plane first
- Get the gate information for your connecting flights
10. Know What Happens If You Miss Your Connection
If the delay is the airline’s fault and you’re on one ticket, the airline will rebook you on the next available flight at no additional cost. These days, however, that can mean the flight doesn’t leave for several hours. Or even the next day. Any additional airline services are up to the airline. If the missed connection is their fault — a mechanical issues, for example — they might give you meal vouchers or a hotel room for the night. But no guarantees on that.
11. Expect Gate Changes
The flight attendant may have said your connecting flight is leaving from gate A38, but that could change at any minute. I have nearly missed flights because I was at my assigned gate, diligently working away and waiting for someone to call my boarding number only to realize the gate had changed and I missed the announcement. Now I check the app. Regularly. Some might say obsessively. Better that than a missed flight.
12. BYO Snacks
Assume your won’t have time to shop order fast food during your layover, so pack some protein bars and a reflillable water bottle. If everything goes accorsing to plan, you have two hours to order a meal.
13. Stay Calm and Be Nice
order I know it can be a challenge to keep your cool when travel plans go awry. Repeat after me: The gate attendant/customer service agent/person at the airline call center didn’t cause this problem. And he/she has the power to fix it for me.
Once you remember that the person you want to yell at is the person who is most likely to be able to help you, it’s easy to be nice. And nice is a rare commodity when travel snarls happens. The nicest passenger is most likely get the seat on the next flight out.
14. Have a Back-Up Plan
If you must fly with a connecting flight, have a back-up plan in case you miss your flight and the airline can’t rebook you for a day or more. That can range from having a refundable reservation at an airport hotel to booking a rental car to drive the rest of the way to your final destination.
Thanks to extreme weather events and other travel disruptions, longer connections are the safest bet. Book at least twohours for domestic flights and three hours for international flights since you’ll have to clear customs.
If the flights were booked on a single ticket and you miss your connection because of an airline delay, the airline will rebook you on the next available flight at no extra cost. If you booked separate tickets for each leg of the flight, you may have to have to book yourself an could have to buy a new ticket for the second flight
Usually yes, if both flights are on the same ticket. If you’re flying on separate tickets or changing airlines, you may need to claim your luggage and check it again before your next flight. Traveling with a well-packed carry-on will go a long way to relief the stress of a missed connection. Pack medications, travel documents, ID, toiletries and a change of clothes in the carry-on in case you have to wait a day or mroe for your checked bag to catch up with you.
If you know the airport well and fly the connecting route regularly, you can feel more comfortable booking a shorter layover. But the best bet is plan for two hours for domestic flights and three hours for international flights.
Before you land, check your next gate in the airline app, keep your essentials in your personal bag, sit closer to the front of the plane when possible and head directly to your departure gate.
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