Assess whether a layover is long enough to make the connection.
The usable layover is the scheduled gap less the expected arrival delay, and the required time includes boarding closing well before departure. Immigration on international connections is usually the largest single component. Self-connecting on separate tickets removes the airline’s obligation to rebook, which makes the buffer a financial exposure rather than an inconvenience.
Layover Time
Buffer = layover − arrival delay − transfer − immigration − boarding close
Buffer = layover − arrival delay − transfer − immigration − boarding close The usable layover is the scheduled gap less the expected arrival delay, and the required time includes boarding closing well before departure. Immigration on international connections is usually the largest single component.
Self-connecting on separate tickets removes the airline’s obligation to rebook, which makes the buffer a financial exposure rather than an inconvenience.
This calculator takes 5 inputs: Scheduled layover, Terminal transfer time, Immigration and security time, Boarding closes before departure, Expected arrival delay. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.