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Minimum Connection Time Calculator

Determine the minimum connection time an airport and itinerary require.

About Minimum Connection Time Calculator

Published minimum connection times are the shortest an airline will sell, not a comfortable margin. International arrivals requiring baggage reclaim and recheck add the most, typically forty minutes. Booking at exactly the minimum connection time means any delay breaks the itinerary, though the airline is then obliged to rebook you.

Formula

Minimum Connection Time

Minimum time = base requirement × airport size factor + terminal change + baggage handling

minimum connection time
The shortest connection an airline will sell as a single itinerary
baggage recheck
Required when arriving internationally into some countries

Worked example

With the default values below, Minimum Connection Time Calculator returns Minimum Connection Time of 102. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Connection typeone of Domestic to domestic, Domestic to international, International to domestic, International to international
International to international
Same terminalone of Yes, No
No
Airport size factoraccepts 0.5–3 x
1.2 x
Checked baggage to reclaim and recheckone of Yes, No
No

Results

Minimum Connection Time
102 min
Base Requirement
60 min
Added for a Terminal Change
30 min
Added for Baggage Handling
0 min
Comfortable Connection Time
168 min

Step by step

  1. 1Values used
  2. 2Minimum Connection Time
  3. 3Minimum Connection Time= 102 min
  4. 4Base Requirement= 60 min
  5. 5Added for a Terminal Change= 30 min
  6. 6Added for Baggage Handling= 0 min
  7. 7Comfortable Connection Time= 168 min

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
  • In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
  • Figures are rounded for display to whole numbers, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is Minimum Connection Time calculated?

Minimum time = base requirement × airport size factor + terminal change + baggage handling Published minimum connection times are the shortest an airline will sell, not a comfortable margin. International arrivals requiring baggage reclaim and recheck add the most, typically forty minutes.

Why does Minimum Connection Time matter?

Booking at exactly the minimum connection time means any delay breaks the itinerary, though the airline is then obliged to rebook you.

What values do I need to enter?

This calculator takes 4 inputs: Connection type, Same terminal, Airport size factor, Checked baggage to reclaim and recheck. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.

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