How Do Layovers Work?

718 Comments

1. Heidi
   July 10, 2015 @ 7:54 am

   Hi, I’m flying from Seattle- San diego- Phoenix. Before my flight will I be given two boarding tickets? One from seattle and the other from San diego? I’m 16 and not quite sure what I’m doing since this is my first lay over and scared that I’ll miss my flight.

   • Ali Garland
     July 10, 2015 @ 9:15 pm

     Hi Heidi! As long as your flights are both booked together as one itinerary (as opposed to booking them separately) you should get both boarding passes when you check in for the first flight in Seattle.

     Sometimes the flight attendants will have a list of gates for connecting flights, so they might be able to point you in the right direction in San Diego. If not, there will be big boards listing all the upcoming flights and what gates they are leaving from, so you’ll be fine there too.

     Domestic layovers aren’t so bad as long as you have enough time in between flights to get from one to the next. Good luck, have a great trip, and let me know if you have any other questions!

     • Heidi
       July 14, 2015 @ 8:25 am

       Do you recommend I put my luggage through checking or carry on? Also, am I suppose to put my laptop into another bin during the security checkpoint?

       • Ali Garland
         July 14, 2015 @ 11:44 am

         I always recommend carry-on only, but it doesn’t work for everyone, so go with whatever you’re comfortable with. If you do check luggage, make sure anything fragile, valuable, sentimental, or important stays in your carry-on bag. For more info check out this https://travel-made-simple.com/what-to-pack-in-your-carry-on-bag/ and this https://travel-made-simple.com/what-not-to-pack-in-your-carry-on-bag/

         Yes, when you go through security, put your laptop in a separate bin. You’ll also have to pull out your liquids bag, take everything out of your pockets, take off your belt if you’re wearing one, and take off your shoes. You can probably fit all of those things in one bin, but only the laptop has to go in its own bin. Watch what people ahead of you are doing, and ask questions if you need to. There’s usually a TSA agent standing near where you’re putting things into the bins. You’ll do fine!

2. Matthew
   July 10, 2015 @ 7:52 am

   Finally got my wife’s visa to enter the U.S. My question is, she will be flying from SJD to MSP. I haven’t booked the flight yet but she will have a layover. If i use the same airline, will she have to re-check her luggage or will it be waiting for her at MSP?

   • Ali Garland
     July 10, 2015 @ 9:10 pm

     Congrats Matthew! If her layover is somewhere in the US, she will have to claim and re-check her luggage at the first place she lands within the US, regardless of the airline. It has to do with US customs and immigration, not the airlines. But if she connects through Mexico City (not sure if that’s an option for you) she would not have to do this. Let me know if I can help with anything else!

3. Richard
   July 10, 2015 @ 7:21 am

   Just wanted to say your article helped clear up a lot! I have a question about my intinierary however…
   I’ll be going to Russia this coming spring and my flight is as follows
   Buffalo>Newark>Munich>St. Petersburg and the return is
   St. Petersburg>Frankfurt>Newark>Buffalo.
   I can usually travel pretty lightly so I’m not worried about baggage as I’ll just have a carry on but I am concerned about what visas I could possible need on this trip and where I’ll have to go through customs & immigration and how many times. I know it’s a lot but I hope you can help me out. Thanks!

   • Ali Garland
     July 10, 2015 @ 9:07 pm

     Thanks Richard, glad to help! First, I’m assuming you are a US citizen based on your departure point. You will need a visa to enter Russia, and if you haven’t gotten one yet, you can find more info on the US State Department website.

     When you check in for your flight in Buffalo, they will check your passport to make sure you have a Russian visa. It’s possible they might check in Newark, but usually it’s the first flight. When you land in Munich, look for signs that say “transit” or “transfer”. You’ll have to go through security again before finding your gate, but you shouldn’t have to go through customs and immigration/passport control since you aren’t staying in Germany or anywhere else in the Schengen Zone. You’ll go through customs and immigration in Russia.

     On the way back, you’ll go through passport check to exit Russia. (Most countries have an official passport checkpoint you have to go through before leaving the country. For some reason, the US doesn’t do it that way.) Your layover in Frankfurt will be similar to your layover in Munich. Just look for the “transit” or “transfer” signs, go through security, and find your gate. When you land in Newark, you will go through passport control and customs to enter the US. I know you said you usually travel with carry-on, but just in case you decide to check luggage, you will have to claim and re-check it in Newark. Then just look for your gate for the Newark-Buffalo flight.

     I hope this helps, but let me know if you have any other questions! Enjoy Russia!

4. RUTUJA
   July 9, 2015 @ 3:59 pm

   Hi, My parents are travelling from San fran to India this weekend and they have an 18 hr lay over in Singapore.They are US citizens and wish to go out and take a tour of the city.My question is Do they need to go to through immigration or need any type of Visa in order to travel the city during their lay over time?Thanks for the informative blog!!

   • Ali Garland
     July 9, 2015 @ 6:45 pm

     Hi Rutuja! US citizens can get a visa on arrival in Singapore. Actually, I’m not even sure it’s really a visa, but they will put a little piece of paper in your parents’ passports. They MUST hold onto that paper and have it in their passports when they go back to the airport to leave the country! (I lost mine once, quite stressful.) So they will go through passport control and customs, but it’s a fairly easy process, and they don’t need to do anything ahead of time with regards to visas.

5. Maria
   July 9, 2015 @ 9:17 am

   Hi Ali!
   I find your site very helpful. I am Canadian Citizen.
   I am travelling to Phlippines from Calgary-Lax-Haneda-Phlippines. My questions are, I have 10hrs stopover in LA, do I need to get my luggage and rechecked it? and because I have 10hrs lay over, can I go out and see outside the airport? and when I come back to the Airport do I need to pay terminal fee again. I hope you can help me with this.

   • Ali Garland
     July 9, 2015 @ 6:42 pm

     Thanks Maria! You will have to go through customs and passport check in LAX, and since you are a Canadian citizen, you don’t need a visa, so if you want to leave the airport, you can. Normally you would have to claim and recheck your luggage, but some airports handle it a little differently for international layovers since you’re flying from Canada and not staying in the US. For example, I recently flew to Atlanta, and they made an announcement that passengers making international connections did not have to claim and re-check their luggage. However, that could be different at other airports, and unfortunately I don’t know for sure with LAX. If you do have to re-check your luggage, in most cases you will be able to do that right away, just depends on the airline. Then you won’t have to keep it with you. As for the terminal fee, I’m not sure what that is. Any airport fees are included with the price of your flight, and I don’t know what else you might be referring to, but you shouldn’t have to pay anything. I hope this helps!

6. Geraldine
   July 8, 2015 @ 4:52 am

   Hi Ali, What a fantastic site you have running… thank you!

   So I am travelling with Thai Airways from Auckland to London with a 16 hour overnight layover in Bangkok. Do you know if the airline provides a hotel for this layover? I have it in my head that any layover for more than 8 hours is accommodated for at the airlines expenses?? Is this right? or did I dream that up!!

   • Ali Garland
     July 8, 2015 @ 9:29 am

     Thanks Geraldine! No, that is definitely not a rule. There are a few airlines that I can think of that provide a night in a hotel if the long layover is in the airline’s base city, so it’s possible Thai Airways does this, but there are always other requirements too, like what fare type you bought, if there were any options with a shorter layover, if you’re connecting to an international flight vs a domestic one. I wouldn’t necessarily count on this being an option for you, but call the airline and ask. I searched around on their website but I couldn’t find anything. Even if the answer is no, Thailand is really cheap, so you should be able to find a decent place for a night without having to spend much. Good luck, and I hope the answer is yes!

7. Luis
   July 7, 2015 @ 10:36 pm

   Thanks for your site, this article has been very helpful. I just have a question, I am traveling from Mexico to Alabama with 10 hour overlay in Houston, I know I need to claim my luggage and check again after customs, my concern is if will be safe I check my luggage just after custom 10 hour before my connection flight? I am affraid to lose it in this time lapse. I am flying in the same airline. I am planning to go out to a closer mall for 5 or 6 hours and come back to the airport but dont want to bring my luggage.

   Thanks.

   • Ali Garland
     July 7, 2015 @ 11:15 pm

     Hi Luis, I’m glad my site has been helpful! I understand your concern, but I think the chances of the airline losing your luggage are roughly the same whether you check it in several hours ahead of time or closer to your flight. My suggestion is to call the airline and confirm with them if they will be able to check your luggage that far ahead of your flight. I think they will be able to do it, but it’s worth verifying that with them.

8. SC
   July 5, 2015 @ 12:34 pm

   Hi Ali,
   This is a very excellent website! I’m taking a flight as follows:
   Rome (FCO) to Beijing(PEK)
   Layover Berlin Tegel (TXL) the connection time :3 hr.30 ‘
   I ‘ll book my flights together as one itinerary but with 2 airlines i.e. Airberlin and Hainan airline.
   Will i have 2 boarding passes when i check in for my first flight at FCO? Will I have to recheck my luggage at Berlin TXL,and go through border control/immigration and customs?
   The first flight will arrive at Berlin TXL terminal C and will depart from terminal A.I wonder the terminal C is very far from terminal A,how can i reach terminal A?Do you think 3hr30’ shoud be enough time to make my connection? I would appreciate any information.Thank you very much.

   • Ali Garland
     July 6, 2015 @ 6:16 pm

     Thanks for the compliment! In most cases, the airline will be able to print both of your boarding passes when you check in for the first flight, but it depends on the partnership between the two airlines. If Air Berlin is unable to print your TXL to PEK boarding pass, you’ll have to find a Hainan Airlines counter in Berlin.

     Your checked luggage should get tagged to go all the way to Beijing, but verify that when you’re checking in in Rome. Even in cases where I’ve had to get my boarding pass during a layover, my bag was still tagged for my final destination, so I’m almost positive you won’t have to worry about this.

     You will go through passport check in TXL in preparation for leaving Schengen and traveling to China. The agent in Rome might check to make sure you have the proper visa to enter China, but the official passport control part will be in Berlin. You won’t do this in Rome because your first flight is between two Schengen countries.

     The Berlin TXL airport is surprisingly small for such a big city. Here’s a map of the airport: http://www.berlin-airport.de/en/travellers-txl/at-the-airport/airport-map/ I think 3 hours 30 minutes is plenty of time to get from terminal A to terminal C and get through passport control. You’ll probably have to go through security again too, but I really wouldn’t worry about time. I don’t think you’ll have a problem unless your first flight is severely delayed.

     Enjoy your trip and let me know if you have any other questions!

9. Anita Rose
   July 3, 2015 @ 11:05 pm

   I find your website and answers extremely helpful so I want to thank you for that. I will be traveling to Tokyo Haneda airport from Oakland, California with a layover in Honolulu. At what point is the customs/passport check on the outgoing trip, if there is any? I know that on the returning trip coming back from Toyko, Honolulu will be the customs check since it is the first US city.

   • Ali Garland
     July 4, 2015 @ 10:33 am

     Thank you Anita! When you’re flying out of the US, there isn’t really a formal passport checkpoint like in most other countries. When you check in for your first flight, they will also check your passport, it’s just not a separate process. When you leave Tokyo, you will go through passport check before you can continue to your gate. And you’re right, you will go through US passport control and customs in Honolulu on your way back. Enjoy your trip to Japan!

10. S
    June 30, 2015 @ 7:06 pm

    Hi this is a very good/ excellent website. I have a question, Im travelling to Australia from the UK and wondered whether I would have to check in my bag twice and go through security more then once. I have a layover in Honk Kong with a 5/4 hour layover in a lounge, do I go straight there once off the plane or pick up my bag?

    • Ali Garland
      July 1, 2015 @ 5:46 pm

      Thanks! You won’t have to pick up your luggage during your layover in Hong Kong. Assuming your flights are all booked together as one itinerary, your checked luggage will get tagged to continue to your final destination. So when you land in Hong Kong, you’ll most likely have to go through security to get to your next flight, but that’s about it. If you aren’t leaving the airport, you aren’t technically entering Hong Kong, so you won’t go through customs until you reach the UK. I hope this helps, and have a great trip!

11. Lisa
    June 30, 2015 @ 2:59 am

    I have an upcoming trip that I’m unsure about as well – your post is helpful but i just want to ask what you think about customs and checking and/or rechecking my luggage. I’m traveling from ATL – Frankfurt – Lisbon – Ponta Delgado. So, I think that will have to go through customs in Germany – but shouldn’t have to get my luggage, right? Then, the same in Lisbon and Ponta Delgado? I’m concerned because during my last trip to Europe we flew in to Ireland and then to our destination of Paris. We went through customs in Ireland but didn’t get our luggage and when we arrived in Paris, our luggage didn’t make it – I always wondered if it was because we should have gotten the luggage and rechecked it in Ireland. Any ideas? Thanks!

    • Ali Garland
      June 30, 2015 @ 10:21 am

      Hi Lisa! The US and Canada are some of the only countries in the world that make you claim and recheck your luggage on a layover. It’s unfortunate that your luggage didn’t make it on your previous trip, but I think that was just bad luck. When you check in for your flight in Atlanta, they should tag your luggage to go all the way to your final destination. You will have to go through passport check, customs, and security in Frankfurt since that is where you will enter the Schengen Zone, but you will not pick up your luggage. In Lisbon, you will not go through customs or passport check. You may or may not have to go through security, it just depends on how the airport is set up. Then when you land in Punta Delgado, you will simply head to baggage claim and pick up your checked luggage. I hope this helps, and enjoy your trip!

12. RK
    June 28, 2015 @ 2:42 pm

    Hi Ali!

    First off, your article is great!! Thanks for simplifying things for rookies such as myself. I have a question though, I am taking a flight as follows:

    Cairo (CAI)–>Paris (CDG)–>Atlanta (ATL)–>Roanoke (ROA)

    Will I have to recheck my luggage between Atlanta and Roanoke? As I’ll have to go through border control/immigration and customs which will be in ATL. I have a 13 hr layover so I would really rather avoid the hassle of checking out then rechecking in my luggage.

    • Ali Garland
      June 29, 2015 @ 3:29 pm

      Unfortunately yes, you will have to claim and recheck your luggage in Atlanta. Sorry, there’s no avoiding it! My suggestion is to call the airline and ask if you will be able to check your luggage that far ahead of your Roanoke flight so you don’t have to hold onto it for the whole layover. If they airline has a counter open, hopefully they’ll be able to check it early for you. Good luck, and have a great trip!

13. Katie
    June 26, 2015 @ 6:38 am

    Hi Ali! I have been so nervous about my upcoming connection, and your article helped a lot! I will be going Detroit > Amsterdam > Billund (Denmark). I have never been to Europe, nor have I ever flown alone, so this is a pretty big deal! I only have 1:25 to transfer (and I’m seated in the very back of a 747 on the first leg, so I’ll have to wait for 300+ people to exit ahead of me..). Because of this lack of time, I want to make sure I know exactly what I’m doing. So when I arrive in Amsterdam, I will have to go through passport control, security, and customs because I’m entering the Schengen zone. How will I get my checked bag to go through customs, and after I get through, where do I go to recheck it before catching my connecting flight? Do I follow the signs to enter the country and then just go back through after I’m admitted? Or do I just head straight for passport control after I arrive and not get my checked bag? These are a lot of very confusing questions, sorry, but they’re coming from a confused person! I so appreciate any help(:

    • Ali Garland
      June 29, 2015 @ 3:25 pm

      Hi Katie! When you arrive in Amsterdam, you will go through passport control and customs. (Customs normally involves simply walking through a door marked “nothing to declare” as long as you really have nothing to declare.) You will also have to go through security. Just keep looking for signs for passport control. Since you can’t enter the Schengen zone without going through the proper steps, there really aren’t any other options besides going to passport control, so don’t worry about it, you will mostly just follow everyone else. Then go to your connecting gate.

      Your checked luggage should be tagged to go to your final destination, so you won’t have to do anything with that. You’ll pick it up in Billund.

      I recently connected through Amsterdam, although I was going from another Schengen country to the US, but there was a separate line at passport control marked for people with tight connections. I don’t know if they’ll have that when you’re entering, but look for it as it could save you some time.

      It might also be worth seeing if the airline can change your seat to one closer to the front of the plane. Regardless, make sure you go to the bathroom on the flight before you land so you don’t lose time doing that at the airport. And ask for help if you get confused or lost while you’re in the airport. Airport employees almost always speak some English, especially in Europe.

      I hope this helps, but let me know if you have any other questions, and enjoy your trip!

14. Helsin
    June 25, 2015 @ 3:16 pm

    Hi Ali, thanks for the great post. I have a question regarding a layover extended to next day of travel. I am planning to travel from India to Atlanta via JFK (booked by same airline). My flight is scheduled to arrive at JFK on July 15 at 11 pm and connecting flight to Atlanta is at 9 am on July 16 (layover of 10 hours with date change). Since JFK would be my port of entry, I am told that I will have to claim my checked bags. My question is if I have to claim my bags and drop them off the belt to retrieve them in Atlanta or would I have to claim my checked bags and come out of the airport, keep the checked bags with me for the night and wait for next morning for the airline counter to open up and and then check in my luggage. I would appreciate any infromaiton in this regard. Thanks.

    • Ali Garland
      June 29, 2015 @ 3:02 pm

      Hi Helsin! Overnight layovers like this can vary. Yes, you will have to claim and recheck your luggage in JFK, but whether you can recheck immediately or have to wait until the morning really depends on the airline. If the airline has a counter open, which they might for late night flights, they will most likely be able to take your luggage at that time. If the airline does not have an open counter, no one will be able to take your luggage. Your best bet here is to call the airline and ask them what their procedure is for a layover like yours at JFK. You could also ask them if a partner airline would be able to check your luggage in the event that the airline you’re flying will not be open at that time.

      Sorry I couldn’t give you a more definite answer on this, but hopefully the airline can help. Have a great trip!

15. Shelley
    June 25, 2015 @ 6:31 am

    i am flying from Cambodia, through Bangkok , through Abu Dhabi, and then finally to the US. Since I have 5 hours in AD, I figured i would go out and have dinner or something, and then come back into the airport. I am flying Etihad airlines. Do you recommend this? Any thoughts?
    Thanks

    • Ali Garland
      June 29, 2015 @ 2:54 pm

      Hi Shelley! I can definitely understand the appeal of getting a glimpse of the city while you have a layover in Abu Dhabi, though 5 hours might be a little tight. In order to do that, you’ll have to clear customs and passport control (which you won’t have to do if you choose to stay in the airport for your layover – you’ll just look for the “transit” or “transfer” signs and go through security again) and this could take some time depending on how many other flights land when yours does. Then it looks like it takes anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour 15 minutes to get into the city, depending on what form of transportation you use. See here for info on getting to and from the airport: http://www.toandfromtheairport.com/abu-dhabi.html Then you’ll still need to be back at the airport about 2 hours ahead of your flight to make sure you get back through security and passport control for exiting the country.

      Let’s say it takes 45 minutes to get off the plane and get through passport control and customs. You take a taxi and maybe it takes about 45 minutes. Then you need another 45 minutes to get back to the airport, and you have to be there 2 hours before your flight. That leaves you with about 45 minutes for dinner or whatever you plan on doing in Abu Dhabi.

      Also, keep in mind the time of day. I have no idea what kind of rush hour traffic there might be in Abu Dhabi, but traffic will be a big factor in how long it takes you to get in and out of the city whether you’re in a taxi or bus. I can’t make that decision for you, but it doesn’t seem like enough time to me, and I wouldn’t want to risk missing my connecting flight.

      • Shelley
        June 30, 2015 @ 4:56 am

        Thank you, Ali,
        After taking all of this into consideration, I think it’s best if I just stay in the airport. On the website there appear to be a few lounges you can pay to sit and relax at. Do you know anything about these? i will be there from 10pm until 3am…

        • Ali Garland
          June 30, 2015 @ 10:29 am

          I think that’s probably a wise choice. I know 5 hours seems like long enough, but especially at that time of night, staying in the airport is probably best. Maybe if you had 7 hours or something. I don’t know anything about the lounges. I just hung out at the gate when I had layovers in Abu Dhabi. But it looks like different lounges are in each terminal and have different prices, so you might want to see if you can find out what terminal your next flight departs from to decide. I just glanced at one online, and they had a 2 hour and a 5 hour option. Just make sure you look at what time your flight starts boarding.

16. Gretchen
    June 23, 2015 @ 4:30 am

    Hi Ali!
    I am planning a trip from Boston to London Gatwick and back on IceLand Air. Both trips have layovers in KEF. I only have an hour and 15 minute layover in KEF on the way to London. Will I have to collect and re-check my luggage? What about on the return?
    I really appreciate your help, I am nervous about the hour and 15 minutes on the way there. If I have to collect my bags, then there’s no way i am going to book that particular flight.

    Thanks so much for the help!

    • Ali Garland
      June 25, 2015 @ 12:04 am

      Hi Gretchen! Your checked luggage should get tagged to your final destination and automatically get transferred from the first flight to the second flight. Since Iceland is in the Schengen Zone but the UK is not, you shouldn’t have to go through customs and immigration in KEF. Look for signs for “transit” or “transfers” and go through security to get to your connecting gate. An hour and 15 minutes is a little tight, but not impossible. It also doesn’t look like a huge airport, so if this is your best flight option in all other ways, I might go for it. Here’s some info I found about the airport: http://www.ifly.com/keflavik-KEF-airport/terminal-map I hope this helps, and have a great trip!

17. Z
    June 19, 2015 @ 12:40 pm

    Your article is extremely helpful. I have a question, I have a flight from Islamabad, Pakistan to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport with a 3.5 hours connection in Dubai. Both the flights are operated by Emirates. Firstly, would I have to go through security and immigration or not or can I directly take my connectly flight? Plus since both the airlines are the same, my baggage would be automatically transferred to the destination flight or do I have to go through baggage claim? I have been to Dubai airport twice before but it was a direct flight, and since the airport is huge and confusing, I am kind of freaking out about taking this connecting flight.

    • Ali Garland
      June 24, 2015 @ 11:54 pm

      Thanks, glad to help! Since you are not staying in Dubai or UAE, you should not have to go through customs and immigration. Follow the signs for “transit” or “transfers.” However, you will have to go through security again. And as long as you’ve booked the flights as one itinerary (as opposed to two separate bookings) your checked luggage should be tagged to your final destination and automatically get transferred from the first flight to the second. I think 3.5 hours should be enough time to make your connection, especially since you don’t have to deal with immigration. Have a good trip!

      • Z
        June 26, 2015 @ 1:38 pm

        Thank you so much 🙂

18. Meghana
    June 17, 2015 @ 4:59 pm

    Thank you for the article! I am sorry if this is repetitive, but could you please answer this question for me?
    I am an Indian citizen working in the US and I need to fly to Vancouver, Canada in a few months. My parents are visiting and they have a conference to attend in Canada so I am accompanying them there. I am looking at flight options out of Philly and wanted to know if I should book a flight with a domestic layover or fly via Toronto? Unfortunately there are no direct flights to Vancouver from Philly or even NYC. If we go through a U.S. city, will we have to go through security/passport check and baggage claim again? I know we have to do that if we fly via Toronto. What would you advice? And how long of a layover should we target? Any specific airports we should avoid? Also, my parents are flying home from Canada but I am coming back to the states, so I will face a similar dilemma on the way back. Thank you!

    • Meghana
      June 17, 2015 @ 5:47 pm

      I actually found a non-stop from NYC, thanks!

      • Ali Garland
        June 18, 2015 @ 5:32 pm

        Hi Maghana, I’m glad you were able to find a direct flight! Just for future reference, in general, when you have a layover in the US or Canada on an international flight, you have to go through customs and passport control and claim/recheck your luggage when you first enter either of those countries. But not on the way out, at least not in the US. So if you flew from NYC to Chicago to Vancouver, your Chicago layover would seem like a domestic layover, but on the way back, you’d have to go through customs and recheck your luggage. I hope that helps!

19. Sarthak Rastogi
    June 17, 2015 @ 12:45 am

    I’m an international student in Seattle,Washington trying to fly back home. My route is Seattle–Paris–Delhi. Although you’ve done a good job explaining layovers, I do have a question for you: When I check in(at the airport), since Seatac only has machines working your boarding passes and not people, What am i supposed to put as my destination? Paris or New Delhi? Both my flights are by Air France but the flight from Seattle to Paris is operated by a Delta Airlines Aircraft.

    • Ali Garland
      June 18, 2015 @ 5:26 pm

      Hi Sarthak! It’s been several years since I flew to/from Seattle, but I can’t imagine there is NO way to check in with a person, especially for an international flight when they would need to check your passport. But if that really is the case, the machine should ask for a booking reference and then it will pull up your itinerary. In general you will get all boarding passes on your itinerary, so the machine should print Seattle to Paris and Paris to New Delhi. If you have a problem with the machines, at the very least there should be Delta employees where you drop off checked luggage, and someone will be able to help you. I hope this helps!

20. Oprah Ferguson
    June 11, 2015 @ 10:17 am

    Hey. i was wondering if you could help me. i’m 17 and its my first time travelling. i have 2 connecting flights. im leaving from jamaica-atlanta-amsterdad-istanbul. seeing that its my first time travelling i would really like to stay put and i wont leave the airport. there’s a 8-12 hour layover for each connecting flight. will have i have to go through customs and security again?

    • Ali Garland
      June 11, 2015 @ 10:28 am

      Wow, that’s a lot of long layovers! So here’s how it should all work, assuming you’ve booked all flights on one itinerary:

      When you land in Atlanta, you will unfortunately have to go through passport check and customs. I believe they have recently changed it so that your luggage will automatically get transferred to your next flight since it is an international transfer, but you’ll need to verify that with the airline. Either call ahead and ask or just ask the ticket agent when you check in for your first flight. You will also have to go through security again in Atlanta. But once you go through security, you have access to all terminals, so you will at least have a lot to choose from to occupy your time there.

      In Amsterdam, look for the “transit” or “transfer” signs. Since you are not staying in the Schengen Zone, you shouldn’t have to go through customs, but you will have to go through security again. Your checked luggage should also be automatically transferred to your next flight. Amsterdam is a pretty big airport too, so hopefully you’ll find enough to do.

      If these are actually 3 separate itineraries, as in you booked and paid for 3 separate flights, you will most likely have to claim and recheck your luggage at each layover, which also means you’ll have to go through customs in Amsterdam.

      I hope this helps! Have a great trip!

21. Esther
    June 10, 2015 @ 12:37 pm

    Hi! I just had a quick question. So I’m departing from LAX, then stopping at JFK for a connecting flight to EDI (Scotland). All of my flights are on the same itinerary and are all with American Airlines. From landing at JFK to my flight to EDI, I only have 2.5 hours. Do I need to pick up my checked luggage and then re-check it, then go back to security or will my luggage arrive at my final destination?

    • Ali Garland
      June 10, 2015 @ 10:17 pm

      Hi Esther! Your luggage should be tagged all the way to EDI. It’s on the way back to the US that you will have to go through passport check, claim your luggage, go through customs, and recheck your luggage. You will also have to go through security again before your flight from JFK to LAX (I’m assuming the same route in return). It’s possible you might have to go through security again in JFK on your way to EDI depending on where your first flight lands and where your second one departs, simply because they might have different security checks at different terminals. But 2.5 hours should be fine going to EDI, and I don’t think a layover of that length will be a problem on the way back either. If your concerned about the time, check out my advice for dealing with a short layover: https://travel-made-simple.com/if-you-think-your-layover-is-too-short/ Enjoy your trip!

22. Hannah
    June 6, 2015 @ 8:58 pm

    Hi Ali,

    I’ve booked a flight from London Heathrow – Salt Lake City, connecting through LAX.

    I will arrive at LAX at 5.15pm and then my flight leaves for SLC at 6.55pm.

    I’ve booked on a single ticket with AA, but the booking confirmation says to check in with SkyWest at LAX.

    Do you think I’ll have enough time to make this flight? As far as I can tell, my flight into LAX and my flight out to SLC are in the same terminal.

    Thanks!

    • Ali Garland
      June 7, 2015 @ 10:15 am

      Hi Hannah! When you land in LAX, you’ll have to go through passport control, pick up your checked luggage and go through customs, and then you’ll have to recheck your luggage for your flight to SLC. An hour and 40 minutes might be a little tight, but it’s not impossible. If they can put you on a later flight from LAX to SLC without charging you too much, it might be worth it. But I’d call American Airlines or SkyWest and ask what their policy is if you miss the connection due to customs and immigration taking too long. Also, check out my advice for dealing with a short layover: https://travel-made-simple.com/if-you-think-your-layover-is-too-short/

23. John
    June 5, 2015 @ 10:02 am

    Hi Ali, your posts are so helpful I thank you for your time. I was wondering if you can give me any insight on the following trip, I’m taking my girlfriend to Greece this Summer and we have been talking about tieing the knot, I think she is expecting it so I would like to throw her completely off. We’re flying from Calgary,Canada to JFK with a two hour layover (in Calgary we actually have a U.S. Customs right in our airport) so this makes it as if it was basically a domestic US Flight, but from there we fly to Charles de Gaule where we have a 10 hour layover so I was thinking of taking her to the Eiffel Tower to do my thing. Then off to Greece. All flight are booked with Delta but operated first by westjet to JFK, Air France to CDG, Aitalia to Athens. So my question is for the layover in Paris will my bags be checked right through to Athens? If not is there somewhere we can store our luggage? I love her a lot but I’m not sure if my back will hold out carrying her two overweight checked luggage to the top of the Eiffel Tower :p Thank you!

    • Ali Garland
      June 5, 2015 @ 5:51 pm

      Hi John! Sounds so romantic! Your bags should be tagged to go all the way to Athens, so that shouldn’t be a problem for you. I think it’s always worth verifying with the agent when you’re checking in for your first flight, but that is the standard procedure for almost anywhere in the world, except the US and Canada. (And lucky you for having that US customs post in Calgary!)

      I know you didn’t really ask, but if you’re taking her up to the top of the Eiffel Tower, I’d recommend buying tickets ahead of time. Otherwise you could end up waiting in line for a few hours. I haven’t done it myself yet, but I’m looking at this link for when my friend and I go in a couple weeks: http://www.toureiffel.paris/en/preparing-your-visit/buying-your-tickets.html And you probably want to leave at least 2 hours from when you land to the time on your ticket because it’ll take time to get through customs and I think it takes 45 minutes to get into the city. Here’s some info on getting to and from the airport: http://www.toandfromtheairport.com/paris-charles-de-gaulle.html

      Have a great trip!

24. maria
    June 1, 2015 @ 7:12 pm

    Good morning.My mom will arrive soon here in U.S and we decided her port of entry is San Francisco but her petitioner ,my sister live in Texas.Can she leave Francisco airport and stay for a day or two in California before going to Texas?Were confused because we dont want her to change airport terminal to terminal .Its convenient for her if she will fly direct ,no stop over.Thanks and i hope youll enlighten us because we need to book her flight.

    • Ali Garland
      June 3, 2015 @ 3:21 pm

      Hi Maria! I don’t completely understand everything, but I’ll try my best. I’m assuming your mom is coming from the Philippines, just based on the flight you mentioned in a previous comment. As far as I can tell, there are no direct flights between Manila and San Antonio, so she’ll have to connect somewhere. I don’t know anything about traveling to the US on a visa that requires a petitioner, so I don’t know if she’s allowed to land in San Fransisco and stay there for a day or two before traveling to where the petitioner is. You probably need to talk to whatever agency you had to use to do that part. If you’re worried about her navigating the airport and changing terminals, wouldn’t it be even more complicated for her to have to stay overnight in San Fransisco?

      If she does fly from the Philippines to San Fransisco and immediately to TX from there, when she lands in SF, she will go through passport control first. Make sure she has the full street address for where she will be staying (your sister) because she will need to put that on her immigration card. After passport control, she will have to pick up her checked luggage and go through customs. (Everything to this point is standard even if she stays in SF.) Then she will have to re-check her luggage. After that, she has to go through security and then to her next gate. This really isn’t any different if she spends the night in SF, it just means she will be splitting the process into two days.

      Sorry I couldn’t be more help, but I can’t give advice on the situation with the petitioner.

25. maria
    June 1, 2015 @ 3:33 am

    I’ll be travelling from Philippines to San Antonio Texas and i have a stop over in Los Angeles.Do i need to pass immigration and get my luggage before i transfer to another terminal.I have booked my whole itinerary together but with different airlines.
    Philippines -Los Angeles-San Antonio Texas

    • Ali Garland
      June 3, 2015 @ 3:01 pm

      Hi Maria! Yes, once you land in LA you will need to go to passport control, then you will pick up your checked luggage and go through customs. After that, you recheck your luggage and find your next gate. It’s annoying, but unfortunately that’s how the US does it.

26. Victoria
    May 29, 2015 @ 7:11 am

    Hi Ali! Thanks very much for posting this informative article. I’m planning a trip abroad and wanted to verify if I got my facts straight. Here is our planned itinerary:

    LA-Seattle (2 hr layover)
    Seattle-Reykjavik

    If I understood things correctly, our luggage should make it all the way to Reykjavik when we first check them in LA. We also won’t need to go through security again when we arrive in Seattle. Is this correct?

    As for the return trip…
    Reykjavik-Seattle (2 hr layover)
    Seattle-LA

    This is where things get a bit confusing for me. When we make it back to Seattle, we need to pick up our luggage and check them in again for our LA flight, yes? Also, I’m thinking that we need to go through security AND passport control in Seattle (not LA). Did I get this right?

    Each leg of the trip will be serviced by two different airlines but I will be booking them all from one site. Thanks in advance for your help!

    • Ali Garland
      May 29, 2015 @ 3:58 pm

      Hi Victoria! If you booked your whole itinerary together but have different airlines, the different airlines work together and they should be able to tag your checked luggage to Reykjavik. When you arrive in Seattle, you should not have to go through security again. If you have to change terminals, look for signs pointing you to the terminal you need. According to the map on the airport’s site the terminals are all connected within the secured area. (It’s been 4 years since I flew through Seattle, so I can’t remember, and I’ve only ever started or ended there.)

      On your way home, when you arrive in Seattle, you have to go through passport control, then claim your checked luggage, then go through customs. After that, you’ll have to recheck your luggage, though it should still be tagged from Reykjavik to Seattle to LA. And you’ll have to go through security again before continuing on to the gate for your flight to LA.

      I hope this helps, but let me know if you have any other questions, and have a great trip to Iceland! I’m jealous!

      • Victoria
        May 30, 2015 @ 12:16 pm

        Ali, thank you SO much for the info!!! This is the best answer I’ve gotten on this topic. I did have one other slightly unrelated issue. Will I be subject to the two different airlines’ baggage policies? Icelandair allows for 2 free checked bags, but I think Alaska Air charges per bag. Thanks again!

        • Ali Garland
          June 1, 2015 @ 6:45 pm

          Glad to help! I’m not sure I can answer your checked bag question though. It really varies from airline to airline, so I think your best bet there is to call Alaska Air and ask them how they handle it. I would hope that they would go with Icelandair’s policy since your flights are on one itinerary, but I really don’t know. Sorry!

          • Victoria
            June 3, 2015 @ 3:17 am

            Thanks Ali! I called Icelandair and they mentioned that Alaska Air should honor their baggage policy. It’s probably best if I verify with Alaska Air too but I’ll just do that closer to the trip.

          • Ali Garland
            June 3, 2015 @ 3:22 pm

            Good! I figured they would, but you just never know. Enjoy your trip!

27. viorel
    May 27, 2015 @ 6:39 am

    This is probably most comprehensive article I have read so far, with regards to this issue.
    Thanks a lot for posting.

    • Ali Garland
      May 27, 2015 @ 1:39 pm

      Thanks, glad to help!

28. Christopher
    May 26, 2015 @ 11:00 pm

    I will be traveling from IND to ATL to MTY to BJX, when will i go through customs for Mexico?

    • Ali Garland
      May 26, 2015 @ 11:41 pm

      Hi Christopher! You should go through customs in MTY since it is the first time you enter Mexico. I don’t think Mexico makes you claim and re-check your luggage like the US does, but you should verify that with the airline.

29. laura
    May 22, 2015 @ 9:17 am

    I love your article but. I have a quick question. In few months I’m taking a one way plane ride from srq to sea but a stop at atl. My question is do I need to go security again to make my connection flight?

    • Ali Garland
      May 24, 2015 @ 1:32 pm

      Hi Laura! With domestic layovers at ATL, there should be no reason for you to have to go through security again. Some airports have different security check points for different terminals, but ATL is not one of them. If you have to change terminals, just look for the signs that list the other terminals and baggage claim, and get on the little tram.

30. Fai
    May 22, 2015 @ 5:16 am

    Hi Ali, have a rookie question as this is the first time i am doing this. I bought separate tickets, hongkong-copenhagen, and later copenhagen -london heathrow, with a 2 hours transit time. this is because the other ticket is bought separately with miles. i am on a british passport. if i travel without any checked baggage, bringing only carryons, do i have to clear immigration at copen? and do i have to go through security again? it is the same terminal and the same airline, so technically i depart and board from the same gate. Thanks. And if with checked luggage (just in case i decide to bring more), is immigration necessary, and is security necessary, as a transit passenger?

    • Ali Garland
      May 24, 2015 @ 1:26 pm

      Hi Fai, no worries, not a rookie question at all! Since you’re not staying in the Schengen zone (Denmark is in Schengen but UK is not) you should be able to follow the transit signs and skip immigration while in Copenhagen. BUT you’ll need to have your boarding pass for your Copenhagen to London flight to make this easier. If you can check in for the Copenhagen to London flight online ahead of time, or if the ticket agent in Hong Kong will also print your boarding pass for the Copenhagen to London, it’ll be a lot easier. Typically you have to go through security in the transit area, and they’ll want to see your boarding pass for the next flight. If you can’t print it ahead of time, at least have a printed copy of your flight confirmation, and then you can look for a ticket agent at the Copenhagen airport.

      This is all pretty simple if you have just carry-on luggage. But if you are checking luggage, you will most likely have to clear immigration in Copenhagen, claim your luggage, and re-check it for the next flight. Since both flights are with the same airline, you might be able to convince them to tag your checked luggage through to your final destination.

      Two hours should be plenty of time if you don’t have to clear immigration and re-check your luggage. You might want to call the airline ahead of time and ask if they are able to tag your checked luggage to your final destination with two separate tickets, that way you can decide how hard you need to try to stick to carry-on only.

31. Ryan B
    May 8, 2015 @ 1:57 pm

    Hi there. I hope you can help.
    I’m travelling to the United States for the 5th time, however I’m heading on a slightly different flight path than I normally do. I would normally fly outta my home city’s international airport (Belfast International Airport) and I would normally have a stop over or two in the states before my final destination, Minnesota.
    This year however I’ve went for a much cheaper flight which results in me going from George Best Belfast City Airport which is only European flights.
    My flight path is Belfast to Amsterdam, Sciphol Airport -layover 1hr 20- (switching for KLM airline to Delta)
    And from Amsterdam direct flight to Minnesota.

    Couple of questions….
    ●What kind of security can I expect? Belfast is in the UK and also European Union so will it be a breeze going through Amsterdam as they are also a member of the European Union? Customs or anything like that?
    ●Will my luggage go straight to MN or will I have to reclaim in Amsterdam?

    • Ali Garland
      May 9, 2015 @ 2:08 pm

      Hi Ryan! The EU thing doesn’t really matter so much, it’s about the Schengen Zone. The UK is not in the Schengen Zone, but the Netherlands are. Since you won’t be staying in the Schengen Zone, you should be able to look for signs that say “transit” and avoid having to officially enter the Netherlands and Schengen. But you will have to go through security again before boarding your flight to the US. As for your luggage, as long as your flights are all booked on one itinerary, they should tag your luggage to go all the way to your final destination without you having to claim and recheck in Amsterdam. Verify that when you check in, but that should be the case.

      I hope this helps, but let me know if you have any other questions!

32. Sabrina
    May 1, 2015 @ 6:25 am

    I have a flight from toronto to philly to manchester. My layover in philly is 1hr 20 minutes. Is that a long enough time to change flights? Also, do I need to reclaim my baggage

    • Ali Garland
      May 1, 2015 @ 10:24 am

      Hi Sabrina! An hour and 20 minutes is a little tight, but not impossible. Since you’re flying from Canada to the US, you will have to go through customs and immigration, plus claim and recheck your luggage, while in Philadelphia. Unfortunately I haven’t flown through Philadelphia in about 7 years, so I don’t know what the current process is, but most airports make it pretty easy to claim and recheck your luggage. Check out my tips for dealing with a short layover so you can try to reduce some of the stress and increase your chances of making your connection: https://travel-made-simple.com/if-you-think-your-layover-is-too-short/

33. Maria Fassio
    April 25, 2015 @ 5:46 am

    My friend and I will be flying to Chile in Oct via aero mexico and has 8.5 hrs layover in Mexico City.We wish to spend at least 5 hrs in Mexico city.Is this possible?.How does the transit procedure goes?Do we need a transit visa?We are both US citizens.If we have carry on bags do we have to take those during our transit tour or there are safety lockers available?How is the check in procedure when we board the plane to Chile? I appreciate your help/

    • Ali Garland
      April 25, 2015 @ 10:51 am

      Hi Maria! As US citizens, you don’t need a visa to enter Mexico for up to 6 months. You’ll have to go through customs and immigration, which could take some time depending on how many flights land around the same time as yours. You can keep your carry-on luggage with you, or there are lockers but I don’t know what they cost. If your flights are all booked on one itinerary, you should get both boarding passes when you check in for the first flight, so you’ll already have your boarding pass for the flight to Chile. When you come back for your flight to Chile, you’ll have to go through security and passport check as if it was your first flight, and then you just find your gate.

      I’m not sure you’ll end up with 5 hours in Mexico City though. There’s so info here http://www.toandfromtheairport.com/mexicocity.html about transport in and out of the city. Looks like a taxi takes anywhere from 45 to 70 minutes depending on where you’re going. So worst case, maybe it’ll take an hour and a half in each direction, you’ll probably lose an hour going through customs and immigration and finding the luggage lockers, and then you should still get back to the airport two hours before your flight to Chile. That really only leaves you with about 2 hours in the city. A lot depends on where you’re going, so if the taxi only takes 45 minutes each way, you’ll gain another hour and a half, and you’ll have 3 1/2 hours, maybe 4 if you feel comfortable getting back to the airport a little later.

      Here’s my suggestion: Research the city and find one sight that interests you or a restaurant you want to eat at or whatever. Then arrange a taxi ahead of time (there some good info here: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g150768-c118057/Mexico:Arrival.At.Mexico.City.Airport.html) so you don’t have to hassle with it when you land. And have a plan for getting back to the airport, whether you have the same company come back for you or you know which taxis are the authorized ones, or look into how long it takes by public transportation. Make sure you allow time for retrieving your bags from the luggage lockers (take note of where they are so you can find them again!) and time for getting through security and passport check. Sometimes those lines can be long.

      I hope this helps, but let me know if you have any other questions, and enjoy Mexico City and Chile!

      • Maria Fassio
        April 25, 2015 @ 11:52 am

        I was giving at least 3 -4 hrs time spent for check out and in and transfer to the city.Your informations are very much appreciated.hank you.

34. Alba
    April 22, 2015 @ 1:50 am

    5 hour layover in Amsterdam in November 2015

    Arrival in Amsterdam 9:05 am Departure to Dubai 14:30. I have time to go to the house of Anne Frank? I must buy tickets online ? I have to take a taxi to wait for me at the airport?

    Thanks

    • Ali Garland
      April 22, 2015 @ 11:42 am

      Hi Alba! Unfortunately I don’t think you have long enough. I know 5 hours is a long time, but I think you’d be cutting it really close to go into the city, see Anne Frank House, and get back in time. Where does your flight to Amsterdam start from?

      Assuming you land on time at 9:05am, and assuming you’re starting from outside the Schengen Zone, you’ll have to go through immigration and customs. That could take anywhere from 20 minutes to over an hour depending on how many other flights land around that time. So maybe you can be walking out the front door of the airport by 10am if the lines at immigration aren’t too bad. A taxi will get you into the city by 10:30 or so, depending on traffic and how long it takes you to get a taxi. (There are decent public transportation options, but I think a taxi would be quicker, though expensive: 40 to 50 euros one way.)

      I think the earliest reasonable time to book a ticket for Anne Frank House would be 11am. It took me one hour to go through the museum, so that puts you at noon. Then you have another half hour back to the airport, which gets you there at 12:30, 2 hours before your flight, which is the latest you should really do for an international flight since you’ll have to go back through passport check and security.

      So on paper, it could work, but if anything goes wrong along the way, it wouldn’t take much for you to miss your flight. If there’s an accident on the highway back to the airport, your taxi could get stuck, and you’d be late getting back to the airport. There could be bad weather that time of year, making the roads bad.

      Personally, I wouldn’t take the risk. But if you do want to give it a try, here’s a post I wrote about my experience, and it includes links to where you can buy tickets ahead of time for a specific time: http://www.aliadventures.com/2013/05/the-secret-annex-visiting-anne-frank-house/ I looked, and they don’t have November loaded in yet, but when I looked at a random date in October, they had time slots at 10:40 and 11am. You might also want to look into a taxi service you can set up ahead of time, so there’s someone specifically waiting for you when you get off the flight in Amsterdam. Even better if you can pay them to wait for you to get through the museum and take you back to the airport. But that will really start to get expensive.

      Good luck no matter what you decide!

      • Alba
        April 22, 2015 @ 6:56 pm

        My flight departs from the United States. If I buy tickets in advance for the house of Anne Frank and I have a cab waiting for me as tinker.travel you think you could make it in time?

        • Ali Garland
          April 23, 2015 @ 1:02 pm

          Ok, if your flight goes from the US to Amsterdam, you’ll definitely have to go through customs and immigration in order to leave the airport. If you arrange a taxi ahead of time, you’ll have a better chance of making things work, especially if you have a taxi arranged for getting you back to the airport. I would personally still feel too nervous about it, but I can’t make that decision for you.

          • Alba
            April 23, 2015 @ 6:11 pm

            Thank you

          • Ali Garland
            April 25, 2015 @ 10:33 am

            No problem!

35. Dave T
    April 20, 2015 @ 2:31 pm

    Hi,

    I am traveling from TPE > NRT > JFK. Do you know if I will have to recheck my luggage in Japan? Will I have to go through customs again?

    Thank you for the help!

    • Ali Garland
      April 21, 2015 @ 12:21 pm

      Hi Dave! As long as your flights are booked together on one itinerary, the airline should be able to tag your luggage to go all the way to JFK, and you shouldn’t have to go through customs in NRT. You will probably have to go through a security check again though. In most countries, they treat transiting passengers as if they were never in the country. It’s mostly just the US and Canada that don’t do it that way. I hope this helps, but let me know if you have any other questions!

36. Birge Frey
    April 11, 2015 @ 6:48 am

    Hi Ali,

    My question is about transfer at Toronto Airport with the following dates :I`m German,will be in New York for some days and have booked the return flight from NY to Germany with Air Canada.First flight from NY to Toronto with Canada Air Jazz,then a layover in Toronto (4 hours ) and then with Air Canada to Europe,all booked in Business class.
    Question:can I book my luggage from NY through to Europe or do I have to go to Immigration,customs,and recheck my checked bags?I would prefer staying airside and not leaving the security Zone,then heading to the Maple Leaf Lounge.Will that be impossible?My husband will do the same trip a week later and he doesn`t speak English or French.Is there a way to “survive” all the control points without speakingEnglish or French?
    Thanks for an answer!

    • Ali Garland
      April 12, 2015 @ 10:44 am

      Hi Birge! Unfortunately you do have to go through customs and immigration in Canada even if you’re only transiting. The Toronto Airport website actually has a decent guide to connecting flights here: https://www.torontopearson.com/en/connections You will have to claim and recheck your luggage, but it sounds like it’s a simple enough process. You won’t have to go out and find a ticket counter like you would for your first flight UNLESS your luggage is NOT tagged to your final destination. But if you booked your flights all on one itinerary, they should tag your luggage all the way to NY. And you will end up going through security again in Toronto. As for your husband, I would hope that German is a common enough language that someone in Toronto and NY would be able to translate. He could also try finding someone on his flight who speaks both German and English to help him get through customs and immigration. You also might want to get a copy of the immigration forms for Canada and the US ahead of time (either online or pick up an extra copy when you go ahead of him) so that you can help him translate it ahead of time. I hope this helps, but let me know if you have any other questions!

37. Nicki
    March 31, 2015 @ 6:47 pm

    Hi Ali,

    My question is about transitioning from international to domestic. My itinerary is below:

    LA –> FRANKFURT –> ROME –> CATANIA (SICILY)

    Would I go through customs in Frankfurt and then not have to deal with it in Rome? If I’m arriving in Rome from Frankfurt is that considered a domestic flight and therefore I won’t have to re-check anything before the Catania flight? We’ll have about 2 hours in Rome before the Catania flight but I wanted to be sure.

    Thanks!

    • Ali Garland
      April 1, 2015 @ 10:07 am

      Hi Nicki! Correct, you will go through customs in Frankfurt since it is your first point of entry into the Schengen Zone. You won’t go through customs in Rome or Catania. Flights within the Schengen Zone, like your flights from Frankfurt to Rome and Rome to Catania, are comparable to domestic flights within the US. Your checked luggage should get tagged all the way from LA to Catania, so you shouldn’t have to worry about your bags at any of the layovers. But you should probably verify with the airline about the layover in Frankfurt. I’m 99.9% sure you won’t have to collect and recheck your luggage there either, but it’s worth asking the airline to be sure. And two hours at Rome should be fine. Let me know if you have any other questions, and have a great trip to Sicily!

38. chris hennessy
    March 31, 2015 @ 4:30 pm

    hello Ali, just a couple or three questions,i am flying from the UK to Minneapolis via Amsterdam and Toronto….do i need any sort of transit visa….will i have to go through customs and immigration and will i have enough time to do these things with a two hour turn around in Toronto..thanks for any help you can give me.

    • Ali Garland
      April 1, 2015 @ 10:02 am

      Hi Chris! Citizens of certain countries need a visa for travel to Canada, even if it’s just a layover. If you’re a UK citizen, which I’m guessing only because that’s where you’re starting your journey, it looks like you do not need a visa. Check out these sites for more info: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?q=420&t=16 and http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visas-all.asp

      You will have to go through customs and immigration, plus claim and re-check your luggage in Toronto, unfortunately. Two hours is about the minimum amount of time I’d allow for a layover like this. I wouldn’t worry too much about a two hour layover, though you don’t want to waste any time getting from one flight to the next. Here are my tips for dealing with a short layover: https://travel-made-simple.com/if-you-think-your-layover-is-too-short/ I don’t think you need to do every single one, but a few of them might help you save a few minutes here and there.

      Let me know if you have any other questions, and enjoy your trip!

39. Nikki garcia
    March 25, 2015 @ 8:24 am

    Hi… I have a one-hour change of planes from O’hare to Vancouver and it says ‘THIS FLIGHT DEPARTS FROM A DIFF AIRPORT”… what does it mean? Does it mean I have to go to another airport or just different airport terminal? is it wise to choose this flight?…
    Depart
    1:09 PM
    Portland, ME , United States
    Portland Airport (PWM)
    Stop 1
    2:46 PM
    Chicago, IL , United States
    O’Hare Airport (ORD) Terminal 1
    Change of planes. Time between flights: 1hr 4min
    Flight 3620 Operated by GOJET AIRLINES DBA UNITED EXPRESS

    United Airlines 3620
    Economy
    CRJ 700
    2hr 37min
    Seat map
    THIS FLIGHT DEPARTS FROM A DIFFERENT AIRPORT

    btw, Im trying to book from Orbitz.com… thanks

    • Ali Garland
      March 25, 2015 @ 11:18 am

      Hi Nikki! Chicago does have two airports, O’Hare and Midway, so it is possible to have a flight land in one and a second flight take off from the other. Look at the flight itinerary you’re considering, does that second flight show MDW as the airport code, instead of ORD? If that’s the case, then you absolutely don’t have time to switch airports and make that second flight. If you land and take off again from ORD, 1 hour 4 minutes still sounds like a tight connection in a big airport. The terminals in O’Hare are connected outside of the secured area, which means if you have to change terminals, you also have to go through TSA again. I know long layovers are annoying, but I personally wouldn’t feel comfortable with this flight. Let me know if you have any other questions!

40. David
    March 15, 2015 @ 9:05 pm

    Dear Ali Garland

    I just have a general question. If layover duration is longer than 8 hour or overnight, free accommodation is always available? How can I check the availability? If it is the policy of airline or airport, do you have the Comparison Table?
    Is this a silly question?^^

    Thank you.

    • Ali Garland
      March 15, 2015 @ 9:51 pm

      Hi David! No, you will almost never get free accommodation on a layover no matter how long it is. The only airlines I know of that sometimes offer free accommodation on a long layover are Qatar http://www.qatarairways.com/global/en/transit-accommodation.page and Emirates http://www.emirates.com/english/plan_book/essential_information/dubai-connect/dubai-connect.aspx and there are limitations. There could be other airlines that do this, but it’s not at all a common thing. If you have a really long layover somewhere during the day, it’s worth seeing if you can go check out a couple of sights in that city. See here for more on how to maximize a long layover: https://travel-made-simple.com/maximize-long-layover/ If your long layover is at night, there are usually hotels near airports where you can get a few hours of sleep, unfortunately at your own expense, or you can just tough it out in the airport. Check out this site for more about sleeping in airports to determine where you can go and if it’s a good choice: http://www.sleepinginairports.net/

      If I start finding more airlines that have an option like Emirates and Qatar, I will probably make some sort of chart, but it wouldn’t be much of a chart right now.

      Let me know if I can help with anything else!

41. KRoy
    March 10, 2015 @ 3:28 pm

    Thanks for the article… I have a rookie question for you – We are flying from Kansas City to Puerto Vallarta with an overnight layover in Phoenix. Will we pick up our bags for the overnight layover in Phoenix? Or leave them with the airline. If we do pick them up, will we have to pay another checked bag fee when we check back in the next morning? Thanks!!

    • Ali Garland
      March 10, 2015 @ 3:50 pm

      As long as both of your flights are booked together on one itinerary, the airline should tag your luggage to go to your final destination. So during your layover in Phoenix, the airline should hold onto your luggage and transfer it to your next flight in the morning. Verify this with the airline when you’re checking in for your flight in Kansas City, but in general that’s how it’s handled. Also, on your way back from Mexico, whatever airport you land in first in the US will require you to go through customs and immigration as well as claim and re-check your luggage. But no extra checked bag fees for that, and it should still be tagged all the way to your final destination. Let me know if you have any other questions, and enjoy Mexico!

      • KRoy
        March 10, 2015 @ 4:09 pm

        Wow! Thanks so much for the speedy reply! We have another overnight on our flight home (in Dallas). I know we will have to collect our checked bags in order to go thru Customs… but will we re-check our bags then? Or keep them until our connecting flight the next morning?

        • Ali Garland
          March 10, 2015 @ 5:05 pm

          Hmm… I think that depends on how the Dallas airport is set up. In some airports, the “re-check” is really a conveyor belt where everyone puts their luggage regardless of whether or not that airport is their final destination. So then your luggage would get sorted out to the flight it’s tagged for. But in other airports, you literally have to take your luggage to a ticket counter to re-check it. In that case, I’d say it’s up to you whether you want to keep it with you for the duration of the layover or check it with the airline so you don’t have to bother with it. If you really want to know ahead of time, you might have to just call the airline and find out how it works in Dallas. Otherwise, if it’s not a big deal to you, they should be able to tell you when you check in. Sorry I don’t have any direct experience with that airport.

42. Val earlam
    March 7, 2015 @ 10:39 am

    please could you help I am travelling to Sydney Australia in May with ethiad the journey going is fine but on the way back I fly from Sydney with Virgin to Perth and then on to England with ethiad will I have to collect my luggage in Perth terminal three to go to terminal one or will it go to terminal one automatically I am travelling on my own so I’m a little nervous about getting to another terminal

    • Ali Garland
      March 7, 2015 @ 1:54 pm

      Hi Val! When you check in for your flight in Sydney, they should be able to tag your luggage to your final destination. That’s assuming you booked your whole trip on one itinerary. The only reason you would have to pick up your luggage in Perth and recheck it is if your Sydney to Perth flight is a separate booking from the Perth to England flight. If that is the case, you’ll have to go to baggage claim in Perth, collect your luggage, and check in again with the next airline. I hope this helps, let me know if you have any other questions!

43. Gail Klinger
    March 5, 2015 @ 2:37 am

    HELP! Please help a very stressful situation that is dividing our family. We have a return flight that the airline rescheduled from Puerto Vallarta to Mexico City (MEX) that would get us in around 8 PM with a 12 HOUR layover over during the night. The connecting flight to bring us home to Chicago is the morning around 8 AM. The luggage is not the issue. It is us: the people. We were told by a woman who is a flight attendant that they close the Benito Juarez Airport airport at night. If this is true, where do we go? Can’t we stay in the secure area to wait for the connection? Will they kick us out?
    We leave THIS WEEKEND 3/6/15! YIKES – how do we prepare ourselves?

    • Ali Garland
      March 5, 2015 @ 12:20 pm

      Hi Gail, so sorry for the stressful situation! You will not get kicked out of the airport. I’m not sure why you were told the airport closes. Maybe there are no flights between certain hours, but the airport does not lock its doors. Check out this link here: http://www.sleepinginairports.net/northamerica/mexicocity-airport.htm There’s a list of restaurants that stay open 24 hours, although I don’t know how long you can actually stay in one place before the staff starts getting annoyed. It looks like the airline lounges are all closed for several hours overnight, so that doesn’t really help. But in theory, you can stay in the airport, it’s just that from the reviews, it sounds like an unpleasant airport to spend the night in. However there are several hotels really close or even connected to the airport, so it might be worth getting a room for the night. At least then you can get a few hours of sleep and take a shower. I hope this helps, but let me know if you have any other questions!

44. Margaret
    February 28, 2015 @ 10:15 am

    Last year we stayed in Dubai airport ie the internal hotel. We did not collect our luggage etc …but the hotel took is to a check in desk and we supposedly transferred our luggage and checked in for europe – then we slept for eighteen hours. Our luggage did not turn up in europe although we were reunited after 24 hours. We hope to do the same this year but wish to ensure that our luggage is safe. Can you advise how to prevent this happening again. How safe is our luggage sering we did not collect it at the airport?

    • Ali Garland
      March 3, 2015 @ 5:40 pm

      Margaret, you might have me stumped! First, I hope it was just a fluke that your luggage was delayed in Dubai. I have no experience with staying at the internal hotel in Dubai, but I do know this is a regular occurrence there, especially if you’re flying on Emirates, so I’m sure they have standard procedures set up for luggage. My best advice is for you to call the airline ahead of time and ask how checked luggage is handled when you have a long layover like that. Your luggage should be safe, but it sounds to me like it was missed when it came time to load up the plane the next day, and unfortunately there’s no way to prevent that. I wish I had more advice for you on this one, but I think calling the airline would be your best bet. Good luck, enjoy your trip, and let me know if I can help with anything else!

45. James
    January 30, 2015 @ 12:41 pm

    Great article Ali! You don’t happen to know if you have to collect and re-check luggage if a layover exceeds a certain length of time, do you? I have a 10-hour layover at Changi coming up on a LHR-SYD flight, both legs booked as a single fare with with Singapore Airlines. Thanks!

    • Ali Garland
      January 30, 2015 @ 4:16 pm

      Thanks James! If both legs of your flight were booked on one itinerary, the airline should tag your luggage to your final destination and transfer it from the first to the second flight. It’s probably worth calling Singapore Airlines to verify that they don’t have a weird rule about having to collect your luggage on a long layover, but I would be really surprised if you had to do that. When connecting through Singapore, since you’re not staying there, you should be able to follow the transfer signs, therefore bypassing customs and immigration. That means you wouldn’t be able to get to baggage claim anyway. I’m going with 99.9% chance you will NOT have to collect your luggage, but verify with Singapore Airlines to be sure.

      • Moshtak Ahmed
        October 28, 2018 @ 3:47 am

        Hi Ali,
        I am reading this article while I am looking for answer to my question but I can not find it. The article is 3 years old and I am not sure if anyone will answer the question, anyway the question is: is there any general rules in aviation that qualifies the passenger for free room overnight when the layover is ( many) hours?? I mean does this depend on how long is the layover??
        Thanks

        • Ali Garland
          October 28, 2018 @ 10:44 am

          Hi Moshtak! The article might be a couple years old, but I keep it up to date and I always respond to comments/questions! There aren’t any rules about getting a free room on a long layover, but some airlines provide a hotel room when you have a long layover in certain circumstances. One example is Emirates. If you already have a flight booked, do a search on that airline’s site to see if they offer anything.

46. Will
    January 20, 2015 @ 6:52 pm

    Hello, I have a question.
    I am booking a flight that is Toronto-São Paulo:

    Toronto (YYZ) -> New York (JFK)
    Flight JJ8103

    Layover 3h20m

    New York (JFK) -> São Paulo (GRU)
    Flight JJ8103.

    I have the US Visa, but what I wonder is if I have to get off the plane and get in again since it is the same flight. (Also, I got the information that the plane is landing and taking off from the same Terminal in JFK). P.S. Some websites show “No plane change” during my searches.

    • Ali Garland
      January 21, 2015 @ 2:20 pm

      Hi Will! I’ve never actually had a layover where there was no plane change. I don’t think they occur too often, but it sounds nice! As far as I know, traveling through the US, even if your final destination is NOT in the US, requires you to go through customs and immigration, which would mean you would need a visa depending on what country you’re from. But I do wonder in your case if you would be allowed to just stay on the plane? My instinct says no, but I can’t be 100% sure on that. I think your best bet here is to call the airline and ask them how this situation is handled. In the event that you do have to get off the plane and go through customs and immigration, 3 hours and 20 minutes should be plenty of time. If you think of it, let me know if you have to get off the plane or not. Sorry I don’t have a definite answer for you!

47. Charlotte Haynes
    January 10, 2015 @ 1:52 pm

    Hello!!
    Your post is ever so helpful, thank you.
    I of course have my own question too… and I was wondering if you could help?
    6:30am flight from UK to Iceland arriving at around 10:30am (no time difference) and then leaving Iceland for Canada at 12:30. 2 hour layover!
    However, my flights will be booked with 2 completely different airlines (airline 1 = easyjet and airline 2 = icelandair) and booked at different times.
    Am I right in thinking I will need to have my passport checked, collect my luggage from my first flight, go back round (have my passport checked, collect the second boarding pass and have my luggage checked on to the second flight) and they make my way to the gate?
    That all sounds so much for a 2 hour layover. I’ve never had a layover before as you may be able to tell.
    My concern is that it is too much and because the flights are with different airlines it will be my responsibility if I miss the second flight and have to pay for another :/
    Any advice is highly appreciated!! Thank you.

    • Ali Garland
      January 14, 2015 @ 12:11 pm

      Hi Charlotte, sorry for the slow reply, I didn’t have internet for a few days. Unfortunately you will have to pick up your luggage and recheck it with Icelandair, which means you’ll have to go through immigration and customs. Two hours is tight, but not impossible. When you booked your EasyJet flight, did you pick a seat? You might want to pay the extra money to pick a seat, and book an aisle seat as close to the front of the plane as possible. That way you can get out as quickly as possible once the plane lands. Make sure your carry-on is all packed up before the plane lands. Don’t make any stops in the airport (so if you need a bathroom break, go on the plane), just go straight to the passport line. Once you’re done with that, look for any Icelandair counter or a self check-in kiosk. Pick whichever has a shorter line.

      Unfortunately it is your responsibility to arrange a new flight if you miss your connection in this case. If you don’t want to risk it, your options are either to pay now to change your Icelandair flight to a later one, or pay to change your EasyJet flight to an earlier one. I realize you probably have the earliest possible EasyJet flight, and that might mean leaving the night before and spending a night in Iceland though. It might also be worth calling Icelandair and asking them what it would cost to rebook your flight in the event that you miss your connection. Might help you weigh your options.

      I’m sorry this probably isn’t what you were hoping to hear! Let me know if you have any other questions, and no matter what, enjoy your trip!

      • Robert
        December 15, 2017 @ 8:17 am

        How do layovers work if am flying from jamaica to calgary with a layover in toronto do i need to clear customs in toronto as well

        • Ali Garland
          December 16, 2017 @ 10:47 am

          Hi Robert! If you’re flying from Jamaica to Toronto to Calgary, you will clear customs and immigration in Toronto since it’s your first airport in Canada. The Toronto airport has a great tool on their website for figuring out what you need to do and where you need to go on a layover, check it out here. You won’t have to deal with customs in Calgary.

48. Ankur Paliwal
    December 30, 2014 @ 1:49 am

    Dear Ali,

    Your explanation of layovers is terrific! I have a question. I am an Indian citizen studying in New York. I am going to Ethiopia where I can get tourist visa on arrival. Unfortunately, in order to get the cheapest flight, I took an Air Canada light with three stopovers! The first one is in Canada. The stopover is just for four hours but the embassy said that I will have to take a transit visa and they take upto 30 days to process that. I applied on 18th December and have to fly on 3rd January. A lot of people are telling me that before applying for transit visa I should have had checked with embassy specifically asking them that if I would need a transit visa even if I am not leaving the airport? How do transit visas work? Should one take a transit visa only if you plan to leave the airport and its not required otherwise?

    My other two layovers don’t require me to take the transit !

    • Ali Garland
      December 31, 2014 @ 2:21 pm

      Hi Ankur! Your situation is a little outside my experience, but I’ll do my best. It is my understanding that transiting through Canada is, unfortunately, similar to transiting through the US in that you have to go through customs and immigration and recheck your luggage. Which means you are technically entering Canada so you have to have permission to do so. If you have already applied for a transit visa, you can try calling them to check the status and explain your situation. Sometimes you can pay extra to expedite things. I did a quick search about Canada transit visas, and it looks like they have a Transit Without Visa program, but it’s only for citizens of a surprisingly small handful of countries, and India is not one of them. India is on the list of countries that need a visa to visit OR transit, so even if you aren’t leaving the airport, you need a transit visa. Here are the sites I found: http://www.cic.gc.ca/English/department/twov/index.asp & http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visas.asp?country=India

      Almost every other country allows you to transit without a visa. The US and Canada are rare since they don’t allow you to transit this way. I think your best bet right now is to call the embassy and see if you can expedite things. I hope it works out, and I’m so sorry you’re having to deal with this stress!

    • Neha
      January 24, 2017 @ 11:20 pm

      Hi Ankur,

      I was just wondering what happened to your flight to India. I am in the similar situation, flying next week from USA to Canada and by mistake I booked Air Canada… now am repenting as I just have one wwek and am not sure Canadians can consider expedited service, please help

      Thanks,

      Neha

49. Nick
    December 5, 2014 @ 8:25 pm

    I have a question for layovers. First let me give you my itinerary for the coming trip (this is the most traveling I’ve done in 1 trip so bear with me):

    Baltimore > San Fran (10 hr layover in SF)
    San Fran > Auckland, NZ(13 hr redeye)
    Auckland, NZ > Queenstown, NZ (staying in Queenstown for 1 week)

    Queenstown, NZ > Auckland, NZ (16 hr overnight layover)
    Auckland, NZ > Nadi, Fiji (staying in Fiji for 6 days)

    Nadi, Fiji > Auckland, NZ
    Auckland, NZ > San Fran (13 hr redeye, 10 hr layover in San Fran)
    San Fran > Baltimore

    So basically my question is, will I be able to be leave the airports when I’m in San Fran as well as when I’m in Auckland for my overnight layover? It seems at both of those points, I’m on domestic stopovers (or arriving home to the U.S.). Also, say I am able to leave the airport at San Fran, will my checked bag stay at the airport if I leave? Sorry if these are simple questions, like I said, I’ve never traveled this much.

    • Ali Garland
      December 6, 2014 @ 4:37 pm

      Hi Nick! That’s a lot of time in transit! And no worries, lots of people have these kinds of questions. If you want to leave the San Fran airport during both layovers, there’s really no reason not to. If you’re flights are all booked on one itinerary, the airline should have your bags tagged to go to the final destination. However, when you fly back into the US, during the customs and immigration process, you will have to pick up your luggage and recheck it in San Fran, since that is your first point of entry back into the US. Your luggage should still be tagged to go to Baltimore though (unless you have separate itineraries) and the airline should be able to take your luggage at that point regardless of your layover time. Probably best to verify that with the airline just in case they have a weird rule about not accepting luggage a certain amount of time before a flight, but really, if you’re in transit they should take your bags. Remember that a 10 hour layover isn’t really 10 hours to see the city. Make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to get back to the airport and through security again, and account for transport time in and out of the city. Your 10 hours might really be closer to 6, but that’s still plenty of time to see a few things.

      The same is true for the long layover in Auckland. Since your luggage will be tagged to go to Fiji, you might not even be able to retrieve it. Again, you should verify this with the airline so you know for sure that you won’t have to pick it up. And just like with your San Fran layovers, make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to get back to the airport and through security.

      If you booked separate itineraries, meaning your Queenstown to Auckland flight booking is not at all connected with your booking for Auckland to Fiji, you will have to collect your luggage in Auckland and probably just keep it with you until you come back the next day for your Fiji flight. Same goes for your San Fran layovers, if those flights are separate bookings.

      While you’re in Auckland, I highly recommend Velvet Burger. Delicious!

      Let me know if you have any other questions, and enjoy your trip!

50. Matthew Cheyne
    September 14, 2014 @ 9:54 am

    This is a really good overview of layovers and how they work. I have a question which is kind of associated with layovers. For people like myself with a disability, is there any assistance in getting around the airport that you can get to be able to go from one terminal to the other faster in order to make the second flight and if so how do you access it?

    Another question is: how long can you have in between flights i.e. how long a layover can you have before you have to pay a fee and get a visa for a country you are transiting through? The reason is that I would like to have longer layovers than 2 hours. It would allow me more time to rest, shower and get myself together for the next flight.

    • Ali Garland
      September 15, 2014 @ 11:14 am

      Thanks Matthew! Most airports have services to get people with disabilities from one section to another. What I’m used to seeing in the US is sort of like an overgrown golf cart. I honestly don’t know how you get that set up since I’ve never used them, but I think if you call the airline, they should be able to point you in the right direction. In general, those services are operated by the airport or another company, not the airline, but sometimes the airline has wheelchair services.

      For most countries, if you’re not leaving the airport, you don’t have to worry about getting a visa. But I have seen a few places where you are required to have a visa if your layover is longer than a certain amount of time. (Brazil requires US citizens to get a visa, and it seems we can usually have a layover without needing a visa unless it’s longer than 8 hours or something, though I’m not sure how official the info is on that.) I think if you wanted to fly from Australia to Thailand, and you scheduled yourself a 2 or 3 day layover in Singapore, it doesn’t matter because as an Australian citizen, you don’t need a visa for Singapore. In general, as an Australian citizen, you’ll have a better time of finding countries that don’t require you to have a visa. But if it’s a country that does require one, in most cases it doesn’t matter if you’re staying for 24 hours or 30 days. Of course, there are exceptions, like China now has a transit visa that allows people to stay for a short amount of time while on a layover.

      • Matthew Cheyne
        September 15, 2014 @ 2:17 pm

        Thank you for your example.

        I was thinking of Singapore too in the sense that I would prefer to do my layovers in Singapore rather than in Dubai for any travel to Europe or Asia as I could get familiar with just the one major airport hub rather than multiple ones. I was thinking about an extended layover in Singapore enroute to Siem Riep to visit Angkor Wat as my first trip into Asia. It wouldn’t be for quite a while yet. I would have to see through the health issues my Nanna is facing over in Perth before considering travelling internationally but in the meantime one can dream and plan on what can be in the future.

        With the disability help, I thought that the airlines would be the first port of call too. But I thought I’d ask just any case you thought any different.

        • Ali Garland
          September 16, 2014 @ 10:35 am

          I’ve seen some references to disability services on some airport websites, so certainly you can check with the airport as well. Also, I think Singapore makes a good introduction to SE Asia. It’s expensive compared to the rest of the region, but I think it’s better to start there rather than jump right into Cambodia.

      • Toby L
        June 5, 2016 @ 7:21 pm

        hello Ali !this may be a silly question but let’s say I’m travelling to Paris from Dublin and my friend wants to travel from Heathrow to ParisWould she be able to take the second plane that I’d be on after the layover (from Heathrow to Paris), As in she would be 100% able to buy a seat in my plane from Heathrow to Paris?I’m new to travelling I’m only 19 and need help ! thank you any help is greatly appreciated.

        • Ali Garland
          June 5, 2016 @ 11:12 pm

          Hi Toby! Never a silly question, glad to help! So you’re booking a flight from Dublin to Paris with a layover in Heathrow, and your friend is just flying from Heathrow to Paris, correct? When you look at the flight you’re planning on booking, you should see the exact flight number for each leg. Your friend will need the flight number you’re booking on for Heathrow to Paris, that way she can go to the airline’s site, search the correct date and be sure she’s booking the same flight. They should only have one flight at that exact time, but if the flight number is the same, you’ll be on the same plane. If the airline lets you pick seats ahead of time, try to call or Skype with your friend while you’re both booking flights and you can even try to get seats together. I hope this helps but let me know if you have any other questions! Enjoy your trip to Paris, and if you need any suggestions, we’ve got a detailed itinerary with things to do in Paris here.