Layover Calculator
Enter the landing and departure times at the connecting airport to get the layover, see whether it clears the minimum connection time for your connection type, and how much spare time is left after deplaning, transfers, immigration, bag recheck and security. For a whole itinerary, enter airport codes and local times to get each flight time, the layover and the total trip time across time zones.
Layover = departure time of the connecting flight − arrival time of the first flight, both in the connecting airport's local time; add 24 hours for each day the departure is later.
Use the Layover Calculator
Flight Times
Enter times from your itinerary (local time at the connecting airport)
Typical value for the connection type. Your airline's published MCT for the airport overrides it.
Enter your flight times and click Calculate
Minutes for each step; defaults follow the connection type. Set a step to 0 if it does not apply.
Layover and trip time across time zones
Enter each airport's IATA code and the local date and time from your itinerary. Times are converted to UTC with the airport's time zone, including daylight saving.
Airport time zones load when you calculate.
| Segment | From (local, UTC offset) | To (local, UTC offset) | Duration |
|---|
Time zones: mwgg/Airports (MIT); airports: OurAirports (public domain).
Typical connection times and time budget by connection type
Planning defaults used above, in minutes. Real MCTs are published per airport, terminal and airline; check yours.
| Connection type | MCT | Steps | What takes the time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic → domestic, same terminal | 45 | 55 | Deplane and walk to the next gate. |
| Domestic → domestic, terminal change | 60 | 80 | Inter-terminal train or bus; some airports re-screen landside. |
| International → international (airside transit) | 60 | 75 | Transfer security screening at many hubs (for example London and Frankfurt). |
| International arrival → onward flight (passport, customs, bag recheck) | 90 | 120 | First airport in the US (or the Schengen area): passport control, customs, recheck bags, security again. |
| Domestic → international departure | 60 | 80 | Exit passport control; international boarding usually starts earlier. |
| Self-transfer on separate tickets | 180 | 120 | Collect bags and check in again before the bag-drop deadline, then security. No rebooking if late. |
MCT for self-transfer is a recommendation, not an airline rule. "Steps" is the sum of the time-budget defaults: deplane, transfer, passport control, bags, security and time at the gate.
Quick answer
Layover = departure time of the connecting flight − arrival time of the first flight, both in the connecting airport's local time; add 24 hours for each day the departure is later. Compare it with the minimum connection time (MCT): a ticket sold as one booking already meets the published MCT, but a self-transfer on separate tickets needs much more. If your itinerary mixes time zones, convert each time to UTC with its airport's zone before subtracting.
Examples
| Connection | Arrive | Depart | Layover | Check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Same day | 10:30 | 13:15 | 2 h 45 min | 105 min above a 60 min MCT |
| Overnight | 22:50 | 06:10 (+1 day) | 7 h 20 min | over 4 h: a stopover on US domestic fares |
| JFK → LHR → SIN | LHR 06:40 | LHR 09:15 | 2 h 35 min | trip total 22 h 35 min across +13 h of time zones |
Enter your times above; for a full itinerary use the time-zone section with airport codes.
Summary
The Layover Calculator works out how long you have between flights and whether that is enough. Enter the arrival and departure times from your itinerary (local time at the connecting airport) and pick the connection type: domestic, international transit, arriving internationally and connecting onward, or a self-transfer on separate tickets. It compares the layover with a minimum connection time, then subtracts a time budget for deplaning, walking or the train between terminals, passport control, customs and bag recheck, security re-screening and boarding, so you can see the real spare time. A second section takes airport codes, dates and local times for both flights, converts each to UTC with the airport's time zone (including daylight saving) and reports the flight times, the layover and the total trip time.
How it works
- Enter the scheduled arrival time of your incoming flight and the departure time of the connecting flight, as printed on the itinerary (local airport time). Choose the departure day if it is the next day or later.
- Choose the connection type. It sets a typical minimum connection time and a time budget, which you can edit to match your airport.
- The layover is departure − arrival + 24 h per day of difference. It is compared with the MCT and classed as comfortable, tight, borderline or too short.
- The time budget subtracts deplaning, transfer, passport control, bag recheck, security and the time you should be at the gate before departure, to show the spare time.
- For itineraries across time zones, enter IATA codes, dates and local times for both flights. Each time is converted to UTC with the airport's IANA time zone, so flight times, layover and total trip time are correct across daylight-saving changes.
Use cases
- Check whether a connection on one ticket is tight before you book it.
- Decide how long a self-transfer on separate tickets needs to be.
- Plan a long layover: meal, lounge, shower or a trip into the city.
- Find the total travel time of a multi-leg trip across time zones.
- Work out how long the flights themselves are when the itinerary shows only local times.
- Explain to a traveller why arriving internationally in the US and connecting needs more time.