What is a Connecting Flight?

When a flight itinerary requires a traveler to change planes, taking two or more flights to get from the departure city to the destination, the ... Introducingfilters:Nowyoucanfilteryourdealsonoursitebymonths,airports,price,andmore!ExploreDealsBacktoGLOSSARYGlossaryWhatisaConnectingFlight?Whenaflightitineraryrequiresatravelertochangeplanes,takingtwoormoreflightstogetfromthedeparturecitytothedestination,theflightsarecalledconnectingflights.Hi,I'mScott,founderofScott'sCheapFlights.Everyday,myteamandIsendour2millionmembersincredibleflightdeals—like$200toHawaii,$290toBarcelona,or$350toHongKong—withanaveragesavingsof$550perticket.SignUpNowDoIneedtogothroughsecurityforaconnectingflight?Theanswerheredependsagreatdealonyouritinerary.Forconnectingdomesticflights,youalmostneverhavetoexitandreentersecurity,thoughtherearesomeexceptionsatairportswheretheterminalsaren’tallconnected. Fordomestic-to-internationalconnection,it'sstillprettyrarethatyouhavetoexitandreentersecurity,evenifyou'rechangingterminals.Most(butagain,notall)airportsconnectinternationalterminalsairside.Whenyou’reconnectingfromaninternationalflighttoadomesticone,you’llalwayshavetoexitandreentersecurityasyou’llneedtogothroughcustomsandimmigration(unlessyouhavegonethroughpreclearanceaboard,whichisrare). Willaconnectingflightwaitforpassengers?Notusually.Insomerarecases,ifyou’retravelingwithabiggroupthathappenstobealargeportionoftheconnectingflight’spassengers,anairlinemaychoosetoholdaflightfortheincominggroup—andinfactUnitedistestingaprogramthatwouldhelpthemdeterminewhentodoso—butdon’tcountonit.WhathappensifImissmyconnectingflight?Thisagaindependsonyouritinerary.Ifyou’vebookedtheflightsonasingleitineraryandthefirstflightisdelayed,theairlinewillputyouonthenextavailableflight.Ifyou’retravelingontwodifferentitineraries(meaningyoubookedtwoflightsthroughtwodifferentsystems)andadelayinyourfirstflightcausesyoutomissthesecond,that’smoreproblematic.Thesecondairlinehasnoknowledgeofyourfirstflight—tothem,you’resimplysomeonewhodidn’tshowup.Theymayaccommodateyouwithaseatonthenextavailableflight,andtheymaynot.Inthatcase,you’llneedtobookanotherticket.What’stheminimumtimeforconnectingflights?Isonehourlongenough?Thisvariesquiteabitbyairportandthetypeofconnection(domesticorinternational)you’retryingtomake.Iftheairportlayoutrequirespassengerstoexitoneterminalandenteranotherbetweenflights(oftenthecasewithinternationalconnections),thatmaymeangoingthroughsecurityasecondtime—whichmaytakeawhile.Ifyou’retravelingontwodifferentitineraries,you’llneedtoallowforadditionaltimetogothroughbaggageclaim(ifyou’recheckingabag)andsecuritybetweenflights.Inmostcases,onehourshouldbeenoughforadomestic-to-domesticconnectionoradomestic-to-international,butchecktheairport’swebsiteforaminimumsuggestedtimetoallowforaconnection.Ifyou’reconnectingfromaninternationalflighttoadomesticone,however,youcouldneedafewhours,aswe’llexplainbelow. DoIhavetogothroughUScustomsforaconnectingflight?Whenyou’retravelinginternationally,youwillneedtogothroughbordercontrol/immigrationandcustomsatsomepoint,usuallyyourfirstpointofentryinthatcountry.So,ifyou’retravelingtotheUnitedStatesfromanothercountry,you’llhavetocollectyourbags,gothroughcustomsandimmigration,andre-checkyourbagsbeforeheadingtoyourconnectingflight,whichmaybeinanotherterminal.Whatisthedifferencebetweenalayoverandconnectingflight?Whilethesetermsareoftenusedinterchangeably,theyarenotthesamething.Alayoveristhetimeyouspendattheairportbetweentwoflights.Aconnectingflightisthenextflightinyouritinerarythatyou’rewaitingattheairporttotake.DoIhavetorecheckmyluggagewithconnectingflights?Ifyou’retravelinginternationallytotheUS,you’llneedtocollectyourbaggageuponyourfirstentryintheUS,andgothroughcustomsandpassportcontrol.You’llthenre-checkyourbagsbeforecontinuingthroughtheairportforyourconnectingflight(youwon’thavetopaytore-checkthemforthedomesticlegsifyouhadafreeinternationalcheckedbagallowanceorifyoualreadyhadtopayforyourcheckedbaginternationally).Ifyou’retravelingdomesticallyorinternationallyonasingleitinerary,yourbagswilltypicallybecheckedthroughtoyourfinaldestination.Ifyou’vebookedtheflightsseparatelythough,you’llneedtocollectyourbagsafterthefirstflightandrecheckthem. DoIneedaboardingpassforaconnectingflight?Yes.You’llprobablygetallboardingpassesatoncewhenyoucheckinforyourfirstflight,whetheryoucheckinonline,onyoursmartphone,orattheairport.Forsomeinternationalitinerariesthough,theairlinewilldirectyoutogetyoursecondboardingpassonyourlayover. CanIskipmyconnectingflight?Technically,yes,butifyouskipaflightonamulti-flightitinerary,anysubsequentflightsonyouritinerarywillbecanceled—includingyourreturnflights. It’salsoimportanttonotethatifyouskipyourconnectingflightsoften,theairlinemayimposepenaltiessuchasvoidingyourfrequentflyermiles.Thetopicisacomplexone,soreadmoreinourguidetohidden-cityticketing.LastUpdated October1,2019Letusfindthecheapestflightsforyou!Wesearchfordealsandletyouknowwhenwefindincrediblefareslikethese:Hawaii$198roundtripNewYork$33roundtripIceland$339‍roundtripJoinnowandseethelatestdealsfromyourairport.Joinforfree