A layover is the wait between two flights on one journey, short enough to count as connecting rather than as a stay of its own.
A layover is the wait between two flights on one journey, short enough to count as connecting rather than as a stay of its own.
Also called: Connection time.
How it works#
Where the line sits is set by the fare rules, commonly a few hours domestically and up to a day internationally. Below that threshold the trip remains one carriage with full delay rights. Above it, the journey contains a stopover, which some fares price separately and others do not allow at all.
Not to be confused with#
A layover is not the same as a stopover: a stopover is a deliberate stay beyond the connecting threshold.
In German#
The German term is Umsteigeaufenthalt. German version of this term
Related terms#
- Stopover: A stopover is a planned break of journey on a single through ticket, longer than a normal connection, which effectively adds a second destination.
- Minimum connection time: Minimum connection time is the shortest connection a reservation system will sell at a given airport between two flights.
- Misconnection: A misconnection is missing an onward flight because the previous one ran late; the legal consequences depend on whether both flights sit on one ticket.
Articles that use this term#
TopicEvery article and term onBooking and flight search.