---
title: "What is Layover? | Benefit Systems"
description: "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."
source: "aus dem gebauten HTML abgeleitet"
---
# What is Layover?

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](/de/glossar/umsteigeaufenthalt)

## Related terms #

- [Stopover](/en/glossary/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](/en/glossary/minimum-connection-time): Minimum connection time is the shortest connection a reservation system will sell at a given airport between two flights.
- [Misconnection](/en/glossary/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 #

- [How much connection time do you actually need?](/en/knowledge/connection-time)
- [How do stopovers and open jaws work?](/en/knowledge/stopovers-open-jaws)
- [What happens when you misconnect?](/en/knowledge/misconnections)
- [What do you do first when your flight is cancelled?](/en/knowledge/flight-cancelled-what-to-do)
- [When is the best time to book a flight?](/en/knowledge/when-to-book)
- [Why booking separate tickets can cost you](/en/knowledge/separate-tickets)