Minimum connection time is the shortest connection a reservation system will sell at a given airport between two flights.
Minimum connection time is the shortest connection a reservation system will sell at a given airport between two flights.
Also called: MCT.
How it works#
The value is stored per airport, terminal pair and airline, and accounts for walking distance, security and immigration. What matters is the consequence: a passenger who books within that time and misses the connection is rebooked by the airline at no cost. Anyone planning tighter, which is only possible on separate tickets, carries the risk personally.
Not to be confused with#
Minimum connection time is not the same as a recommended connection time: the minimum is the contractually recognised floor, the recommendation is practical advice.
In German#
The German term is Mindestumsteigezeit. German version of this term
Related terms#
- Separate tickets: Separate tickets are two independent bookings covering one journey with a connection, where no airline is responsible for the transfer between them.
- 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.
- Through-checked baggage: Through-checked baggage is luggage tagged to the final destination at the first departure, so it does not need collecting at the connecting airport.
Articles that use this term#
TopicEvery article and term onBooking and flight search.