Understanding Connecting Flights
When booking multi-leg journeys through Travel Code, it's important to understand that connection requirements vary significantly based on your specific itinerary. Each airport, airline, and terminal combination has its own operational constraints and minimum connection time requirements.
Minimum Connection Times
Minimum connection times (MCT) differ by airport and can range from as little as 30 minutes at smaller facilities to 2+ hours at major international hubs. Factors affecting MCT include:
- Airport size and layout — larger airports require more transit time between gates
- Terminal changes — connections requiring terminal changes need additional buffer time
- International vs. domestic — international connections typically require longer times for customs and immigration
- Airline partnerships — same-airline or alliance connections may have shorter approved MCTs
Travel Code's booking system automatically filters out connections that don't meet the airport's published minimum connection time, but we recommend building in extra buffer time when possible, especially for important meetings or tight schedules.
Airline-Specific Policies
Connection policies, baggage transfer procedures, and rebooking protections are determined by the operating airline(s) on your itinerary. When booking through Travel Code:
- Review each airline's specific connection and transfer policies
- Confirm whether your baggage will be automatically transferred (especially on separate tickets)
- Understand the airline's rebooking obligations if you miss a connection due to delays
Need help navigating connection details? Robert AI can search flights with your preferred connection time, inspect specific routing options, and check real-time flight status for both segments of your journey. Just ask Robert to "find flights from [origin] to [destination] with at least [X] hours connection time" or "check the status of my connecting flights."
If You Miss a Connection
If you miss a connection because of a delay on the first segment of your journey, contact Travel Code support immediately:
- In-app with Robert AI — Robert can pull your affected order, check available rebooking options with the airline, and help you understand your next steps
- Phone or email support — our team can coordinate with the airline on your behalf
For detailed information about delay protections and airline obligations, see our article on "Flight Delays and Cancellations."
Best Practices for Corporate Travelers
- Book longer connections for critical travel — if you're traveling to an important meeting, add buffer time beyond the minimum
- Check terminal information — confirm whether you'll need to change terminals and factor in transit time
- Monitor your first flight — if your inbound flight is delayed, contact support proactively rather than waiting until you've missed the connection
- Keep airline contact info handy — while Travel Code can assist, the operating airline ultimately controls rebooking for missed connections