---
title: "What is a minimum connection time | Business Class Glossary"
description: "The shortest time an airport and airline allow between two connecting flights on one ticket. Tickets are never sold with less."
canonical_url: https://buybusinessclass.com/glossary/minimum-connection-time
last_updated: 2026-11-04
---

# What is a minimum connection time?

Source: https://buybusinessclass.com/glossary/minimum-connection-time

The shortest time an airport and airline allow between two connecting flights on one ticket. Tickets are never sold with less.

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## Minimum connection time, explained

Each airport sets minimum connection times, and airlines can set their own: shorter for a change within one terminal, longer between terminals or between a domestic and an international flight.

A connection at the minimum is legal but can be tight, especially when the first flight is late or the transfer includes passport control. On one ticket, a missed connection is the airline's to fix.

Choosing a slightly longer connection on a long trip trades an hour in the lounge for a calmer change.

### On a business class trip

At a large European hub, a connection from a flight from the US to a flight within Europe includes passport control, so a two-hour layover is often more comfortable than the shortest one sold.

## Related terms

-   [Layover](https://buybusinessclass.com/glossary/layover)
    
    The time between two flights in a connecting city, usually a few hours. On international tickets it lasts under 24 hours; anything longer is a stopover.
    
-   [Hub airport](https://buybusinessclass.com/glossary/hub)
    
    An airport where an airline bases its network and connects most of its flights, such as Frankfurt for Lufthansa or Doha for Qatar Airways.
    
-   [Interline agreement](https://buybusinessclass.com/glossary/interline-agreement)
    
    An agreement between airlines to carry each other's passengers and bags on one ticket, even outside an alliance.
    
-   [Positioning flight](https://buybusinessclass.com/glossary/positioning-flight)
    
    A separate flight to the city where the main trip starts, taken because a fare from there is cheaper or better.
    

[Every term in the glossary](https://buybusinessclass.com/glossary).

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