#Travel140 Travel Tips

Don’t book flights with short layovers.

Practically nobody likes to spend more time than necessary in the airport. You want to get from where you’ve been to where you’re going as fast as humanly possible. Faster, even. So it’s easy to understand the desire to book connecting flights close together. We have three contrarian words of advice:

Don’t. Do. It.

Tight connections mean missed flights!

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You know what’s worse than spending two hours between flights in the airport? Spending all night there because you missed the connecting flight. And besides, do you really want to run through the airport hoping you’ll make it to the next gate before they close the door? No, we didn’t think so.

Here’s the deal: For a domestic flight, make sure you have at least 90 minutes between the time you land and take off again. On international flights – especially if you’re in between countries – allow at least two hours.

Domestically, your ticket shows what time you’re expected to land, which can often have a 30-minute margin of error. The next time on your itinerary is when the next flight leaves. Remember that they close the gate 30 minutes before that. Even a 90-minute layover can quickly become a 30-minute dash from plane (sometimes to restroom, and then) to plane. When flying internationally, you may have to add a terminal change, another security checkpoint, and/or a few friendly customs agents to your agenda.

On the other hand, if you bake in some extra time, you can take advantage of the in-terminal masseuse, do a bit of shopping, or unwind at the bar. If you’re lucky enough to be transiting through an uber-airport like Changi, go have a swim or see a movie! Flying first class? Make those lounge passes pay off!

We’d love to hear about your experiences between flights, good, bad and ugly! Feel free to share your favorite flying tips, too. We’ll re-post the best tips, so be sure to include your Twitter handle and a link to your blog, if you have one. Or click for more #Travel140!