What is a layover?
A layover is the time spent at an intermediate airport between two flights on the same journey. Under twenty four hours on an international itinerary it is a layover; longer than that and airlines treat it as a stopover, which is priced differently.
Layover explained
The twenty four hour line matters more than most travelers realise, because it is a ticketing rule rather than a description. A connection of six hours in Doha is a layover and costs nothing extra. Break the journey for two days and the airline reprices the itinerary as two separate journeys, which can be more expensive or, on some carriers with a stopover programme, deliberately cheaper.
Short is not automatically better. A ninety minute connection looks efficient on a booking page, but on a long haul journey it is a sprint through an unfamiliar terminal that undoes whatever rest you managed on the first leg. On a nineteen hour trip to southeast Asia, deliberately choosing a four to six hour layover with lounge access is frequently the better decision, not the lazy one.
There is a real risk difference too. Every airline publishes a minimum connection time for each airport, and booking at or near that minimum leaves nothing for a late inbound aircraft. Where the two flights are on one ticket the airline must rebook you at its own cost. Where you have booked them separately, a missed connection is entirely your problem and your expense.
For premium travelers the layover is also where a large part of the value sits. Lounge access, a shower and a proper meal between two long sectors change the journey considerably, and the quality of that experience varies enormously by hub. That is why the choice of connecting airport often matters more than the choice of airline on a two leg itinerary.
More on layover
Time. On an international itinerary a break of under twenty four hours is a layover and is included in the fare. Longer than twenty four hours and it becomes a stopover, which airlines price separately and sometimes offer deliberately cheaply.
Longer than the published minimum, and on a long haul journey longer than you might think. Four to six hours with lounge access is genuinely restorative between two long sectors, while ninety minutes is a sprint that costs you whatever rest you gained.
You can if the layover is long enough and you meet the entry requirements for that country, but you will need to clear immigration and pass security again on return. On anything under about five hours it is rarely worth the risk.
If both flights are on the same ticket, the airline rebooks you at its own cost. If you booked them separately, the second airline has no obligation to you at all and a new ticket is your expense.
The rest of the glossary
See all 17 termsFlights and connections
Aircraft and cabins