Do I need a separate boarding pass for a connecting flight?

Yes. You'll probably get all boarding passes at once when you check in for your first flight, whether you check in online, on your smartphone, or at the airport. For some international itineraries though, the airline will direct you to get your second boarding pass on your layover.



That’s a great question, and the answer depends on several factors. Here’s a breakdown:

The Short Answer:

Usually not, but sometimes yes. Most of the time, you will receive all your boarding passes at once when you check in for your first flight, whether online, on your phone, or at the airport kiosk/counter.

When You Get All Passes at Once (Most Common):

  • Same Airline or Alliance: If both flights are on the same airline or partner airlines within an alliance (like Star Alliance, SkyTeam, or Oneworld), you’ll almost always get all boarding passes at initial check-in.
  • Single Ticket / Itinerary: This is the key. If you booked your entire journey on one ticket/reservation (even with different airlines, if they have a partnership), the airline system treats it as one trip and issues all passes.
  • Online/Mobile Check-In: When you check in online (usually 24 hours before departure), you can typically download boarding passes for all segments to your phone or print them at home.

When You Might Need a Separate Pass:

  • Self-Transfer / Separate Tickets: This is the most important exception. If you booked the two flights on separate tickets (e.g., a cheap fare on Airline A and another cheap fare on Airline B), they are not connected in the airline’s system. You will need to:
    1. Collect your baggage after the first flight.
    2. Go to the check-in counter of the second airline.
    3. Get your boarding pass for the second flight (and re

People Also Ask

In most cases, you'll receive your boarding pass for your connecting flight already when you check in for your first flight. This means you don't have to check in again for your next flight.

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Just ask at the ticket counter when you check in if you will be getting both boarding passes or if you will need to get the second one at your layover airport. They'll tell you what to do.

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Boarding pass
This means you don't have to check in again for your next flight. If you haven't received it, you can go to the transfer desk or kiosk of the airline you're flying with to collect it.

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What is a good connection time? Travel advisers say there's a lot to take into account when booking connecting flights, but a general rule of thumb is 60-90 minutes between domestic flights and at least two to three hours for international itineraries.

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For domestic to domestic layovers, you normally won't have to go through security again during your layover. However, for all international layovers, you will normally have to go through security again, but this will depend on individual airport policy.

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If you already have your boarding pass, you may go directly to the boarding gate. If not, you'll have to request it at the check-in counter. If you're travelling with checked luggage, you also must first leave it at the drop-off counter.

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When layover flights are booked with the same airline, your baggage will be automatically transferred through to your final destination. However, if the two flights are with different airlines, you may have to claim and re-check your baggage during your layover.

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The recommended layover time for domestic flights is normally one hour. However, as previously stated, you may require longer if your flights are booked with two different airlines, if you are traveling to a very busy airport or if you require special assistance.

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Will my boarding pass show all the connections I will be making on the flight? No, traditionally you will receive separate boarding passes for each flight you are taking. So at each connection, you will need to pull up a new boarding pass.

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Yes, simply show your mobile boarding pass on a mobile phone, iPad, or Apple Watch and a valid form of identification to the TSA Agent at security to proceed.

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What to Do After Online Check-In. Once you receive your electronic boarding pass, you can head straight to security if you're traveling carry-on only. If you're checking a bag, you'll still need to stop by the ticketing area at the airport. Look for special “bag drop” lines that bypass longer check-in lines.

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The recommended layover time for international flights is generally longer, as you will have to go through customs and immigration before boarding your next flight. In most cases, a 30-minute layover for domestic flights and an hour for international flights is considered a minimum, or short, layover.

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Minimum connection times typically range between 30 minutes and two hours for domestic flights within the continental United States. For international flights, the range increases to between one and three hours.

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There is no one-size-fits-all answer here, it can vary greatly from one airport to another. Some international airports have a minimum connecting time as low as 30 minutes. But usually, when traveling internationally, the MCT is at least an hour. It can go up to 2 hours in large airports requiring a change of terminal.

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“When an airline makes a decision to connect you with a flight that has a 45-minute connection, it probably has you in the same concourse, or a concourse over,” Mayers says. “It knows that you will have enough time to get to your gate.”

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For a trip that includes one or more connections: We'll check your bags to your final destination and apply the charge for checking a bag from your origin to your destination. For a trip that includes a voluntary stopover: We'll check your bags to your stopover point, where you'll collect your bags.

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If you are connecting from one flight to the next on the same airline, you may remain behind security. Your connecting flight will be in the same terminal. If you are connecting to a flight on another airline, you may have to change terminals.

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Yes, simply show your mobile boarding pass on a mobile phone, iPad, or Apple Watch and a valid form of identification to the TSA Agent at security to proceed.

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