Do you have to go through security again for a layover?

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.



People Also Ask

On international layovers, even those where there is a transit area, you will most likely have to go through security. Some airports in other countries have security checks for each individual gate or a small group of gates. In this case, you will have to go through security again, but it should be a short line.

MORE DETAILS

Generally, if you are on an internal flight, once you land for your stopover, you will pass through the transfer area that will take you to the gate for your next flight where check-in is not required.

MORE DETAILS

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.

MORE DETAILS

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.

MORE DETAILS

Give yourself a fighting chance
But the 45-minute rule only applies under ideal circumstances; if your connection takes you to a notoriously troublesome airport during the winter months (we're looking at you, Chicago O'Hare), try for a flight with at least a 75-minute layover.

MORE DETAILS

Do I have to go through security again for connecting international flight in Amsterdam? There are no security checks at the gates. Those arriving from non-compatible destinations will be screened separately from other flights before being allowed entry.

MORE DETAILS

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.

MORE DETAILS

Customs and immigration are usually required at the connecting airport for international flights. You don't always have to for domestic flights. In most cases, passengers on layover flights must clear customs and immigration at the first point of entry.

MORE DETAILS

If your itinerary was purchased as one ticket (as in: you have only one itinerary and one confirmation number), and the connection time was too short and you miss the second (or third) flight, you can rest easy, no matter what happens. The airline will simply put you onto the next available flight, free of charge.

MORE DETAILS

Two to three hours is the minimum recommended time for an international layover, but more might be needed. Sally French is a travel rewards expert who joined NerdWallet in 2020. She previously wrote about travel and credit cards for The New York Times and its sibling site, Wirecutter.

MORE DETAILS

On interline flights (where two airlines agree to handle passengers with multiple legs in their journey), your baggage will be transferred automatically. For international layovers in the US and Canada, you will have to collect and recheck your luggage independent of whether the flights are booked on the same airline.

MORE DETAILS

The agent at check-in will usually ask if you want your luggage checked through to your last stop. You'll also receive boarding passes for both flights when you first check-in, so all you will need to do is find your gate at your connecting airport and your bags will automatically follow.

MORE DETAILS

If you checked a bag, you'll have to collect it from baggage claim from the international flight. You'll need to clear customs and immigration. Next, you'll recheck your luggage for the domestic flight. Finally, you'll need to go through Transportation Security Administration screening.

MORE DETAILS

Most (but again, not all) airports connect international terminals airside. When you're connecting from an international flight to a domestic one, you'll always have to exit and reenter security as you'll need to go through customs and immigration (unless you have gone through preclearance aboard, which is rare).

MORE DETAILS

You won't be going through customs at Schiphol until you return from your trip. Unless you're travelling to another Schengen country, you'll be going through passport control after the security check. And that process is handled by the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, not Dutch Customs.

MORE DETAILS

If you know you'll be traveling during a peak time, it's probably still a good idea to plan on the standard two hours for domestic flights and three hours for international flights. If you're heading to the airport at a slower time of day, then you can consider arriving a little later.

MORE DETAILS

As a rule of thumb, on domestic routes, you need a minimum of 45 minutes between flights. That's because you don't have to go through security, customs, and immigration.

MORE DETAILS

Depending on your risk tolerance, even three hours might be insufficient for international connection. Risk averse passengers booking two separate itineraries might budget at least a day between flights. That's because — even if you land on time — there are many steps (and lines) along the way that might hold you up.

MORE DETAILS