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Traveling can be very stressful, especially if you’re flying overseas or long-haul. In addition to long flights we often hear about layovers, stopovers and connecting flights, which complicate long-distance traveling further. Read on to make sure you’re in the know when it comes to International flying, and be ready for everything a flight can throw at you.

What are these words I keep hearing? Connection? Layover

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These phrases are quite easy to follow when it comes to flying. A connection is simply that: you must board more than one flight to reach your destination. Connecting flights can often help passengers keep their costs down, which makes far distant countries more accessible when planning your next vacation. The word layover refers to the time a passenger waits between connecting flights. Sometimes, this might old be a couple of hours while other times it might require a night in a hotel.

Why choose a connecting flight?

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When traveling overseas, it’s easiest to fly directly to your destination, but this might not always be the case. Usually, connecting flights help the more budget-conscious traveler. A connecting flight allows the everyday tourist to fly to far away and exotic lands for an affordable price. Furthermore, a connecting flight is usually the cheapest and best available flight schedule to travel long distance. Passengers can often save thousands of dollars per flight. Additionally, one of the most useful aspects of choosing is a connecting flight is flying to and from a small city. If you happen to live in a small city with an airport, you’ll often find the cost of international flights is through the roof. A connecting flight enables you to fly to a major domestic airport and then on to your destination without too much trouble or extra cost.

Plan your Layover Properly

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Booking a connecting flight with a layover can be tricky. With this in mind, first-time flyers are usually urged to fly via a travel agent who can take care of connecting flight with ease. If you decide to book yourself there are a few things to consider when experiencing a layover. The first thing to consider is the airline you book the connecting flight with. It is advised to always book your connecting flight with the same airline. This allows you to pass through the connecting airport without having to collect and recheck your bags. 

If you decide to connect your flight with a different airline, expect to check out and re-check in your belongings for the next flight. Once that’s out of the way, you need to start thinking about layover time. It is usually recommended to make your layover as short as possible. This means trying to book your onward flight for about 3 – 4 hours after young land at the connecting airport. Doing this allows you to relax between flights as connecting flights can be quite chaotic if the layover time is short.

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For some passengers, it won’t be possible to book short layovers and so you may be forced into a 15+ hour layover. If this happens to you then always speak to the flight desk as they may be able to allow you exit from the airport so you can travel into the city, or find a hotel to get some sleep. If this is unavailable, staff may also be able to give you free access to lounges and storage.

If you don’t fancy a long layover then another handy option is to opt for a stopover. Many travelers book their connecting flight more than a day after the initial flight to allow themselves a chance to experience a new city. Traveling in this way can also save you a little money as sometimes connecting flights are much cheaper if book up to a week after the initial journey.  All you need to make sure if you’re stopping over in a foreign country is that you meet all the visa requirements for a temporary stay.