FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Free tool to check if your layover is actually safe (separate tickets, MCT, etc.)
Old Apr 29, 2026 | 6:58 pm
  #4  
RackRateRefugee
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Join Date: Apr 2026
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Useful idea, especially for separate tickets. I’d treat the result as a risk score rather than a yes/no answer.

The variables that usually change my decision are:
  • checked bag vs carry-on only
  • same alliance / same terminal vs terminal change
  • immigration/security re-clearance
  • historical delay pattern of the inbound flight
  • last acceptable arrival time, not just scheduled connection time

For separate tickets I generally want the tool to show the assumptions very clearly. A 75-minute connection can be fine at one airport and a bad idea at another, so the “why” behind the score matters more than the label itself.

DP: I’m more conservative when there is any bag re-check or immigration step involved. Carry-on only, same terminal, and a later backup flight changes the calculation quite a bit.

Good start though. I’d use something like this as a sanity check before booking.

Last edited by TWA884; Apr 29, 2026 at 9:05 pm Reason: Formatting
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