Is a 1-hour layover enough for a connecting flight?

It depends entirely on the airport. A 60-minute layover is comfortable at some airports and dangerously tight at others.

Airports where 60 minutes is usually fine: PHX (45-min MCT, single terminal, no re-screening), CLT (45-min MCT, connected concourses), SLC (50-min MCT, efficient layout), DTW (45-min MCT, tram between terminals).

Airports where 60 minutes is risky: ORD (75-min MCT, massive facility, Terminal 5 requires re-screening), LAX (75-min MCT, separate terminals, sometimes requires bus), JFK (60-min MCT but terminals are disconnected — changing terminals means re-screening), MIA (60-min MCT domestic but complex layout and slow immigration for international).

The critical factors: Does your connection require changing terminals? Does that terminal change require going through security again? Is your first flight likely to be on time? A 60-minute layover at a low-delay airport with connected terminals is very different from 60 minutes at ORD on an afternoon flight in January.

Our data shows that across all U.S. airports, a 60-minute domestic layover has an average miss rate of about 8-12% — meaning roughly 1 in 10 travelers with this connection length will miss their flight. Adding just 30 minutes drops the miss rate to 3-5%.