Layovers

Flying Zurich to Bangkok with a 1h40 connection in Istanbul, switching from Turkish Airlines to Thai Airways. Never been through IST before and hearing mixed things. Some say it’s easy, others say no chance. Not sure what to expect with security or transfers there. Is that...

I have a 20+ hour layover at Istanbul Airport with a Turkish Airlines business class ticket. I know I can’t use the sleep pods in the business lounge since those are only available for layovers under 9 hours, which is a bit disappointing. I signed up for the Istanbul stopover...

I’m flying from Seattle to Taipei and my flight is scheduled to land at 4:55 AM. I won’t be checking any luggage, just carrying a bag. From Taipei I have a separate ticket to Osaka booked with Alaska Airlines using points, departing at 8:30 AM. Since it’s a self connection, I’ll...

I’ve got a long layover at Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) coming up. I’ll be flying from the US and connecting onward to Lisbon. I’ve been looking into the Mercure Hotel and the YOTELAIR cabins inside the airport but can’t find a clear answer about which side of passport control...

I have a 50 minute layover in Hong Kong on a Cathay Pacific itinerary and I’m a bit nervous about it. I’ll be flying Ho Chi Minh City → Hong Kong → Dallas, all on Cathay. It’s my first time flying with them and I’ve heard they sometimes help passengers with tight connections. If...

I’m planning a trip from the EU to Georgia with a layover in Turkey, and I’ll be carrying a relatively large amount of cash. I’ve been finding conflicting information online, so I’m hoping someone here has recent real world experience. If I’m just transiting through Turkey and...

Looking at booking SAS from the US to Italy, but the return flight has an overnight layover in Copenhagen. The next flight leaves early afternoon the following day. Trying to figure out the best way to handle the overnight: Are there good sleep options at or near Copenhagen...

Arriving into Delhi Airport Terminal 3 (international) around 2:00 AM, then flying out again around 8:00 AM from Terminal 1 (domestic). The concern is what to do during those few hours in between. Booking a hotel in Aerocity feels a bit unnecessary for such a short time. After...

Have an 8 hour layover in Hong Kong (HKG) with Cathay Pacific. Lounge access is available at the Kyra lounge, but entry is only allowed around 3–4 hours before departure. That leaves roughly 4 hours at the start of the layover with nothing really planned. The previous connection...

Flying domestically with American Airlines and will have about a five-hour layover at Charlotte Douglas International Airport. The last visit there was many years ago while the airport was still under construction, so not sure what it’s like now after the renovations. Curious if...

I have a 9 hour 55 minute layover at Hong Kong Airport coming up at the end of March 2026. The flight arrives from Dhaka at 6:30am with Cathay Pacific and the connecting flight to Dallas departs at 4:30pm. From what I understand, Cathay Pacific doesn’t provide a complimentary...

Interesting one. Not many people transit through Ashgabat. From what I’ve seen, you’ll likely go through transit security again, even if you’re not entering Turkmenistan. If that’s the case, any large bottles of water from Istanbul probably won’t make it through. Standard liquid...

Flying to Hanoi with a 12 hour layover in Istanbul on the way out and 60 hours on the way back. For the 12 hour stop, landing at 14:15 and thinking about Touristanbul. The 16:00 tour might be tight depending on immigration lines, especially if it’s busy. Personally I’d probably...

Looking at flying Turkish from the U.S. to Vienna with a 1.5 hour connection at IST. Never flown Turkish before and never been through Istanbul Airport, so not sure what to expect. Has anyone done a similar connection there? Is 90 minutes comfortable or is it going to be a...

10pm to 3:45am is that awkward window where you’re tired but not really sleeping properly anyway. Personally, I’d only pay for the lounge if you actually plan to eat, shower, and sit somewhere quiet for a few hours. If you just want to knock out, a sleeping pod might make more...

Just a heads up for anyone connecting in Istanbul. When I flew Turkish in April 2025, Care Point confirmed that if you had a 5+ hour layover on a connecting itinerary, they’d issue a meal voucher as a courtesy. It was actually pretty helpful given airport prices. This month,...

Looking at Tokyo to Boston with a 20 hour layover in Hong Kong this summer. Planning to go into the city and probably do some serious shopping. We’re a family of 4 and each ticket includes 1 checked bag. Out of Tokyo we’ll likely only check 2 bags total, so technically we’d have...

Flying Australia to Dublin with a stop in Doha and have two questions. My daughter will be 20 months at the time of travel. I’m trying to book her a seat but the system only lets me enter ages 2 to 11 for a child ticket. Is that because under 2 is considered an infant even if I...

First time through Doha and on Qatar. Arriving at 11:15pm and connecting at 7:30am, so basically an overnight in the airport. I’ll probably be exhausted and really want proper sleep plus a shower. For those who’ve done this, is it better to buy lounge access or book one of the...

Flying Nairobi to Brussels with Qatar and have a 9 hour layover in Doha from 11 PM to 8 AM. Because there were earlier connection options, I do not qualify for complimentary hotel accommodation. Since it is overnight, exploring the city is not really practical either. I have...

I have a 39 hour layover in Istanbul on the way from Vienna to Seoul and I am thinking of doing the free TourIstanbul service. The tour returns to the airport around 18:00, but my flight is at 02:00 the next day. I would rather stay in the city a few more hours and head back to...

My flight got delayed and now I am stuck with a 14 hour overnight layover in Hong Kong. Does Cathay usually provide hotel accommodation in this kind of situation? Or is it only in certain cases? If anyone has dealt with this before, would appreciate hearing how it worked out.

For a 9 hour overnight, a city hotel is definitely doable and usually much cheaper than the Oryx inside the airport. Leaving and re entering Hamad is generally straightforward. Immigration is efficient, and for Canadian passport holders you can get visa free entry on arrival, so...