Longest Layover You'll Book

[sexualhelon]

Figured I'll see what the slap consensus is here.

What's the longest layover you'll book? 3, 5, 7 hours? And on that note what's the most connections? I think obviously you're accepting long layovers/more connections to save money so what's it worth to you?

[CrumblingInfrastructure]

Figured I'll see what the slap consensus is here.

What's the longest layover you'll book? 3, 5, 7 hours? And on that note what's the most connections? I think obviously you're accepting long layovers/more connections to save money so what's it worth to you?

I guess i’d either go for a short layover or a long one depending on the city. If I just want to save money and its a place im not very interested in/airport is far from city i’d do a short one. But if the stars aligned i’d take a 7 hour layover if I could hit the dowtown area for 2-3 hours and check it out. Also mostly to hit a bar or two to get nice and toasty for the next flight. I really hate when you get a connection that ends up giving you a 10-15 minute window to get to your connecting flight.

[oyolar]

I’m heading to Vietnam from Newark at the end of the month and have a ~5.5 hour layover at Tokyo-Narita airport on the east there and a 10 hour layover on the way back. I usually would try to avoid those lengths but they helped me hit the right price/time in Vietnam ratio so I had to.

I’m looking into what I can do in that 10 hour layover because apparently that length of time isn’t uncommon at the airport so I might find some recommended Narita itinerary.  Worst case scenario, my credit card gives me access to 3 different airport lounges so I can bounce in between those.

[Francis Xavier]

I had a four hour layover that went by pretty fast at the Schipol airport in Amsterdam. There's a lot going on there too, and that kind of helped I guess. I wanted to roam the streets,but before I knew it I had to get on my next flight. Only had one connecting flight.

My uncle that lives in Iowa will have 2-3 connecting flights with an hour or so layover inbetween each to get to California. Takes him all day basically,but he likes to fly cheap.

 I guess do what fits your budget and time. Its reasonable for going to remote/unpopular locations of the world.

[ice nine]

on the way home from australia when i was 18 i missed my flight. i think i was flying Eva Air or Cathay Pacific, anyways they rebooked me for a few days later for free, but my one hour layover turned into a 25 hour layover in taipei.

initially i was bummed but the airline hooked it up, booked me at a (almost completely  empty) hotel with buffet meals, including green beer on tap and a bunch of delicious weird ass whole fish options. shuttles back and forth from hotel to airport etc. didn't pay for anything.it turned out really great.

don't know why they did it for free, maybe cuz when i rebooked at the airport i was visibly bummed?

so basically if the layover is in a foreign place i'd try and stretch it or keep it really short. 1-2 hours or 12-24 hours would be best.domestic keep it short as possible

[SirPizzaSlayer]

Coming home from Italy. It was horrible. I was in JFK airport for 2 days straight sleeping under a bench at my terminal. The jet lag was so bad I couldn’t eat or really move.

[Cuban_Lynx]

so basically if the layover is in a foreign place i'd try and stretch it or keep it really short. 1-2 hours or 12-24 hours would be best.domestic keep it short as possible

Fully agree. We visit my wife’s family in Tbilisi almost every year. There’s typically an 8 hour layover in some European city (Munich this summer), which is just enough time to get downtown and back.

[TheLurper]

I sometimes look for the longest layovers because it can give me an extra day in another city. A few summers ago I had a 22 hour lay over in Lisbon. It was amazing. I had a nice dinner, slept, had a nice breakfast, walked around the city, and then flew home.

I think the worst are 4 - 5 hour layovers. They are just enough time to leave the airport, but never enough to enjoy the city or relax. I had a 5 hour layover in London a few years ago. It was just enough time for me to take the train into the city, get a cup of tea, freak out, get back on the train, and sit at the airport.

[botefdunn]

Price of oil will eventually get high enough to made dirigible airship travel viable, and Ill be first in line for that three day, coach pass across the ocean.

[sexualhelon]

Price of oil will eventually get high enough to made dirigible airship travel viable, and Ill be first in line for that three day, coach pass across the ocean.

Dirigible:
noun - an airship.
adjective - designed for or capable of being directed, controlled, or steered.

In the context of your sentence: Huh?

[botefdunn]

Expand Quote

Price of oil will eventually get high enough to made dirigible airship travel viable, and Ill be first in line for that three day, coach pass across the ocean.

sorry to sidetrack your topic a little. I'm the first to take the overnight stay in exchange for the voucher, when I'm booking it all depends.

[close]

Dirigible:
noun - an airship.
adjective - designed for or capable of being directed, controlled, or steered.

In the context of your sentence: Huh?

dirigible is a type of airship, although the two are sometimes used interchangeably, thought I'd try to make it as explicit as possible. Big gas filled envelope that flies around, most famously the Hindenberg which fireballed. They are a lot safer now and still being tested for modern day applications, transporting goods and people. They could conceivably become like taking the greyhound, a cheaper form of transport across the ocean than a jet. Wood interiors, bars, dancefloor, personal cabins or at least a bunk, I'm dreaming a little, but then again my granpa never thought I'd be on a $500 Lufthansa flight eating tira misu at 33, 000 feet

[GollyIamGully]

Well this seems more air travel oriented, but I take the Amtrak a lot and the stations seem to be less removed from the city. A lot of the stations are right downtown...and they are more mellow about skateboards.

[sexualhelon]

However tempting, I'm not going to derail this and get into a Zeppelin debate...

I'd say these days my max is a 5-6 hour layover to get a good deal. If < 2 hours that's a normal connection to me and I'd definitely choose it to save money vs  a direct flight.

For me to take advantage of a long layover, I prefer them to be at least 12 hours. Twelve hours even still feels rushed for me though considering you have to go through security, figure out transportation, then turn around to do it all over again. I'm more prone to do this on short flights where I'm carrying less stuff. I like the ones where airlines give you a free stopover of up to 72 hours in their hub. Last time I did that was in Tokyo with Air Nippon on my way to BK.

[botefdunn]

However tempting, I'm not going to derail this and get into a Zeppelin debate...

sexualhelium

[sexualhelon]

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However tempting, I'm not going to derail this and get into a Zeppelin debate...

[close]

sexualhelium

That was my nickname in high school. 

[moonordie]

on the end of august I'll have an 11 hour layover but it's going to be during night so is ok.

[Dr-Feelgood]

Ive travelled from Australia to canada multiple times and i hate layovers so much so i usually pay the extra for direct flights, last time i was headed home to Aus, i was super tight on cash so had a 4 hour layover in LA for a few hundred cheaper and wasnt as bad as i always imagined.

[CHONGO]

booked a 12hr night layover in SF on my way back to Hawaii. It was about has terrible as you can think. Slept at my terminal and every half an hour someone on the intercom would start screaming some stupid shit.

[fakie nollie]

I’m heading to Vietnam from Newark at the end of the month and have a ~5.5 hour layover at Tokyo-Narita airport on the east there and a 10 hour layover on the way back. I usually would try to avoid those lengths but they helped me hit the right price/time in Vietnam ratio so I had to.

I’m looking into what I can do in that 10 hour layover because apparently that length of time isn’t uncommon at the airport so I might find some recommended Narita itinerary.  Worst case scenario, my credit card gives me access to 3 different airport lounges so I can bounce in between those.

Narita is pretty far from Tokyo/Shibuya (~hour train ride). I am not 100% certain of where to go but when traveling from Tokyo to Narita via train, saw a lot of beautiful countrysides. Maybe you can grab some tea or whisky soda and relax in a park for a bit.

[fakie nollie]

Coming home from Italy. It was horrible. I was in JFK airport for 2 days straight sleeping under a bench at my terminal. The jet lag was so bad I couldn’t eat or really move.

I semi know the feeling but would have a meltdown if this happened to me. I had a 6am flight out of Arlanda in Stockholm, middle of winter. Stupidly, I thought "Oh, I don't want to miss my early plane so might as well just hangout overnight there!".

Arlanda is borderline the worst fucking airport to kill time in, rivaling Barcelona's Prat. I drank awful smoothies from the only open vendor and slept on a freezing metal bench for 8 hours.

[honey island]

i once had a really bad fever on a 12 hour layover in singapore. was lathered in sweat the whole time going in and out of consciousness

[fakie nollie]

Ive travelled from Australia to canada multiple times and i hate layovers so much so i usually pay the extra for direct flights, last time i was headed home to Aus, i was super tight on cash so had a 4 hour layover in LA for a few hundred cheaper and wasnt as bad as i always imagined.

This - I will pay extra anytime I can to get a direct flight.

After using LAX as my main airport for years, I wish all international airports had the same amenities as them.

[TheLurper]

Expand Quote

Coming home from Italy. It was horrible. I was in JFK airport for 2 days straight sleeping under a bench at my terminal. The jet lag was so bad I couldn’t eat or really move.

[close]

I semi know the feeling but would have a meltdown if this happened to me. I had a 6am flight out of Arlanda in Stockholm, middle of winter. Stupidly, I thought "Oh, I don't want to miss my early plane so might as well just hangout overnight there!".

Arlanda is borderline the worst fucking airport to kill time in, rivaling Barcelona's Prat. I drank awful smoothies from the only open vendor and slept on a freezing metal bench for 8 hours.

I stayed in the Helsinki airport hotel and it made my way too early morning flight 1000x easier/better. Despite the hotel being underground, which is a little depressing, it was worth every penny.

Has anyone ever used on of those sleeping cubicles (I know Munich has them)? They seem a bit too expensive for what they are, but a quiet/private space to sleep that is right next to the gate does sound kind of nice.

[redcurb12]

ideally under 4 hours

[sexualhelon]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

Coming home from Italy. It was horrible. I was in JFK airport for 2 days straight sleeping under a bench at my terminal. The jet lag was so bad I couldn’t eat or really move.

[close]

I semi know the feeling but would have a meltdown if this happened to me. I had a 6am flight out of Arlanda in Stockholm, middle of winter. Stupidly, I thought "Oh, I don't want to miss my early plane so might as well just hangout overnight there!".

Arlanda is borderline the worst fucking airport to kill time in, rivaling Barcelona's Prat. I drank awful smoothies from the only open vendor and slept on a freezing metal bench for 8 hours.

[close]

I stayed in the Helsinki airport hotel and it made my way too early morning flight 1000x easier/better. Despite the hotel being underground, which is a little depressing, it was worth every penny.

Has anyone ever used on of those sleeping cubicles (I know Munich has them)? They seem a bit too expensive for what they are, but a quiet/private space to sleep that is right next to the gate does sound kind of nice.

I used one once before, can't remember where exactly. For some reason I want to say some random airport in Ukraine? Wherever it was I remember I was down because it was actually pretty cheap. I more vividly remember staying in a couple of Pod Hotels. One was okay, people were too loud in the other one and you're all right on top of each other.

[rusty knees]

this just reminded me that I've never been on a train

[tortfeasor]

domestic 4 hours-- international 5 hours anything longer than that is fucking awful. if its pushing that time ill start hunting for a way to give me a full 24 hour layover and get a hotel for the night and see wherever the layover is.  i spent a night in livorono italy before the Corsica ferry.  ended up being one of highlights of my trip. 

[slobplant]

I did a 15 hour layover in Iceland on the way home from Barcelona. It was fucking nuts, was with both dudes I went there with and we got shit faced off a 12 pack and a bottle of henny from the duty free. Passed out for the last few hours. I saved a good amount of money booking that flight and not one with a short layover so fuck it

[rejectpaul]

as long as theres a bar!
stopped over in Doha for 4 hours between Aus and UK and the fucker didnt have a bar!
boring as fuck, just people watched and sprayed myself with fancy cologne.

[Lloyd Braun]

As a rule I don't like long layovers, but I also hate less than 1 hour layovers, end up rushing too much and if there is a delay your fucked. That said a 12 hour layover in a new city could be cool, to go check out a new city for a day. All just depends I suppose.

 If its to save money, a lot of times its cheaper/quicker to book 2 separate tickets. For example, I live in Charlotte NC, and I traveled to Manila several times. I figured out if I book a round trip to JFK, then round trip to Manila with Philippine airlines, I saved about $300 and an entire layover (CLT-JFK-MNL) where as with a round trip from CLT Id usually have an additional layover somewhere in asia. Depending where you live it may be easier/tougher to find good options.