Travel Glossary · Air Travel
Minimum Connection Time (MCT)
Definition
Minimum Connection Time (MCT): Minimum connection time is the shortest interval an airport and airlines officially allow between connecting flights for the connection to be sold on one ticket.
Every airport publishes minimum connection times, and airlines can set their own, varying by terminal and by whether you are connecting domestic to domestic, international to domestic, and so on. Airline booking systems will not sell a connection on one ticket that falls below the MCT.
MCT is a legal minimum, not a recommendation, and it assumes everything runs on time. Arriving in the US from abroad, you must clear immigration and customs and recheck your bags at the first US airport before connecting, which takes longer on busy evenings. Terminal changes, winter weather, and the last flight of the day all argue for extra buffer.
Returning from Tahiti through Los Angeles, for example, you clear US customs before any onward domestic flight, so a generous connection is wise. Global Entry and Mobile Passport Control can shorten the line.
Example: A 90-minute connection may be legal at a big hub, but after an international arrival with immigration, customs, and a bag recheck, three hours is far more comfortable.
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- Travel GuidesGlobal Entry Guide: Cost, Interview, and How It WorksGlobal Entry explained: the 2026 fee, what’s included, how the interview and Enrollment on Arrival work, and whether it’s worth it for international travelers.
- Travel GuidesMobile Passport Control: The Free App That Speeds Up US ArrivalsMobile Passport Control is a free CBP app that speeds up US arrivals. Learn who can use it, how to submit, where it works, and how it compares to Global Entry.
- Travel GuidesHow to Get to Tahiti from the U.S.: Flights, Routes and ConnectionsHow to fly to Tahiti from the U.S.: nonstop flights from Los Angeles and San Francisco, flight times, arrival times and connecting to Bora Bora and Moorea.
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