We recommend at least 1 hour for a comfortable connection at John F Kennedy International. The minimum connection time is 60 minutes for domestic flights and 120 minutes for international flights. Transit between terminals takes up to 35 minutes.

Domestic-to-Domestic: 60 min. Domestic-to-International: 90 min. International-to-Domestic: 120 min. International-to-International: 120 min. These are the shortest layovers airlines will sell at John F Kennedy International.

JFK is a sprawling six-terminal airport where terminals are physically separate buildings linked only by the AirTrain, making connections slower and less intuitive than at consolidated hub airports. The biggest complication is that JFK has no sterile international transit corridor, so almost all international arrivals must clear immigration and customs, recheck bags, and pass security again — even if continuing on to another international flight. The AirTrain JFK light-rail system connects all terminals and runs every few minutes, with a full loop taking about 15-20 minutes depending on stops, but add walking time at each end plus waiting. Terminal 1 and Terminal 4 have an internal walking connector, and Terminal 7/8 are within walking distance, but most passengers should plan on the AirTrain for terminal changes. Any international arrival connecting onward — domestic or international — must exit through CBP, reclaim and recheck bags at the terminal's transfer desk, then clear TSA security again before reaching the gate area.

Still under the 60-minute domestic MCT and impossible if any customs/immigration step is involved. See full 30 min guide →

Workable for a same-terminal domestic-domestic connection but risky with any AirTrain transfer. See full 45 min guide →

Meets JFK's domestic-domestic MCT, sufficient for an AirTrain transfer between terminals under normal conditions. See full 1 hr guide →

Comfortable for domestic-domestic and workable for a straightforward domestic-to-international connection if security is quick. See full 1¼ hr guide →

Meets the domestic-international MCT and gives reasonable buffer for AirTrain and security. See full 1½ hr guide →

Meets JFK's international-domestic and international-international MCT, covering typical immigration and recheck processes. See full 2 hr guide →

Comfortable margin even with above-average CBP lines during a busy evening arrival bank. See full 2½ hr guide →

Very safe for any connection type, including international-international with a slow customs queue. See full 3 hr guide →

Ample time for even the worst-case immigration delays plus a leisurely terminal change via AirTrain. See full 4 hr guide →