Which are the best and worst airports for making connecting flights and why? Wayne Chen, president of Mo’Zippity Apps, discovered the answers while creating Connect On Time the only mobile app available anywhere that provides specific gate-to-gate connect times for many of the world’s top destination airports. His picks are based upon the number of barriers and amount of time needed at each airport to get between its furthest gates once security and passport control lines have been cleared.
| 10 Best | |
| 1. Zurich Airport (ZRH) | 10 min. |
| 2. Salt Lake City International (SLC) | 11 min. |
| 3. Tampa International (TPA) | 12 min. |
| 4. Orlando International (MCO) | 15 min. |
| 5. Charlotte Douglas International (CLT) | 16 min. |
| 6. Denver International (DEN) | 18 min. |
| 7. London Stansted (STN) | 19 min. |
| 8. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International (FLL) | 20 min. |
| 9. Dubai International (DXB) | 21 min. |
| 10. Hong Kong International (HKG) | 22 min. |
The Best airports have better than 70 percent on-time departure and arrival records, logical layouts, efficient security and passport control checkpoints, connected airsides, and gates that are no more than a half an hour apart.
| 10 Worst | |
| 1. Beijing Capital International (PEK) | 1 hr. 27 min. |
| 2. London Heathrow (LHR) | 1 hr. 25 min. |
| 3. Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) | 1 hr. 23 min. |
| 4. Shanghai Pudong International (PVG) | 1 hr. 18 min. |
| 5. Los Angeles International (LAX) | 1 hr. 10 min. |
| 6. Sydney Kingsford Smith (SYD) | 1 hr. 9 min. |
| 7. Tokyo Narita International (NRT) | 1 hr. 3 min. |
| 8. Boston Logan International (BOS) | 1 hr. 2 min. |
| 9. Frankfurt International (FRA) | 1 hr. 1 min. |
| 10. Chicago O’Hare International (ORD) | 59 min. |
The Worst airports are the polar opposite of the Best. Beijing Capital tops the list with a dismal 30 percent on-time record and stressed-out passengers constantly struggling to reach their connecting gates on time.
Plan Ahead
So while considering which connecting flight to book, allot at least an hour between flights to account for unexpected delays and wait timesat theBest airports, and three hours at the Worst. “Give yourself the gifts of time and peace of mind,” suggests Chen, “because no one else will.”