Safe Layover Time for Connecting Flight to Europe

Posted by RJ (Mandeville, LA) on 10/22/25 09:11 PM

I know that occasionally this general issue is raised, and I feel foolish--no, paranoid--for raising it. I suppose I am looking for comfort more than anything else.

Flight to Frankfurt. On Delta the entire route. Short flight to Atlanta where the connecting flight to Frankfurt is caught. Flying over, I usually like three hours of layover time. Here, the choices are 2 hours and 25 minutes (which seems more than adequate) and 4 hours.

Again, paranoia at work because the 2 hours and 25 minutes layover seems almost perfect. Any dissent?

Posted by Laura

Virginia, USA

10/22/25 09:18 PM

6327 posts

If this is a single ticket, then I would be fine with 2h25.

Posted by Kristen

Lockport, IL

10/22/25 09:21 PM

129 posts

Check flight stats to see if your first flight is usually delayed. I fly out of O'Hare in Chicago. In the summer, afternoon and early evening flights are frequently delayed 1-2 hours for a variety of reasons. With the current runway and terminal construction, many flights are experiencing 30 minutes of taxiing before take-off.

Posted by margie

Bend, OR

10/22/25 11:17 PM

1664 posts

We’ve connected thru Frankfurt numerous times. I can only think of one time several years ago that we didn’t make a 2 hour connection and that was because of morning fog closing the airport for hours on a day in early May. Because we were on a single ticket, Lufthansa got us on the next available flight.

Posted by David

Huntsville, AL, USA

10/23/25 12:56 AM

8432 posts

We had a 2 hour layover from Israel in Frankfurt--connecting to Dulles. American could not even get the people loaded and seated promptly. Most missed connecting flights in Dulles--for us into Huntsville. The next AA plane from Dulles with any available seats was 2 days later because they just fly commuter jets and they were full. We had to spend the night in Virginia and catch a plane to Atlanta where we rented a car for the 200 mile drive home.

I swore off flying American Airlines and their smaller jets. Our flights on Delta are on full size jets into Huntsville and there is less risk of getting booted with them.

Take the 2:25 hour flight on Delta. If there is any problem it sounds as if there is a later flight into ATL--perfect.