How long is needed between flights?

[Pearlyqueen21]

Looking for opinions, although I think I know this isn’t long enough.
Booking flights to get back from Italy to Scotland, and the route I prefer needs a change in London (Stansted). One hour between landing and next take off, different airlines. Not a good idea is it?

Or has anyone done this and it works well?

I should add: the next flight out of Stansted would be a wait of 4/4.5 hrs. Feels like a waste of time, but on the other hand removes the fear. Is there a decent selection of restaurants/shops?

Depends if you have any hold luggage I think. Cabin only and I think 1 hour should be fine but wouldn't risk it with hold.

Yes, Stansted is a nice airport and has plenty.

Will you need to go through immigration at Stansted?

Stansted is much better than it was - it's had a huge make over. I'm not sure if there's enough to amuse you for 4 hours but assuming 45 minutes to get through immigration and get your luggage and then you can sit in Wetherspoons for a bit with a book

Without hold baggage and with nerves of steel, maybe an hour. That's high risk though and I'd allow at least 2. With baggage, you're probably going to have to recheck your hold baggage so at least 2 hours and probably more like 3-4.

Enough credit to rebook the flight if you miss it and early enough in the day that you can get to another airport if you've missed the last flight out of the transfer airport (yes, been there, done that! )

And yes I think an hour is cutting it way too stressfully fine assuming you have to go through immigration/passport control.

Have you googled airlines that have code shares on Italy / England/ Scotland route? Yes your route may still be via a London airport, but travelling this way usually means you can check your luggage in at Italy and not worry about it until Scotland. So saving you transfer time.

I wouldn’t risk an hour having to recheck in and all. It would be tight. Especially with luggage. No.

Stanstead is a nice airport, but can be very busy.

Ah, very good points here - wasn’t planning on hold luggage, we travel with cabin size backpacks and move quickly (one teen). UK citizens.

Good to know Stn has improved.

I think I need to consider whether I have nerves of steel, but I’m encouraged that a couple of people would do it.

I’m going to re-read all these suggestions and make sure I explore all options.

Are you booking as a through ticket or two separate ones? I think it’s too short to count on and I wouldn’t book it if missing the second one would cost me personally, though in practice I suspect you’d be fine.

Oh God I wouldn’t risk that!

Would you need to do immigration at Stansted? Not sure how it works with domestic connections. Likewise I imagine if it’s two different airlines, you’ll need to collect your luggage & re-drop if you have hold luggage? Meaning you’d have to do immigration, bag drop & security on the departures side.

I’d go for the later flight. Last two times I went through Stansted I queued 40+ minutes at immigration. Departures security can be crazy too depending on time: one time I queued 20 minutes, but on another occasion I waited that long while barely moving, so I bought Fast Track in the middle of the queue & ducked out into that lane.

Assuming it's all one ticket, worst case scenario you'd get rebooked on the later connection. With separate tickets I wouldn't risk it.

With hand luggage it's doable if you can check in online and stay airside. I went through Stansted about 4 weeks ago, the queues for security were out of the barriers, down the airport past the loo, round the corner and heading back towards the main entrance, took over an hour. Stansted is a pretty reasonable airport, good selection of places to eat. I'd go for the later flight.

I would do the four hour layover and book yourself into the private lounge for two of those hours.

If it's booked in one transaction, the airlines will be part of the same alliance, and will transfer you if the first plan is delayed. 1 hr will be tight, but probably OK.
If it's booked as 2 separate tickets, 1 hr will not be enough, and you need the 4.5hr gap.

I think it's too tight, even if you have previously checked-in & got boarding passes for the second flight.
From the aircraft coming to a halt, to joining a queue for e-passport control can easily be >20 mins.
If they're not working (they weren't last time I went through STN) the queue for manual passport control can be very long.

It’s Ryanair and EasyJet so I think I’ve accepted this is not a risk I can take! Thank you for all the replies, it’s really helped me get realistic. Ultimately 4 hrs is better than possibly missing a flight. And I love the suggestion of booking into the lounge

Passport control coming back through Stanstead is always awful, so you've made the right choice. I love a mooch around an airport anyway, and even better if you do book into the lounge!

I’ve taken all the advice on board and started being more flexible about where we flew from, and am now booked from Pisa instead of Genoa - booked straight through with BA, 2.5 layover in Heathrow, back home at a reasonable time at night. Perfect! Now we can get properly excited about the holiday without stressing about the journey home being a drag