Is my layover long enough?

Have a question? Ask our expert Simon Calder

As one of the world’s busiest airports, Dubai has plenty of experience in making connections as quick and hassle-free as possible (Getty)

Q I am an inexperienced traveller. My son and I are going to Australia in December, and I have a couple of queries on flight connections that I would like your opinion on. We are flying with Emirates to Dubai.

At Dubai we have one hour and 50 minutes before our flight to Perth. Presumably our luggage will stay on the plane? Once in Australia, we have an internal flight from Port Lincoln to Adelaide, and then a one hour 20 minute turnaround to get a flight to Sydney; this time we have to get our luggage from the first plane, before we do anything else.

Do you think these timings are long enough for people naive in the workings of airports?

David E

A I hope I can help to put your mind at rest. Airport connections are designed to be manageable by travellers regardless of their experience and, indeed, mobility.

Assuming your outbound flight from the UK to Dubai is fairly punctual, you should have plenty of time to make the onward flight to Australia; the minimum connecting time is one hour, so you have 50 minutes to spare.

As one of the world’s busiest airports, Dubai has plenty of experience of swift connections. While its scale and complexity might initially seem overwhelming, just take each step at a time.

First, pass through the security check that every transferring passenger must undergo. There is no need to go through passport control or customs as you are in transit. The departure gate for your onward flight should be shown clearly on the screens (and may even have been notified to passengers on the inbound flight). While the signposting is clear, if you are unsure about how to reach the gate there will be plenty of staff to advise.

All the luggage from the inbound flight will be unloaded and transferred behind the scenes, and you should probably have time for some duty-free shopping if it appeals.

In Adelaide, 80 minutes should be plenty for a comfortable connection, and more relaxed than Dubai. On a regional flight such as the one from Port Lincoln, operated by a Dash-8 propeller plane, it will take only a few minutes for the passengers and baggage to be unloaded. As Adelaide is a relatively small and calm airport, checking in for your onward flight to Sydney should be smooth.

Every day our travel correspondent Simon Calder tackles a reader’s question. Just email yours to s@hols.tv or tweet @simoncalder