Amadeus DM Command: Minimum Connecting Time Guide (MCT)

A complete guide to the DM command in Amadeus — how to display the minimum connecting time required between flights at an airport, between terminals, airlines, or PNR segments.

A connection that looks comfortable on paper can be impossible in practice. Two flights may operate from different terminals, from different airports in the same city, or with an airline change that requires a longer transfer. Airlines publish Minimum Connecting Times (MCT) for every airport, terminal, and type of connection, and booking a connection below the published minimum can lead to a missed flight, a rejected fare, or an involuntary reissue. The DM command is the Amadeus entry that displays these minimums. It checks the minimum connection time required for different types of connections — including airport changes, terminal changes, online and interline connections, and connections between flights already in a PNR. This guide walks through each major DM variation with a working example.

What Does the DM Command Do?

DM is the Amadeus GDS command used to display the minimum connecting time required between flights at an airport, between terminals, airlines, or PNR segments.

Category: Minimum Connecting Time.

It checks the minimum connection time required for different types of connections, including airport changes, terminal changes, online/interline connections, and connections between flights in a PNR.

The DM command supports many variations — from a simple airport lookup to a full terminal-by-terminal comparison between two airlines. It can also be applied directly to lines in a PNR, availability display, or schedule display, so you can validate a connection before ticketing.

Airport and City Lookups

Minimum connecting time at a specific airport:

DMNCE

Minimum connecting time at an airport for a specific date:

DMNCE/15DEC

Minimum connecting time for a multi-airport city:

DMLON

Minimum connecting time between two airports:

DMLGW-LHR

This displays the minimum connection time between Gatwick (LGW) and Heathrow (LHR) — two different airports in the same city. Connections between different London airports require considerably more time than a same-airport connection.

Terminal Lookups

Minimum connecting time at a specific arrival terminal:

DMCDG2A

Minimum connecting time at a specific departure terminal:

DMCDG-2B

Minimum connecting time between specific terminals at two airports:

DMORYW-CDG2B

This displays the minimum connection time between a specific terminal at Orly (ORYW) and a specific terminal at Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG2B). Terminal-to-terminal connections in a multi-airport city often require the longest transfer times.

Airline Lookups

Minimum connecting time for a specific inbound airline:

DMBA/LHR

Minimum connecting time for online connections:

DMAF/CDG/AF

This displays the minimum connecting time at CDG for an online connection — where both flights are operated by the same airline, in this case Air France.

Minimum connecting time for interline connections:

DMAF/CDG/LH

This displays the minimum connecting time at CDG for an interline connection — where the two flights are operated by different airlines, in this case Air France and Lufthansa. Interline connections usually require more time than online connections because of the transfer between carriers.

More advanced airline lookups:

DMAF/CDG2A-2B/IT

DMAF/CDG2A-PRYW/IT

DMAF/CDG-ORY/LF

These entries combine the airline, the specific terminals involved, and the type of connection — IT for interline or LF for a specific connection type — to retrieve a precise minimum. They are used for complex itineraries where the connection rules depend on the airline and terminal combination.

PNR and Display Lookups

Minimum connecting time from a specific line in a PNR, availability, or schedule display:

DM4

Minimum connecting time for a connection with more than two flight legs:

DM4/2

Minimum connecting time between two flights in a PNR:

DM1/3

This checks the connection between the flights on lines 1 and 3 in the PNR. It is used to validate an existing itinerary before ticketing.

Minimum connecting time for a dual city-pair display:

DM2*12

Display the minimum connecting time mask:

DMS

The mask displays all the fields available for the DM entry, showing you what information is required for each type of lookup.

When to Use DM

Use DM when you need to verify whether the connection time between two flights meets the required minimum connecting time, especially when changing terminals, airports, or airlines. Typical scenarios include:

Checking a tight connection before booking to ensure it is legal.
Verifying a connection in an existing PNR before ticketing.
Reviewing a multi-airport city transfer, such as LGW to LHR or ORY to CDG.
Checking terminal-to-terminal connections at large hub airports.
Comparing online versus interline connections for the same route.
Determining the minimum time required for a multi-leg itinerary.
Confirming connection rules when a customer is concerned about a short transfer.

How DM Fits Into Your PNR Management Workflow

A typical session using DM might look like this:

Retrieve the PNR with RT and review the itinerary with RTIM.
Identify the connection you need to check — airport, terminals, and airlines involved.
Enter the appropriate DM entry — DMNCE, DMLGW-LHR, DMBA/LHR, or DM1/3 to check the connection in the PNR.
Compare the minimum connection time with the actual time between flights in the itinerary.
If the connection is below the minimum, adjust the itinerary, rebook the connection with SB, or select a different flight with SS.
Reprice the itinerary with FXP if the flights change.
Save the change with ER or ET.

How DM Relates to Other Flight Information Commands

DM → displays the minimum connecting time required for a connection.
SS → sells flight segments from availability.
SB → modifies an existing segment (class, date, airline, flight number).
RTIM → displays the full itinerary with married segment indicators.
RTAM → displays only the segments with married segment indicators.
RTSVC → displays flight service information for the booked flights.
RH → displays the PNR history, including segment changes.

The distinction: DM verifies connection times; SS and SB change the itinerary; RTIM and RTAM display the itinerary. Use DM before and after making flight changes to ensure the connection remains legal.

Important: Minimum connecting times vary by airport, terminal, airline, and date. A connection that is legal today may become illegal if the terminal changes, if the airline changes, or if the airport updates its published MCTs. Always recheck with DM before ticketing.

A connection below the minimum is not only a risk for the passenger — many fares will not validate on a below-minimum connection, and the airline may reject the itinerary. Confirm the MCT before booking a tight connection rather than after.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the DM command do in Amadeus?

DM displays the minimum connecting time required between flights — by airport, terminal, airline, or between flights already in a PNR.

What does DMNCE mean?

It displays the minimum connecting time at Nice (NCE). Replace the airport code with the one you need to check.

What does DMLGW-LHR mean?

It displays the minimum connecting time between Gatwick (LGW) and Heathrow (LHR) — two different airports in the same city.

How do I check a connection that is already in my PNR?

Use DM1/3 to check the connection between flights on lines 1 and 3, or DM4 to check a connection from a specific line.

What is the difference between online and interline connections?

An online connection is between two flights of the same airline. An interline connection is between two flights of different airlines. Interline connections typically require more time.

How do I see all the fields available for DM?

Enter DMS to display the minimum connecting time mask.

Conclusion

The DM command is the minimum connecting time tool in Amadeus. Use DMNCE to check the MCT at a specific airport, DMLGW-LHR or DMORYW-CDG2B for inter-airport and terminal-to-terminal connections, DMAF/CDG/AF and DMAF/CDG/LH for online and interline checks, and DM1/3 or DM4 to validate connections already in a PNR. Verifying the MCT before booking prevents missed flights, rejected fares, and involuntary reissues, and it protects both the customer experience and the agency’s reputation. Paired with SS for selling flights, SB for modifying segments, RTIM and RTAM for itinerary review, RTSVC for flight service checks, and FXP for pricing, the DM command completes your flight information toolkit and keeps every connection legal and every itinerary valid.