Is 40 minutes enough time for a layover in Zurich?

Is a 40 minute layover enough time?

Forty minutes? Piece of cake! Unless your luggage is staging a dramatic escape, or you're built like a snail. For domestic flights, it's usually a breeze, like a fart in the wind.

But... Murphy's Law is a real party pooper, you know? Things go sideways more often than a drunken octopus in a mosh pit.

• Gate Changes: Imagine sprinting through an airport like a caffeinated gazelle, only to discover your gate's been moved to the opposite end of the earth. My cousin once did this. True story. It involved a small child. And tears. Many tears.
• Security Lines: Forget it. Security lines are the Bermuda Triangle of air travel. People vanish into them, never to be seen again. I once saw a family of squirrels get stuck. Not joking.
• Conveyor Belt Malfunction: Your bag could decide to take an unplanned vacation on the baggage carousel. Mine once tried to hitch a ride on a passing airport service vehicle. I didn't even get it back. I kid you not.

Forty minutes is cutting it close, like a cheap pair of jeans. If you're a seasoned airport ninja, go for it. If you move slower than molasses in January, add an extra hour. Seriously.

Bottom line: A longer layover is always better than a near-death experience involving a TSA agent and a suspicious avocado.