Flights with connections are most often chosen due to their low cost, and while such flights are not uncommon for experienced travelers, those flying this way for the first time immediately have a number of questions.

What type of transplant do I have?

You may have single ticket when the entire flight is served by one airline. This is the most convenient option, since the carrier in this case “leads” the passenger to his destination. And if, for example, your flight is delayed, you will be required to be put on another plane of the same company. If the transfer time exceeds 8 hours, some carriers (for example, Emirates) provide passengers with hotel rooms. Your luggage will also be checked in and delivered to your final destination. Additionally, you do not need to register with such a ticket.

Another option is the so-called " code sharing ”, when you buy a single ticket from one carrier, but fly part of the way on a partner company’s plane. In this case, you will also be checked in with your luggage to your destination and a transfer will be arranged for you. The only difference is that in case of unforeseen situations (damage/loss of luggage, etc.), all claims must be submitted to the partner company. Please note: for this type of flight, the name of the additional carrier may not be indicated on the ticket.

Is there some more interline agreement - an agreement between airlines in which one carrier recognizes the tickets of another. That is, one company can sell you tickets to another. The bottom line is that this method allows you to buy a single ticket at a better price than if you bought several separate ones. There are often special fares on these flights.

Tickets of this type always indicate all carrier companies. You will also be checked in for your baggage before the end of the flight, but you need to request this separately. Sometimes you need to get a ticket for the next leg of the journey when transferring - this is also worth keeping in mind.

Well, the last option is several separate tickets. Many consider it the most inconvenient, since in this case you will have to pick up and re-check in your luggage at the transfer point, and also re-check in for the next leg of the route. If you miss your flight, you will most likely need to buy a new ticket. Often the cost of tickets for the entire route is higher than in other cases.

Do I need to apply for a transit visa for a layover?

This point must be clarified before purchasing tickets. Typically, a transit visa is not needed if your next flight departs from the same airport and terminal you arrived at and if you do not need to claim luggage. Then you just wait for the next plane in the transit area of ​​the airport, without going through immigration control.

Some countries (for example, the USA, Australia and Canada) require a transit visa even just to stay at the airport in the transit zone.

What to do upon arrival at your transfer airport?

You should always have your tickets and documents with you so that you can check the details on them (flight departure time, terminal, etc.) with the airport information board at any time and present them without delay before boarding.

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If you are flying on a single ticket, upon arrival at the transfer airport, follow the signs marked “Transfer” / “Transit” - using them you can easily find the transit area, where you will wait for the next flight. Immediately find your flight on the information board and check the departure time and other information (sometimes it may change).

True, all of the above applies only to those whose destination is not included in the Schengen zone. But if you are flying to one of the Schengen countries, you will need to go through passport control immediately after arrival. In this case, you must have all the necessary visas.

Those who fly with two separate tickets will have to go through a similar procedure, since in this case you are not included in the category of transit passengers. Upon arrival, you will need to collect your luggage, proceed to the check-in counters and re-check in by re-checking your luggage.

Do I need to collect luggage during a transfer?

It depends on the type of ticket. If it's a single ticket, then you can check your luggage to your final destination and not worry about it at all. But if you need to change airports during a transfer, you may need to pick up and check in your luggage again, even with a single ticket.

Long transfer. Things to do?

If your transfer takes at most 3-4 hours, you can safely skip this point. But it happens that you have to wait quite a long time for the next flight (sometimes half a day). Then the lounge area can come to your aid.

There is another life hack that few people know about. Some major airports in Europe provide free lounge access to premium World Elite MasterCard holders. In particular, this service is provided at Ferenc Liszt Airport (Budapest), Henri Coanda Airport (Bucharest), as well as at Schwechat Airport (Vienna), Vaclav Havel Airport (Terminal 1, Prague) and Sheremetyevo (Terminal E). To get into the business lounge, you need to notify the staff that you have such a card and present it. In return you will receive wireless Internet, food and drinks, newspapers and magazines, a work space, a printer with TV and even a shower! And all this is completely free.

Alternatively, if you have a transit country visa, you can leave the airport and explore the city.

If the transfer takes more than 10 hours, some companies accommodate their passengers in a hotel for free or provide coupons that can be used to have a meal in a special room. In any case, be sure to explore all possible options on the carrier’s website if you have a long layover.

  • Plan your route with time to spare. It is better to allow at least 3-4 hours for the transfer in order to calmly find your way around the airport, find your gate, etc. But if you also have to pick up luggage/check in, then you will need at least 4 hours.
  • Sometimes it happens that the gate number is not indicated on the ticket. Don't panic, just find your flight on the arrivals/departures board - the gate will also be indicated there.
  • If you cross different time zones when flying, be sure to change your watches, because the time on the tickets is local!
  • Before your trip, you should familiarize yourself with the map of the airport(s) through which you will be flying. You can even print them out and take them with you. You will save a lot of time later, believe me!
  • If you arrive late in the evening, and the next flight is only in the morning, check in advance whether the transfer airport has a hotel in the transit area, and in general, whether the airport is open at night. It is likely that you will have to find accommodation in the city, and this may require a visa.

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Instructions

In general, the actions during a connecting flight look like this. You check in for the first flight (sometimes immediately for the second one too), and check in your luggage. Then proceed to boarding. After the plane lands, you either go to the transit area, or go through security and security, then go to collect your luggage. Then you go to check-in for the next flight, after which all security controls and pre-flight inspections await you again. It is useful to consider the nuances as some cases are different.

Before your flight, find out in advance about the airport where you are connecting. Try to find its diagram, remember your departure terminal so as not to make a mistake with this. Anything can happen in huge, unfamiliar airports; even experienced travelers sometimes get confused.

Try to buy tickets so that there is enough time for transfers. If you need to recheck your luggage, allow at least 3 hours for the transfer. It happens that planes are late, and if you fly with different airlines at non-refundable fares, you are taking a big risk, so in this case it can be useful to further increase the transfer time. Those who bought a ticket for two segments in one company do not have to worry: if the flight is delayed, you will be reissued a ticket for the next one. But it is still better to further clarify the conditions with the airline.

Conventionally, flights with transfers can be divided into several types, the simplest and most convenient of which is when you fly on flights of the same company and one at a time. You immediately check in and receive boarding passes for all segments of the flight, and the airline undertakes to handle your luggage. She will re-register him for another flight; you just need to get off the first plane, go to the transit area and wait until boarding for the next flight begins.

Everything becomes more complicated if you have not one ticket, but two. This can happen both when you fly with two different airlines, and when you buy tickets from one company, but they are not combined. On a flight like this, you have to take care of everything yourself. The most difficult thing is usually the re-registration of luggage, because it takes a long time, it is important to talk about this separately.

As soon as your first plane lands, you will need to go straight to the baggage claim area after passing all security checks. There you should collect your luggage and immediately go to the check-in counters for the next flight, where you will have to check your luggage again. It happens that luggage cannot be found, sometimes its delivery is delayed, or it may turn out that at check-in you came across a very slow employee - this also happens. Therefore, complete your transfer arrangements first, and then you can sit back and relax if you have enough time before your next flight.

Of course, it is most convenient to fly with a transfer, without any luggage at all and limited to hand luggage, but this is not always possible. That is why it is recommended to allow more time for the transplant. It’s better to sit quietly in the departure area for an extra hour, drinking coffee and watching the planes take off through the window, than to rush headlong through an unfamiliar airport building and end up late for boarding.

The ones we can find are almost always tickets with one or more transfers. So choosing a ticket with a transfer is the easiest way to save money on your trip (if you didn’t manage to buy a ticket during a promotion or sale). Today I want to talk about how to fly with transfers correctly and some features of flights that you should not forget about.

When purchasing tickets, first of all, pay attention to tickets in which all flight segments are flown by one airline or airlines that are part of an alliance. In this case, most of the possible problems associated with the transplant disappear. Even if the first flight is delayed and you miss the second flight, the airline is obliged to put you on the next plane.

If you buy two separate tickets (for example, Moscow-Madrid, Madrid-Cancun), then you need to be extremely careful and prepare for the flight in advance.

Be sure to consider the following points:

1. Visa requirements. Always check visa requirements in Timatica. I wrote in detail about how to do this.

2. List of documents. In addition to visa requirements, find out what other documents you may need at the transit point in order to be allowed on the next flight. These could be printed tickets, electronic permits, return tickets, credit cards, etc. For example, when we flew through Helsinki, at the airport during baggage check we were asked to show confirmation that we were indeed flying onwards and not staying in Finland. I bought the ticket electronically, and we didn’t have any itinerary receipts. Boarding passes were only for the first segment of the flight. So it turned out that there was no confirmation of a further flight. Then, nevertheless, I found a letter in my mail from the airline indicating the cities of departure and arrival and the date. The surname was only in the title of the letter, there were no passport details, so in fact it was difficult to call this letter a document. Nevertheless, we were lucky and were still allowed into the transit zone. After this incident, I learned a firm rule: ALWAYS print out all possible documents and confirmations that may be needed at the transit point.

3. Baggage check-in.

You need to find out in advance whether you need to receive your luggage at the transit point and check it in again. If you need to check your luggage again, this immediately means that you will have to leave the transit zone, which means you will need a valid visa, which is required to visit the country. It is better to do this before arriving at the airport, because airline employees may mistakenly tell you that your baggage is checked in to your final destination. For current information about transit points, see the forums and the official website of the airport where the transfer will take place.

4. Baggage allowance. If different flight segments are operated by different airlines, check the baggage requirements for each airline. Because, for example, the maximum weight and dimensions of hand luggage may differ, as well as the checked baggage allowance.

5. Transplant conditions. Find out in advance how the transfer will be carried out - is it one airport or several, one terminal or different ones, what is the distance between the terminals, how and what to get from the point of arrival to the point of departure if the terminals are far from each other.

6. Transfer time. Allow more time for transfers - the first flight may be delayed. It all depends on the conditions of a particular transplant. It’s one thing if arrival and departure are carried out from one terminal - here in most cases 2 hours are enough for a transfer, and quite another thing if you need to get from one airport to another - here 5 hours may not be enough. Again, read the experiences of people who have already flown this route - but keep in mind that your transfer may take longer, so plan with a strong margin. It’s better to spend extra time at the airport than to frantically run to your flight and risk missing it.

7. Online check-in for the flight. To save time at the airport, check in for all flights in advance online. Find out how long before the plane's departure online check-in begins and set reminders for yourself. It will be great if you can register for the 2nd segment of the flight in advance, so as not to spend additional time at the transit point (and this is not always possible, for example, due to the large time gap between the first and second boarding of the plane). However, if you have a single ticket, then most likely you will be asked to check in for both flights at once and will be issued boarding passes for all segments of the flight at once. But different airlines have different rules, so check with the airline website in advance to see if you can check in online.

8. Stopover. If possible, make a stopover and leave 1-2 days for a transit connection (during this time you can see the city, take a break from a long flight and definitely catch the second plane).

9. Duty Free. Do not buy liquids in duty free at the original departure point if you are going to leave the transit area at the transfer point, and you are going to carry your purchases in your hand luggage. Even if the packages are sealed, you may not be allowed on the second segment of the flight.

2. How does the transfer take place within the transit zone?

So, you have arrived at the airport where the transit will take place, what to do next?

2.1. First of all, find departure flight board(Departures) and find your flight.

If your flight is already on the board, then remember the gate number (Gate), as well as the exact departure time. It is quite possible that the flight is delayed and you have a little more time left. And if your flight is not yet on the board, then after inspection go to the counter for transit passengers.

2.2. Go through security check. Here you may be asked to show the contents of your hand luggage and here all liquids with a volume of more than 100 ml (even those purchased in the previous duty free) may be confiscated. Again, depending on your luck, they may not check. You need to find out about each airport separately.

2.3. After security you need to follow the Transit arrows(You don’t plan to go into the city) to get into the transit zone.

2.4. Once you are in the transit zone, first find where the the exit you need, and then, if there is time left, you can stroll through the duty free shops or pop into a cafe.

2.5. If your flight is not on the departure board, then you need to find a counter for transit passengers(again, look for the Transit sign) or the airline counter. You can find it using airport maps or simply by asking airport staff at the ticket check counters (next to the boarding gates). At the transit counter, be sure to check what time your flight arrives and what gate it will be.

2.6 . If you don't have a boarding pass, you can print it at the transit counter (or get information where you can do this), at self-service machines, or immediately before the boarding gate.

Your transfer will end here - your baggage will be transferred to your flight without your participation, you only need to get to the desired boarding gate on time. By the way, to be on the safe side (and especially if you have little time for a transfer), it is advisable to print out a diagram of the airport transit zone in advance in order to roughly imagine the location of the exits and immediately know where to go.

3. How is the transfer going out of the transit zone?

If you want to walk around the city where you are planning a transfer, or you need to get to another airport (or terminal) of departure, then you will have to leave the transit area. You will most likely have to pick up your luggage, but not always, so check in advance if you need to do this.

3.1. So, you have arrived at the airport. Go through security check first.

3.2. If necessary, go to the baggage claim lanes and pick up your luggage.

3.3. After you have collected your luggage, go to passport control. Here they will check your documents, visa (if required to visit this country), may ask general questions about the purpose of your stay and/or ask to show a ticket to the next destination. If all the rules have been followed, you will be given an entry stamp and you can leave the airport for the city.

3.4. If you plan to stay in the city for several days and will fly out from the same airport, then it is best to leave your luggage at storage room, and take with you only the most necessary things.

3.5. If you need to get to another airport (or another terminal), then along with your luggage go to the desired airport. If you do not have local currency with you, then it is better to withdraw a small amount right at the airport so that you have cash with you. Find out in advance how and what you need to use to get to the airport. When choosing transport, keep in mind that by taxi or bus you may get stuck in a traffic jam, so if possible, use the metro or train.

3.6. When you arrive at your departure airport, the further procedure will be no different from a regular direct flight.

4. How to calculate the time for a transfer if you need to leave the transit zone?

Always plan ahead!

The transfer time consists of the following activities:

4. 1. Baggage claim time. Baggage claim can be greatly delayed, sometimes luggage arrives only on the next flight. So if you're flying with a connecting flight and you can only check luggage for one segment of your trip, you might want to consider flying with no luggage, just carry-on luggage. But if you still have luggage, then allow more time to receive your luggage. Read reviews about a specific airline, how often baggage delays occur, at which airports this happens, how long baggage can be delayed, etc.

4.2. Passport control time.

It all depends on the case - there can be either a couple of people or a whole crowd in front of you in line. So you can stand in line for 5 or 40 minutes.

4.3. Travel time between airports (terminals). Think in advance at least 2 ways how you can get to another airport. If you plan to take a taxi, then plan your time taking into account the search for a taxi and possible traffic jams. If you are going to travel by public transport, then add waiting time for transport.

4.4. Time to check in for the flight and go through all security checks, as well as passport control at the departure airport. If possible, check in online to avoid the check-in line. Even if you have luggage, the check-in time will be reduced, because... At many airports, baggage check-in takes place at a separate counter, and the queue there is much shorter.

4.5. By the time received add at least an hour for any unforeseen situations.

Some passengers are willing to pay any money just to travel the entire journey on the same plane. And vice versa - there are people who invent unimaginable combinations and combine three or four flights in one trip. Why are they doing that? What is a connection and what does a traveler who is flying somewhere with a transfer need to know?

First, let's understand the terms. The words “docking” and “transfer” often mean the same thing, but in fact these concepts are somewhat different. A docking is a flight with a landing at one or more points. The same air ticket is valid throughout the flight. Most often, stops are made to change vehicles - passengers leave the plane, go to the airport and board another aircraft in another terminal. The time required for docking varies from a little over an hour to a day, but most often from 2 to 6 hours.

When flying with a connecting connection, passengers are usually concerned about two questions::

Do I need to go through registration, customs, passport control and security screening again?

Do I need to pick up and check in luggage again when connecting?

A mandatory procedure when docking is security control. It is carried out not by the airline, but by the airport staff, to make sure that you are not trying to carry a bomb in your carry-on luggage. Some major hubs require security screening at the entrance to each terminal.

Check-in for a connecting flight is completed once - at the departure airport. Next, you receive a document, which you show at the intermediate airport. There is usually no need to go through customs. Those who remain in the transit zone during the entire connection are not subject to border control. But if you want to go out into the city and get to know the country’s culture better, you should find out in advance whether this is permissible in your case. For example, at European airports you may have big problems if you wish to cross the border without a valid Schengen visa.

What about luggage? Everything is much simpler here. When traveling on different planes, but on the same ticket, the airline is responsible for your baggage. Its workers transfer your property from one plane to another without your participation. You only need to hand over things at the starting point of the journey and receive them at the end point. If you do not find your suitcases at the airport of arrival, the carrier must also look for them. If your luggage is lost, you must contact the airline representative at the airport and fill out the necessary documents.

So, docking does not present any special difficulties - we have just made sure of this. What does the transplant look like? Let's say you're flying from Moscow to New York, but there are no cheap direct flights. But you can buy one inexpensive ticket from Moscow to Paris and a second one from Paris to New York. A transfer will be considered the moment at the airport when you move from one plane to another. In fact, this is not much different from transferring to another bus in the city. The only difference is in the details.

When moving from one flight to another, the passenger is responsible for his own property. Yes, during a transfer you will have to receive and check in your luggage again, and at the intermediate airport. The same applies to all procedures accompanying the flight. After arriving at the transfer point, you will need to claim your luggage, check in for your onward flight, check in your luggage, go through customs, security, and if you plan to go into the city, then passport control. Check the visa regime in advance if you do not want to be detained for violating it.

At large foreign airports, orientation can be a challenge. You must thoroughly understand which terminal you are arriving at, where your next flight is departing from, and how best to move from the arrival area to the departure area. Be sure to mark where you need to drop off and pick up your luggage. And it’s better to do this at home, in a calm environment, a few days before the flight. Hurrying to study the map of an intermediate airport when your plane is already aimed at its runway is not the most convenient option.

There is always a possibility that the plane will be delayed, for example due to unfavorable weather conditions. If you must arrive at your transfer point at approximately 17:00, do not take a flight departing before 18:30. You simply won’t have time to complete all the necessary actions. It is better to foresee in advance that your luggage may be delayed, and the queue at passport control may be longer than usual. Total The transfer takes about two to three hours.. If possible, check in for your next flight online - if the plane is delayed, this will save a lot of time. Online registration usually opens 12 hours or even a day in advance, so you can complete it at the point where you start your journey.

When does it make sense to choose a flight with a connecting connection??

If you want to see a city (country) without staying there for a long time. Some states allow travelers to transit the city without a visa (two to three days). You just need to present an air ticket confirming that you will fly out of the country on the specified date.

As we already mentioned, connecting flights may be cheaper than direct flights. If a trip to the country of your dreams threatens to turn into a financial crisis, it is worth exploring alternative options. It is quite possible that one connection or transfer will save you 30-40% of the original amount.

Flights with connections are inevitable in some directions or an attempt to save money in other cases.

How to perceive: adventure and the chance to see new cities or stress and excitement depends only on the knowledge and preparedness of the tourist. So, what do you need to know if you have a connecting flight?

How does the transplant take place?

When searching for tickets, the cheapest flights are those with transfers, and connecting times vary from half an hour to several days. This directly determines how comfortable the trip will be. The shorter the connection time, the more important it is to clearly know how a connecting flight is carried out.

If the transfer is critically short, up to 40 minutes, there is a high probability that no one will wait for the passenger. There are many reasons: delay of the first flight, long disembarkation from the ship, queue at passport control, etc.

If the transfer is several hours, you can while away the time in duty-free or waiting rooms. When exiting the plane, you need to follow the signs Transit, and not follow the general flow of passengers to exit the city.

If the layover is long, from five hours to several days, you can have time to take a sightseeing tour of the city or book a hotel for the night. To do this, you must obtain a transit visa for this state in advance and leave the airport building.

As a rule, Embassies are willing to issue a transit visa valid for 72 hours upon presentation of air tickets for a complex flight.

Such a long connection is an excellent chance to see Brussels, Kuala Lumpur, Doha and set off on your next route.

Baggage for connecting flights

The issue of luggage occupies the minds of tourists no less than the complexity of the flight. There are several points that knowledge will help you cope with your worries:

  • if the transfer is short-term, without leaving the sterile area or the airport, then the baggage cannot be received, it will be redirected by airport staff from one flight to another;
  • if the transfer is long, the passenger is allowed to exit into the city, then the luggage must be collected, in this case the connection will resemble two flights with registration, baggage drop-off, and control.

Keep your baggage receipt(tear-off part of the boarding pass) and air tickets for the rest of the trip - if suddenly, they will look for it along the entire route.

Remember, or better yet, take a photograph of the open suitcase; this will help in the event of loss of luggage to correctly and accurately describe its contents.

Flight baggage distribution systems, especially at large airports, sometimes fail, and a suitcase can mistakenly fly to the other side of the world - no one is immune from this. Therefore, important items, for example, warm clothes if flying from summer to winter, medicines, and children’s necessities should be taken with you.

When flying with transfers, especially if the route passes through different time zones, cultures, mentalities and laws of the country, it is important to take into account many details. For example, know that many other items are prohibited even in transit to Muslim countries, including if they were purchased in duty-free.

When going to an unfamiliar city during a connection, it is better to use the services of official taxis or excursion bureaus; this partly guarantees the reliability of the trip.

The time on airline tickets is always local., therefore, when transferring, for example, from Moscow to Doha, you need to add five hours.

Whether flights with transfers help save money is a controversial issue, everyone will draw their own conclusions, however, undoubtedly, such a trip will enrich the tourist experience and provide new knowledge!