Book connecting flights or book them seperately?

[leny]

What would you do? I have noticed that most (if not all!?) flights are more expensive when bought as connecting flights than when they are booked seperately (even with the credit card fee). I would book the flights seperately because of the cheaper price and because I don't mind picking up my luggage and checking in again. Your opinions?

 

[tassiedude]

It means more time waiting at the airport because you are suppoose to observe MCT (Minuimum Connection Times) i.e instead of a min of 35 Min for connecting flights I believe it is 90Mins for Domestic Connections not booked as a connecting flight.

Also airlines may not compensate you if you miss your connection due to a late arrival etc, as it was not booked as a connecting flight.

Personally I would prefer to pay that littlke bit extra unless it is substancially cheaper.

 

[leny]

It means more time waiting at the airport because you are suppoose to observe MCT (Minuimum Connection Times) i.e instead of a min of 35 Min for connecting flights I believe it is 90Mins for Domestic Connections not booked as a connecting flight.

Also airlines may not compensate you if you miss your connection due to a late arrival etc, as it was not booked as a connecting flight.

Personally I would prefer to pay that littlke bit extra unless it is substancially cheaper.

Yeah that makes perfect sense, and I would probably do it that way too if the flights were close to each other, but I am mainly talking about the flights that are a long time apart (ie: one arrives in the afternoon and the next one leaves at night like 6 hours later...)

 

[Dave Noble]

It means more time waiting at the airport because you are suppoose to observe MCT (Minuimum Connection Times) i.e instead of a min of 35 Min for connecting flights I believe it is 90Mins for Domestic Connections not booked as a connecting flight.

If booked separately there is no MCT since you are not connecting. The onward flight is at your own risk and the airline does not have to help you out if you do arrive late

Dave

 

[oz_mark]

I have in the past managed to get flights booked separately linked together so that I have not had to recheck baggage in the middle.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

I have in the past managed to get flights booked separately linked together so that I have not had to recheck baggage in the middle.

yes quite easy depending on the airlines involved and assuming the connection would satisfy a MCT if booked under single ticket (some notable exceptions BA and BD and some LCCs eg jetstar)

airlines tend not to allow through check of bags when the connection is less than MCT

other reasons for single ticket include
- higher baggage allowance (eg if travel includes north america on 1 part and doesn't include north america on the other part having separate tickets results in lower allowance)
- greater protection if need to reroute eg due to weather or flight cancellation (on single ticket there are better options to get you to destination but on separate tickets they only need to get you to the break point you chose between the tickets)
- can be cheaper as throughfare (or less points if award ticket)
- less taxes
- etc

 

[dajop]

leny, is this a general question for all airlines or are you looking at specific airlines? If so, which airlines for each flight? That might help get a more definitive answer.

 

[leny]

leny, is this a general question for all airlines or are you looking at specific airlines? If so, which airlines for each flight? That might help get a more definitive answer.

I am talking mainly about Qantas, Jet* and Virgin Blue for domestic trips.

 

[tassiedude]

Forget Jet* leny they do not offer connecting flights domestically, they do offer very limited international connections i for one would not like to put it to the test though

 

[dajop]

As tassiedude points out forget about connecting on anything involving Jetstar, it ain't an option so book it however you want.

With Qantas -> Virgin or vice versa, again no connection option so book it whichever way is best (if going through a TA who charges booking fees, it may be cheaper to book combination itineraries to reduce the TA fees, otherwise they will be separate anyway).

With Qantas -> Qantas, simply ring Qantas and politely ask them to link the bookings, should be OK, and have both booking references handy when you check in. Although with the Qantas online booking engine, usually brings up the same (and in some instances cheaper) through fares on connecting domestic flights, and if not can book using the new multiple destination tool and put them in the one booking anyway.

With Virgin Blue -> Virgin Blue, I know what you're talking about, I have seen (especially when sales are on) instances where separately booked flights are substantially cheaper than booked connecting flights. Unless someone else here knows (crazydave98 ??), I suggest you call Virgin Blue and ask the question about linking bookings/connecting luggage etc. That should in theory, be the most reliable source of information.

 

[JohnK]

What would you do? I have noticed that most (if not all!?) flights are more expensive when bought as connecting flights than when they are booked seperately (even with the credit card fee). I would book the flights seperately because of the cheaper price and because I don't mind picking up my luggage and checking in again. Your opinions?

I have booked QF flights in the past, with sufficient connection time, SYD-MEL-SYD and MEL-ADL-MEL, as separate bookings and called QF to link bookings before flying. Never an issue.

Have not had any hassles yet but no guarantee that things will always work out. Knowing the way QF has assisted me in the past I have no doubt that they will assist again in the future.

Book at your own risk and accept the consequences.

 

[crazydave98]

With Virgin Blue -> Virgin Blue, I know what you're talking about, I have seen (especially when sales are on) instances where separately booked flights are substantially cheaper than booked connecting flights. Unless someone else here knows (crazydave98 ??), I suggest you call Virgin Blue and ask the question about linking bookings/connecting luggage etc. That should in theory, be the most reliable source of information.

Hi leny & dajop, it's certainly the case that when there are sales on it is possible to piece together individual segments that end up cheaper than the formal connecting fare. We would like to be offer two sale fares strung together to make a cheaper connecting flight if we could because the present situation doesn't offer the best possible value for our guests and places us at a competitive disadvantage to Qantas in this regard. Unfortunately it's a limitation of our reservations system (which is subject of a project to move to a new system). Due to the same system, it is not possible to link two separate bookings as a connecting flight. As an aside, one of the reasons we bought the new smaller Embraer E-Jets is that it will allow us to begin direct flights between city pairs than we could with the larger B737, so hopefully there will be fewer occaisions to connect anyway in the future.

cheers
CrazyDave98

 

[tassiedude]

so hopefully there will be fewer occaisions to connect anyway in the future.

Passengers like me from tasmania will always have to connect

Well most of the time anyway only direct flights from launceston are Melbourne and Sydney, they did scrap Brisbane maybe with the net e-jets this route will return

 

[NM]

Passengers like me from tasmania will always have to connect

Well most of the time anyway only direct flights from launceston are Melbourne and Sydney, they did scrap Brisbane maybe with the net e-jets this route will return

I would expect several Tasmanian routes would be well services by the e-Jets, openin up more options than the traditional HBT/LST-MEL/SYD, perhaps bringing BNE, OOL and ADL into play as non-stops from HBT/LST.

 

[tassiedude]

Hopefully we will see (or maybe it is just my wishful thinking) HBA-CHC do the e-jets even have the range to fly that far?

 

[clifford]

Hopefully we will see (or maybe it is just my wishful thinking) HBA-CHC do the e-jets even have the range to fly that far?

Possibly, but I don't think you would want to fly that far over water (or anything else) on such a cramped little thing.

All those who have flown on Embraer RJ's would know what I am talking about.

And I have even flown on an Embraer RJ, LoT business class, WAW-NCE, still very pokey.

 

[Dave Noble]

Possibly, but I don't think you would want to fly that far over water (or anything else) on such a cramped little thing.

All those who have flown on Embraer RJ's would know what I am talking about.

And I have even flown on an Embraer RJ, LoT business class, WAW-NCE, still very pokey.

I have flown on them and find them quite a pleasant aircraft to travel on

Dave

 

[NM]

Hopefully we will see (or maybe it is just my wishful thinking) HBA-CHC do the e-jets even have the range to fly that far?

Yes, they do. But only the E-190 is planned to have ETOPS certification and not until later in the year. And of course DJ must also be ETOPS certified as well as the aircraft type and they may or may may not choose to undertake the certification requirements.

 

[crazydave98]

Possibly, but I don't think you would want to fly that far over water (or anything else) on such a cramped little thing.

All those who have flown on Embraer RJ's would know what I am talking about.

And I have even flown on an Embraer RJ, LoT business class, WAW-NCE, still very pokey.

Clifford, I think you may have in mind the ERJ145 (pictured below), which certainly qualifies as cramped and little, even in business class.

Although I know LOT do now also now have the E170. The E170/E190 are a totally different aircraft from the Embraer Regional Jets, different cross section. Every one who I have spoken to who has flown in it prefers it to both the A320 and B737, having wider seats, better positioned windows (tall fellas like me don't have to contort to see out) and being noticeably quieter - which of course would be important on a longer sector like trans-Tasman. And yes, Tassiedude, trans-Tasman is well within range of these aircraft.

cheers
CrazyDave98

 

[NM]

Clifford, I think you may have in mind the ERJ135/145, which certainly qualifies as cramped and little, even in business class. Although I know LOT do now also have the E170. The E170/E190 are a totally different aircraft from the Embraer Regional Jets, different cross section. Every one who I have spoken to who has flown in it prefers it to both the A320 and B737, having wider seats, better positioned windows (tall fellas like me don't have to contort to see out) and being noticeably quieter - which of course would be important on a longer sector like trans-Tasman. And yes, Tassiedude, trans-Tasman is well within range of these aircraft.

Yes, the double-bubble cross-section design of the E170/190 means the headroom when standing and the shoulder room when seated is similar to a 737. But the 2x2 seating means I would prefer to be on a E190 trans-Tasman flight than on a 737 for the same route. and if it meant the difference between a non-stop vs making a connection in SYD, then all the better!