Just how inadvisable is it to connect on different ticket numbers?

[Homer]

I’ve read stories on this board from time-to-time about pax connecting to flights from different ticket numbers and missing their connections. I’ve never been in this situation myself, but I’m about to put myself at some risk...

In November we will be connecting to an EK flight from CDG off an LH flight from MUC. The legal connection time is one hour and we have just over two hours for the connection, so at least the travel insurance won’t be rejected on that basis should we need it.

Of greater concern is some sort of delay - an aircraft that goes US or a weather event, etc, that means our inbound LH flight does not land at 12:15pm when it is scheduled to, and means we don’t make our 2:30pm EK flight home.

Would you regard this type of risk as *highly* inadvisable or merely *slightly* inadvisable?

 

[JohnK]

I don't know much about CDG but the question you need to answer is not whether your travel insurance covers you or not but if you happen to miss the flight when is the next one and can you afford the wait for the next flight? What if the next flight is full?

 

[Homer]

I don't know much about CDG but the question you need to answer is not whether your travel insurance covers you or not but if you happen to miss the flight when is the next one and can you afford the wait for the next flight? What if the next flight is full?

I have considered that question. The next flight is later the same day and currently it has seats available, but of course that could change between now and the flight so I don’t think that I will find the answer in that question.

My question is not about travel insurance coverage - that was an aside - it is about the generally held view on the risk levels of this type of thing.

 

[JohnK]

My question is not about travel insurance coverage - that was an aside - it is about the generally held view on the risk levels of this type of thing.

These types of connections are very risky. I would not be comfortable with a 2 hour connection especially in Europe in November. The weather can get bad and it is not uncommon to have delays.

In saying that I am risking a 1h 45m connection from CX to QF in SIN early October but that is a risk I am prepared to take as there are 3-4 other QF flights right after and I can easily take an extra day off work if there are some delays.

 

[notzac]

I personally wouldn't be comfortable with a 2 hour connection - is it possible to get an earlier MUC-CDG flight?

 

[Homer]

I personally wouldn't be comfortable with a 2 hour connection - is it possible to get an earlier MUC-CDG flight?

Yep there's one that gets into CDG at around 10.30 am so I will consider switching to it. I just need to check that EK's CDG lounge is OK for a 4 hour wait...

 

[tuapekastar]

I'm quite cautious with separate ticket connections to the extent I'll try and make them separate day connections. When made for the same day I'll leave at least 3 hours (and due to schedules it sometimes has to be more) - and guaranteed my inbound flight will arrive ontime or early, and the outbound late, but that's just Murphy at work. Whatever Plan B is if/when the connection fails will also influence the decision.

 

[Homer]

Thanks to all for your helpful replies. I have decided to try to switch our flights to leave from LHR instead of CDG - I’m holding seats pending a reissue tomorrow but it looks pretty good - as we can get an 8pm flight and I’ll aim to get into LHR mid-afternoon so we will have plenty of time (and plenty of alternatives) should something go wrong.

 

[NM]

Let me start by saying I am a "risk averse" person. My personal policy is that if I have separate tickets I will overnight at the transit location, just to minimise the risk of delay problems. I would also be ensuring the second ticket is either flexible or of low enough value that I consider it disposable.

By having an overnight transit, if my inbound flight is delayed enough to cause a connection problem, then I will know out the problem with sufficient notice to make alternate arrangements, either before making a very delayed initial departure or after arriving at a diversion location.

However, I understand this policy may not suit everyone and has its own constraints on timing and costs.

 

[NYCguy]

Let me start by saying I am a "risk averse" person. My personal policy is that if I have separate tickets I will overnight at the transit location, just to minimise the risk of delay problems. I would also be ensuring the second ticket is either flexible or of low enough value that I consider it disposable.

I wouldn't go that far, but I think that 2 hours at CDG is cutting it fine. You were wise to reschedule, Homer. I'm with tuapekastar - 3 hours is a reasonable buffer, except of you're flying out of a notorious airport such as, oh, I don't know, let's say, JFK! (Although now that the runway work is finished it should be back to "normal", which is still ordinary.)

 

[Homer]

OK I’ve got a 3:15pm LH flight out of MUC that gets into LHR (terminal 1) at 4:20pm. Our EK flight leaves from terminal 3 at 8:00pm. Unfortunately we’re going to need to clear customs, etc, collect our bags and walk between terminals in order to check in but I’m guessing that we should be doing that somewhere between 5-5:30pm all going well?

 

[harvyk]

Yeah, good move...

I'm with the others, I hate connecting with different PNR's, so when I have to do it I give a large buffer. Whilst I have once have had a 5 hour delay with a flight, it is a rare thing.

 

[Smackbum]

I've got a beauty coming up ; EDI-LHR-HKG on BA, followed by HKG-SGN on CX. The BA flights are 3 x awards + 1 x fare, the CX flight is a separate award booking for 4.

There is a 2:10 transition at Hong Kong and I'm not sure if we can check our bags all the way from EDI to SGN, or will have to collect them at HKG and re-check them in for the CX flight.

That said, I am actually more worried about the 1:50 transition at Heathrow, though at least there's no terminal change and bags aren't an issue.

So it is not out of the question that BA will not get me to Hong Kong on time, and then I will be at the mercy of Cathay Pacific. Anyone have experience of missing an award flight with them and what the likely outcome will be? I can cope with an unexpected night's stay in Hong Kong, but if they are going to sting me for 4 new one-way airfares to Vietnam and potentially cancel the return leg of the award (from Hanoi on Dragonair) then I had better check that TID will cover me.

 

[harvyk]

Have you been to HKG before? It's pretty big, if your plane does not place you near the transfer desk, and your departing plane is not from near the transfer desk, that 2:10 will seem like a very short amount of time, and that's if everything runs on time.

It's recommended on the map CX give you on check-in that you allow at least 20 minutes to walk to some of the gates at the opposite end of the terminal.

Your 1:50 transfer at LHR shouldn't be a problem if the booking is all on the one ticket (PNR) because BA will get you to HKG one way or another.

 

[rezzadogs]

My personal rule is 4 hours, although I will go shorter at airports I know are very efficient like SIN. For HKG, my preference is 3 hours, as the queues at the transfer desk and subsequent security lines can be painful. I've come very close to missing flights on 1:45 connections on the same PNR.

Although it must be said, I can spend hours at an airport plane spotting, and with a Priority Pass card, I have access to a lounge in most airports that I would use for connections.

 

[davidj-bell]

I've got a beauty coming up ; EDI-LHR-HKG on BA, followed by HKG-SGN on CX. The BA flights are 3 x awards + 1 x fare, the CX flight is a separate award booking for 4.

There is a 2:10 transition at Hong Kong and I'm not sure if we can check our bags all the way from EDI to SGN, or will have to collect them at HKG and re-check them in for the CX flight.

That said, I am actually more worried about the 1:50 transition at Heathrow, though at least there's no terminal change and bags aren't an issue.

So it is not out of the question that BA will not get me to Hong Kong on time, and then I will be at the mercy of Cathay Pacific. Anyone have experience of missing an award flight with them and what the likely outcome will be? I can cope with an unexpected night's stay in Hong Kong, but if they are going to sting me for 4 new one-way airfares to Vietnam and potentially cancel the return leg of the award (from Hanoi on Dragonair) then I had better check that TID will cover me.

Hmm... I know it's a bit late now, but I would have over nighted in HKG if (effectively) travelling all on award flights. Any of the BA flights could go unexpectedly wrong, and as far as I'm aware, award tickets are pretty unflexible.

On your question of checking bags through, I've checked bags on QF to CX on different tickets with no problem. But take your bag tickets to the re-chech counter at HKG to get them put onto your CX ticket.

 

[jrobin]

I've got a beauty coming up ; EDI-LHR-HKG on BA, followed by HKG-SGN on CX...There is a 2:10 transition at Hong Kong...

I have a similar trip planned with a 2:55 QF to CX transition in HKG, but at least Mrs. Jrobin is on a single QF RTW award ticket on QF and CX: PER-HKG-SGN-HKG-LHR. I am on a QF/BA RTW paid ticket PER-HKG-LHR with a separate award itinerary HKG-SGN-HKG.

... For HKG, my preference is 3 hours, as the queues at the transfer desk and subsequent security lines can be painful. I've come very close to missing flights on 1:45 connections on the same PNR....

Should we expect long queues at the HKG transfer desk at 6am on Thursday?

...On your question of checking bags through, I've checked bags on QF to CX on different tickets with no problem. But take your bag tickets to the re-chech counter at HKG to get them put onto your CX ticket.

What exactly do we need to do in HKG? I assume bags can be checked through to SGN.

Do we just go to the transfer desk ASAP and get in a queue?

Is the recheck counter to get bags put on a CX ticket mentioned by davidj-bell the same as the transfer desk, or are they separate counters?

 

[jrobin]

Another two-itinerary problem: because Mrs. Jrobin is on a RTW itinerary, including HKG-SGN-HKG, she has an allowance of two 23kg. pieces all the way. I also have two 23kg. pieces on the rest of my RTW itinerary (likely 3 as SG with QF), but just one piece 20kg. for HKG-SGN-HKG because it is a separate QF award itinerary.

Is there any way to get QF to link the two itineraries to allow 2 pieces on the HKG-SGN-HKG trip.

Or is there a storage facility at HKG like at SIN?

[I appreciate that QF would likely check 2 bags which might make it through to SGN, but then CX would decline to check more than one on the return.]

Or do I have to ask Mrs. Jrobin the non-status passenger nicely if she could work some things into her more generous two larger bag allowance to help out the Oneworld Sapphire member who has only one smaller bag permitted? Mrs. Jrobin would find this very amusing I think, and offering a drink in the CX lounge at 8am in return would not generate much enthusiasm. What could we expect early morning in a HKG CX lounge "near" departure gates for SGN?

 

[davidj-bell]

Is the recheck counter to get bags put on a CX ticket mentioned by davidj-bell the same as the transfer desk, or are they separate counters?

The same counter.

 

[zzzhobbes]

Can someone save me from a panic attack after reading these posts I am a bit worried I have a flight from hkg to lhr on 17 dec 10 on award with BA but paid for the flight with BA from lhr to txl ( Berlin ) arrive from hkg into lhr at 5am flight to Berlin is 7.05am
Will BA look after me if the Hkg flight is delayed ? As they are separate bookings