Transit flight: everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask. How a transfer flight works: description of actions, travel tips, reviews

Flights with transfers are generally cheaper than direct flights. A transfer is a good way to take a break from a flight, stretch your legs, have a bite to eat in a cafe, not to mention the fact that you cannot get to some cities and countries without transfers. By following simple rules and tips, you will know how to fly on a connecting flight, how not to be late for a connecting flight, and what to do if you are still late.

Why flights with transfers are cheaper

Flights with transfers are cheaper because airlines reduce the risk of non-full capacity. A connecting flight is usually carried out through the airline's hub airport, where passengers are unloaded and additionally boarded. For example, the Moscow-Amsterdam flight of AirBaltic will be operated via Riga. The airline will sell air tickets to those passengers who travel from Moscow only to Riga, and to the following passengers who need to go from Riga to Amsterdam. Thus, the aircraft will be filled and the carrier will make a profit.

Before buying tickets, pay attention to the number of transfers. One transfer reduces the cost of air tickets, but 2-3 does not. If an air ticket with several transfers is cheaper, then usually this is a small difference in price. Several transfers are tedious, long and expensive. However, for flights from regional cities, 2 transfers is a common situation, because there are no other flight options.

5 rules for connecting flights

Before you buy tickets for a flight with a transfer, read the 5 simple rules for connecting flights. A connecting flight might not be right for you. Considering the time, effort and money that will be spent during the transfer, a direct flight will turn out to be cheaper in the end.

1. One airline

If possible, buy flights with transfers from the same airline. The airline will be responsible for the connection, if the flight is late, then you will fly on the next one for free. Luggage can also not be received at the connecting airport, the airline will deliver it to the final destination.

2. Visa control

Carefully study the visa regulations of the transit country and find out about the availability and opening hours of the transit zone at the airport where you plan to transfer. If you are not going to leave the airport building, then most likely you do not need a visa. But it will be required to exit the transit zone - when it is necessary to receive and re-register baggage. Some countries, such as the US, Australia, and Canada, require a transit visa, whether you leave the airport or the transit area.

For visa control regulations in a particular country, check with or the international visa database maintained by airlines.

3. Baggage check-in

Baggage check-in rules depend on the airlines you fly with and the specifics of the connecting airports. If you bought one ticket and fly with one airline, then, most likely, the luggage will be delivered immediately to the final destination, the carrier will take care of it. Check this point when checking in your luggage at the first airport.

Those who carry items subject to declaration will have to collect their luggage at the connecting airport and check it in again for the next flight.

If you bought tickets from different airlines, take care of your luggage yourself. To re-register, you will have to leave the transit zone, outside it you may need a visa.

4. Transplant time

Pay attention to the transfer time. If it is not enough, for example, 50 minutes, then when boarding the plane at the airport of the first departure, warn the flight attendants that you are flying with a transfer. You will be helped to get off the plane first, this will save time.

Allow at least 1 hour for transfer. Moving "quickly" will not work. You will reach the airport 15-20 minutes after landing. Next - baggage claim, it's another 20-30 minutes. If the connecting flight is with the same airline or on alliance flights, then baggage is checked in for both aircraft at once. Not everyone has this service, so find out in advance.

After collecting your luggage, go to check-in, the journey to the departure area will take from 20 to 50 minutes. At large airports, the desired zone may be in another terminal, you can get there by service transport. Boarding starts 40 minutes before departure, so it's best to arrive at the check-in desk 1 hour in advance.

Remember that the flight ticket indicates the time of take-off and arrival. For a quiet transfer, you should have at least 2 hours.

If during a transfer you need to change the airport, then it will take from 4 to 6 hours to move from one airport to another. This is the “ideal” time, keep in mind that the first flight may be delayed or canceled, and luggage lost. Therefore, choose options "with a margin": it is better to wait than to be late.

5. Go out to the city during the transfer

If the connection between flights is less than 6 hours - do not risk it, stay at the airport. There is always a chance to get carried away, get lost, get stuck in traffic and end up missing the next flight.

If you are flying with a transfer, try to buy tickets from the same airline. This will save you from possible problems with luggage or flight delays. Allow at least 2 hours for a transfer and carefully study the visa control rules in the transit country.

Air travel has long been a fairly commonplace for most people. And yet, someone has already plowed the expanses of the sky in all directions, and someone will have to cross long distances on a winged metal ship for the first time. For the majority, a significant priority when buying tickets for liners is their price. And, as a rule, it will be less if you fly with a transfer. But sometimes you have to wait a very long time for the next flight. Can I leave the airport when transferring? We will try to give the most complete answer to this question.

What is a transplant?

To correctly understand whether it is possible to leave a transit airport during a transfer, you need to understand the essence of some terms. So, transfer is a change of two or more sides of aircraft when moving from point A to point B. That is, on the way, a person will have to board one plane and fly on it to some intermediate point (transit), transfer to another board, which will take him to a new transfer point or directly to his destination. The intervals during which the passenger is in the air are called flight shoulders. When issuing tickets with transfers, there can be 2 or more of them. A direct flight is when there is only one flight leg in the route.

On a note! The transplant can last from several minutes to several hours. This means that between flights there will be some time period during which a person will be and wait for the next flight. In certain cases, this time can be spent usefully and take a walk around nearby attractions.

Transfer and docking - what's the difference?

It is worth mentioning another term that is often encountered by future passengers when buying a ticket. This is a docking. How is it different from a transplant? In essence, nothing, except that when connecting, all flights will be marked in one itinerary receipt, and when transferring, a person, as a rule, chooses other flights on his own. There is nothing wrong if the transplant is called docking.

It is also worth familiarizing yourself with two more important terms - this is stopover and layover. The first means that the connection between flights will last more than 24 hours, and with a stopover it will be less than 24 hours.

On a note! To find the place from where another desired flight departs at the airport, you should navigate by the inscriptions Transfer, Flight Transfers, Connecting Flights and the like. The notation Transit is less commonly used.

Video - Transfer flight: types of connections

Transit rules

You should not be afraid of transplants - everything is extremely simple here, if you understand and delve into their essence. They go like this: a plane taking off from point A lands at the airport of an intermediate point B, where a person leaves the vehicle and goes to this airport. After a certain time, the passenger must pass at the same airport to the landing site and board another plane. That's the whole transplant. But sometimes you have to wait a lot of time, which is why many people want to leave the airport and go for a walk around the neighborhood.

The complexity of the transfer will depend on how the flight is organized. For example, if a passenger flies by planes of one airline or by ships of partner companies, then everything is simple here. If the flight takes place at the expense of different people, then it is important to carefully consider all the intricacies of the trip - here you will have to answer for all the misses and mistakes yourself, while in the first case, even if you are late for the second flight, the carrier company will be able to help. In the second case, you will have to rely only on yourself.

It is very important to always calculate the time correctly, since in certain cases you will have to go through customs control again, and you will not be able to avoid passport control. At international airports, these procedures usually take longer.

Attention! The transfer can take place at the same airport or at different ones. Therefore, it is important to thoroughly study your route and, if necessary, consider how to get from the place of arrival to a new place.

The easiest way is if the transfer takes place within the same terminal. Here it will be enough just to follow the appropriate signs to the place of landing or the waiting room. There you need to find the second flight on the scoreboard, read the departure data and go to the right exit at the right time. This is the fastest transfer option. You can find out where and how the change of aircraft will take place already at the stage of buying tickets or on the airline's website by the flight number. Typically, this transfer option is provided at small airports.

Attention! Some small airports do not have a transit zone. In this case, for international flights, it is important to familiarize yourself with the visa regimes of the countries visited. For example, even when flying from Russia to a visa-free country through Tallinn, it will still be needed due to the lack of a transit zone at the place of transfer, because immediately after getting off the plane, you will have to go through customs again.

It is more difficult to transfer between different airports or terminals. Another question is how close they are relative to each other and whether there is enough time to move from point A to point B so as not to miss the flight. Sometimes even from one terminal to another at the same airport, you may need to order a taxi or travel by public transport.

On a note! If the change of airports takes place on the territory of Russia, then citizens of the country should not worry about having a visa. But in other countries this can be a problem. In some countries, even changing the terminal may require a visa.

Is it possible to leave the airport?

Regarding this question, we can say that the answer will not be unambiguous, since a lot depends on a certain kind of formalities. You can almost always leave the airport during a transfer, but for this you must have all the documents you need to cross the border. You can always go for a walk around the neighborhood if the change of planes takes place on the territory of your country with a connection. But upon returning to the airport, you will have to go through security control again - all liquids bought on a walk will be taken away.

The need for a visa depends largely on the citizenship of the passenger and the rules for visiting transit countries. You can check the need for a visa on the website-database "Timatic".

On a note! A transit visa can, in certain cases, be obtained directly at the airport. But you should find out about this in advance on the website of the institution. Sometimes, without such a visa, they may even be denied boarding on another flight if the connecting flight is issued separately.

Baggage: Do I need to pick it up?

Luggage is a big and significant issue. What is his fate in transplants? If the trip takes place on one ticket (two or more boarding passes received at the first flight will be on hand at once), then luggage can be checked in to the very final point and picked up already at the final point of the journey, without dragging it around the transit airport. The airline itself will take care of it, its employees will simply reload the bags onto another plane.

Attention! If things subject to declaration are being transported, then you still have to receive baggage at the place of transit and you will need to re-register it for a new flight.

You will also have to take care of your luggage on your own if the flight is made on different tickets. The transit airport will not be able to send it without the knowledge of the owner. When flying on board different airlines (not having a partnership agreement), luggage will also have to be picked up and checked in again.

Table. Can I collect luggage when buying 2 separate tickets?

The best option is not to go astray - before planning a trip, get detailed advice regarding luggage from the selected airline.

More about boarding passes

Usually, even for flights with transfers (simple), two or more boarding passes are immediately issued at the primary check-in counter - check-in is made on all boards until the end of the route. But if the transfer lasts more than 24 hours, then you will have to check-in for further flights on your own. Also, sometimes other planes will be immediately denied check-in if one of the passengers is a child without a seat. Sometimes two separate tickets are sold and registration is always done independently.

Actions for those who want to get out

In order not to get confused and to correctly understand whether it is possible to leave the airport during a transfer and how to do it, there is a short list of tips.

To leave the airport, you need to follow the signs that say "Exit" or exit in English. Further, each passenger must go through passport control, where a visa check will be carried out if necessary. After that, the person enters the arrivals hall. Here you can try to check in the luggage received earlier in the storage room.

If possible, before leaving the airport, you can try to find out the gate number through which the next flight will be boarded. But, unfortunately, this is not always possible, especially if the transfer is very long - the information board simply will not contain information about the desired flight.

How to calculate time?

Proper timing is a guarantee that you will not have to gallop and jump into a plane that is already preparing to take off. It is important to remember that it will take about 30-60 minutes to find an exit, get luggage and find a luggage room depending on the list of procedures to be completed, the speed of the airport staff, as well as the size of the building itself. When calculating the time, it is worth remembering that you need to return to the airport at least 1.5-2 hours before the departure of the next flight.

The time spent waiting for a taxi, getting to the city and back is also taken into account. It may be different depending on the distances that can be known in advance by looking at the maps. The time spent outside the airport itself must be at least 3 hours, otherwise the sortie will be meaningless. In general, you will have to spend a total of at least 8 hours on a mini-excursion, taking into account the round trip and overcoming all the formalities before boarding. It is especially important to make a good reserve of time for those who go on such a trip for the first time.

On a note! In some cases, the road to the city from the airport does not take much time. In this case, you can have time to visit enough interesting places and buy souvenirs as a gift.

Video - How to overcome the fear of flying

How to handle long transplants. Instruction

For those who are afraid of long transplants, there is a small instruction on how to use this time to good use.

Step 1. It is worth treating a long layover as part of an exciting journey. If there is an opportunity and enough time, it is recommended to leave the airport and go to explore the surrounding area. Worth a walk, even if the whole area is just an airplane terminal. During such a walk, you can get an invaluable and useful experience.

Step 2 If transfers are not interesting for a passenger, then the best option is to choose a flight with a minimum amount of time spent on this procedure.

Step 3 Planning is always useful, including the transplant itself. You can organize this time in such a way that you have the opportunity to go shopping at least.

Step 4 It is required to find out all the information about the airport where the transfer will be. Information about its size, the presence of cafes or restaurants, boutiques with goods, and entertainment complexes will be interesting. All this information is usually available on the website of the institution. It is recommended to print a map of the airport and put interesting places on it. It is also important to study information about storage rooms and their cost. If time permits, it is better to check in your luggage and take a walk around the city, if it is nearby.

Step 5 Some airports have VIP clubs where you can relax and unwind in a relaxed environment. Membership costs about $200 a year, but for those who travel frequently, it can be a good option to wait out the transfer time. There are options for one-time visits to such zones.

VIP area for passengers

Step 6 You do not need to check everything in your luggage, especially if the transfer is long. It is better to leave on hand a few things that may come in handy: phone chargers, a camera, cash, etc.

Step 7 It is recommended to ask the airport staff for information about the departure of the next flight in order not to miss the plane. The same information can be indicated on the information board. This will help you navigate and plan your time.

Step 8 Sometimes you can not wait for the allotted time if there are earlier flights and empty seats on them. You can fly away without paying extra, in certain cases. You can get information from the agents of the airline.

Step 9 If children are flying with passengers, then it is important to think about what you can do with them during the transfer. Otherwise, the wait will turn into a nightmare. This is especially true for those who will wait for the right time without leaving the airport.

Step 10 Reading has always been a good pastime. So you can pass the time with your favorite book.

Step 11 Walking and eating will help pass the time. Even if the walking place is small and limited to the territory of the airport. Sometimes there are interesting places inside the back - exhibitions or expositions of paintings. There are also eateries and restaurants in almost every airport.

Walking is always good

Step 12 Wi-Fi, which is available in almost every airport, is also a great way to pass the time. So a transplant is an opportunity to hang out on social networks or work. The latter is relevant for freelancers.

Video - Transfer flights

Transplants are not as complicated and scary as they seem at first glance. Very often, this seemingly wasted time can be put to good use. The main thing is to plan everything and, if possible, leave the airport and take a walk around the city.

How long does it take to transplant? How will the luggage fly? And what if the plane is late and I'm with him? - we answer these and other questions about how to organize your docking for the first time without nerves in the new issue of the “It’s a shame to ask” column.

Looks like I need a transplant. What does it usually look like?

Globally, this is the same transfer as from a bus in Vilnius to a bus, say, to Berlin. It's just that your stop occupies several hectares of land and is very careful about safety. And the longer your route, the more likely it is that you will have to fly with a transfer.

In its simplest form, the transplant looks like this. You take a ticket from the airline, on which you fly to your destination through a transit airport. You arrive at the transit airport and get off the plane not to the arrivals area, but to the transfer (just follow the signs). Then find your new terminal and gate, go through the security check again, if necessary - passport control and wait for your next flight. , you already know.

How is a boarding pass issued?

In most cases, boarding passes are registered and issued for all flights within the flight immediately to the final destination. They can not register for all flights if the transfer at the airport lasts longer than 24 hours, if you are flying with a child without a seat, and, of course, if you connect flights on your own.

How long does it take to transplant?

You can determine this by looking at the map of your transfer airport. At small airports with one terminal (like the one in Riga) 30-40 minutes is enough.

In the case of larger airports, boarding and departure may take place at different terminals. Then you will either have to walk further to get to your gate in the other wing of the building, or they will be so far away that transport is indispensable. In this case, free buses or trains run at airports. The minimum required time for such a transplant is 1.5-2 hours.

If there are several airports around the city, as in (Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo, Zhukovsky) or (Charles de Gaulle, Orly and Beauvais), it may turn out that you need to change not only the terminal, but also the airport. Communication between them is usually well organized and transport is easy to find. But accordingly, the time for transplantation increases. Let's say if the distance between airports is 100 km, add another hour and a half to get there. We get about 4 hours at a minimum for such a transplant.

I'm flying to Brazil via the European Union. Do I need a visa?

In the question of whether a visa is needed for a transfer, there are more exceptions than rules. For example, in most cases, a visa is not required if the transfer takes place within the same airport through the transit zone. But all this order breaks down about, the USA and where you will need a transit visa, even if you spend only a couple of hours in the transfer zone of these countries.

It is possible to deal with this issue only in a single situation. Look at the tickets and open the airport website - you need to find out whether there will be a transfer within the same airport or not, whether there is a transit zone (for example, in a small Tallinn airport there is none at all, that is, a visa is needed). When you find out the details about the airport, google something like visa requirements for transit through ______ (transit visa requirements for ______) and read the visa requirements of a particular country for your specific citizenship.

What to do if you realize on the plane that you are already late for the next flight?

For starters, don't panic. Contact the flight attendant and tell them about your problem. They will not be able to immediately delay the next flight for you, but they will understand how many passengers on their board are changing. If there are many of you, they can reorganize the exit from the salon. Passengers who have arrived at the end point are asked to remain in their seats and to release those who are late for a transfer. So you can win up to half an hour and have time to run to the next gate. If you are alone, then you can be transplanted closer to the exit. In general, report this to the crew, at the security check, airport employees - they can all contact the employees on the radio at the next stages of the transfer and increase your chances of being on time.

As soon as you understand that you are late and inform the flight attendant about it, start packing your headphones, a book and any other things in your hand luggage so that you do not have to do this while rushing to the exit. Make sure you have your boarding pass and passport with you in an easily accessible place so that you don't waste time looking for it and retrieving it at customs or the next check-in.

Even in the transfer zone, you have to go through security again. Therefore, immediately remove the rings, remove the keys from your pockets, arrange your smartphone in your bag so that you do not have to fuss with it during the inspection.

If you are late, you can skip the security check queue. Airports are aware of late flights, transfers and checkpoints with increased workload are on duty by employees who control queues. Go up to him (her), tell him that you are late for the transfer and they will let you go to the front of the line. If there is no employee, calmly explain to others that you are late: we are all people, most likely they will let you through. In the worst case, there will be many of you there, but this is already a transport collapse and a completely different story.

Look for signs indicating directions to the transfer zone and run to find your next gate. By the way, if you run along travelators, this greatly speeds up the process.

I can't be late. How to be?

The only reliable way is to schedule your arrival a day or two before the desired date. If, after all, there is no way in advance, choose carriers with a solid reputation and a large pool of partners - the larger the alliance includes the airline, the more partners on whose flights you can be transplanted, which means that you are more likely to fly faster.

For example, Aeroflot has 20 partners in the Skyteam alliance, many of them are Asian, which means that when flying in this direction, you have a good chance of transferring to another flight. The European Lufthansa, for example, has 28 airlines as partners in Star Alliance, whose route network covers the main cities of Europe and America, and also captures Asia. And if you plan to travel in the Pacific region, you may be interested in local companies from the Value Alliance, which have the best route network there.

Read more about what and how to do in case of being late in the next guide.

What is stopover and layover? What to do with them?

In total, these two words describe connections of different duration at transit airports.

layover- short connection up to 24 hours, you will spend less than a day at the transit airport. Layover is often used interchangeably with connection in terminology.

This is a connection at a transit airport lasting more than 24 hours.

This time can be put to good use. Let's imagine that you are flying to the USA with a transfer in and not in a particular hurry. In this case, from the proposed options, you can choose a longer flight (they are usually also cheaper), and spend the time waiting for the next flight not under the board while waiting for the flight, but walking around Hagia Sophia. Some companies even give a night in a hotel or flash tours of the city. So it will turn out to save money, and +1 city to see.

Read more about what a stopover is.

Briefly about the main:

1 Explore the airport. Find out how far apart the airport terminals are, if there is a transit zone, if you need a visa.

2 Make sure you have enough time to transfer. Assume that less than 1.5 hours for a transfer is already very tight.

2 Now you can click the "Buy Tickets" button. Seriously, don't buy tickets with connections that are obviously too short unless you're sure you can get to a nearby terminal or airport quickly. However, sometimes it turns out to be a good adventure;)

4 You can link tickets manually. But at your own risk
If you buy one flight with several tickets inside, the airline is responsible for your arrival on time. If you take two different tickets and plan the connection yourself, you are responsible. So check.

5 Double check if . This segment of airlines does not have connecting flights, so the delay due to their fault will have to be compensated from their own pocket.

6 If you see that you are late - do not panic. Instead, inform all employees (crew, border guards, airport staff) about the problem. They can radio information about you, which increases the chances of being on time.

7 Put the stopover to good use. Relax and do not be on duty under the scoreboard at the airport when everything is normal, and there is still half a day before your departure. Use this time to your advantage: see a new city or just hang out in the lounge with a computer and work.

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Some passengers are willing to pay any amount of money just to travel all the way on the same plane. And vice versa - there are people who invent unthinkable combinations and combine three or four flights in one trip. Why are they doing that? What is a docking 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 "transplant" 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 ticket is valid throughout the flight. Most often, stops are made to change the vehicle - passengers leave the plane, go to the airport and board another aircraft in another terminal. A different amount of time is allotted for docking - from an hour with a little to a day, but most often from 2 to 6 hours.

When flying with a connection, passengers usually worry about two questions::

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

Do I need to pick up and check in my luggage at the docking station?

A mandatory procedure for docking is security control. It's not the airline's, but the airport's, to make sure you're not trying to carry a bomb in your hand luggage. In some major interchange hubs, screening is required at the entrance to each terminal.

Check-in for a connecting flight is issued once - at the airport of departure. Then you get a document, which you show at the intermediate airport. There is usually no need to go through customs. Those who stay in the transit zone all the time during the docking are not threatened by border control either. But if you want to go out into the city and get to know the culture of the country better, you should find out in advance whether this is acceptable 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 luggage. Its employees transfer your property from one aircraft 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. If you do not find your suitcases at the airport of arrival, the carrier must also look for them. In case of loss of luggage, you need to contact the airline office at the airport and fill out the necessary documents.

So, docking is not particularly difficult - we have just seen this. What does a transplant look like? Let's say you are 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 the second - from Paris to New York. A transfer will be considered the moment at the airport when you transfer from one aircraft to another. In fact, this is not much different from a transfer in the city to another bus. The difference is only in the details.

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

At large foreign airports, orientation to the terrain can be a problem. You must thoroughly understand which terminal you are arriving at, where your next flight departs from, how best to go from the arrival zone to the departure zone. Be sure to mark where you need to check in and receive your luggage. And it is better to do it at home, in a calm environment, a few days before the flight. Hastily studying the layout of an intermediate airport when your plane has 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 adverse weather conditions. If you are due to arrive at your transfer point around 5:00 pm, do not take a flight that departs before 6:30 pm. You just won't be able to do everything you need to do. It is better to foresee in advance that luggage may be delayed, and the queue at passport control may be longer than usual. Total It takes about two to three hours for a transplant. If possible, check in for the next flight online - if the plane is delayed, this will save a lot of time. Online check-in usually opens 12 hours or even a day in advance, so you can go through it even at the point where you start your journey.

When it makes sense to choose a flight with a connection (transfer)?

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

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

Those that can be found are almost always tickets with one or more transfers. So choosing a ticket with a transfer is the easiest way to save money on a trip (if you didn’t have time to buy a ticket for a promotion or on sale). Today I want to talk about how to fly with transfers and some features of flights that you should not forget about.

When buying tickets, first of all, pay attention to tickets in which all flight segments are operated by one airline or airlines that are members of an alliance. In this case, most of the possible problems associated with transplantation 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 in advance for the flight.

Be sure to consider the following points:

1. Visa requirements. Always check visa requirements at 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 can be printed tickets, electronic permits, return tickets, credit cards, etc. For example, when we flew through Helsinki, at the airport we were asked to show confirmation that we were really flying on and not staying in Finland at the baggage check. I bought an electronic ticket, 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 in my mail a letter 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 data, so in fact it was difficult to call this letter a document. And yet, we were lucky, and we 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.

It is necessary to find out in advance whether you need to receive luggage at the transit point and check it in again. If you need to check in your luggage again, this immediately means that you will have to leave the transit area, which means that 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 the luggage is checked in to the final destination. For up-to-date 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 airlines provide different segments of the flight, then find out the baggage requirements for each company. Because, for example, the maximum weight and dimensions of hand luggage may differ, as well as the allowance for checked baggage.

5. Transplant conditions. Find out in advance how the transfer will be carried out - is it one airport or several, one terminal or different, what is the distance between the terminals, how and on 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 a transfer - the first flight may be delayed. It all depends on the conditions of a particular transplant. It's one thing if you arrive and depart from the same terminal - here in most cases 2 hours will be enough for a transfer, and it's quite another if you need to get from one airport to another - even 5 hours may not be enough here. Again, read the experiences of people who have already flown this route - but keep in mind that your transfer may take longer, so plan well. It is better to spend extra time at the airport than frantically run to your flight with the risk of being late for it.

7. On-line check-in for the flight. To save time at the airport, check in for all flights online in advance. Find out how long before the departure of the aircraft online check-in begins and set yourself reminders. It will be great if you manage to check in for the 2nd segment of the flight in advance, so as not to spend extra time at the transit point (and this is not always possible, for example, due to the large time interval between the first and second boarding). However, if you have a single ticket, then most likely you will be offered 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 the airline's 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 transfer (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 the duty free of the original point of departure if you are going to leave the transit area at the transfer point, and you are going to carry the purchases in hand luggage. Even if the packages are sealed, you may not be allowed on the second segment of the flight.

2. How is the transfer within the transit zone

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

2.1. First of all, find departure 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 time of departure. It is 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 the inspection, go to the counter for transit passengers.

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

2.3. After the inspection, you need to follow the arrows Transit(You do not plan to go out into the city) to get into the transit zone.

2.4. Once you are in the transit area, first find out where the the output you want, and then, if there is time left, you can walk around duty free shops or look into a cafe.

2.5. If your flight was not on the board of departing aircraft, then you need to find a transit counter(again, focus on the Transit sign) or the airline counter. You can find it on the airport maps or simply by asking the airport staff at the ticket check desks (next to the boarding gates). At the transit counter, be sure to check what time your flight arrives and what the boarding gate will be.

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

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

3. How is the transfer with the exit from the transit zone

If you want to walk around the city where you plan to transfer, or you need to get to another airport (or terminal) of departure, then you will have to leave the transit zone. You will most likely need to pick up your luggage, but not always, so find out in advance if this is necessary.

3.1. So, you have arrived at the airport. Pass inspection first.

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

3.3. After you have collected your luggage, go to passport control. Here they will check your documents, a visa (if it is required to visit this country), they may ask general questions about the purpose of your stay and / or ask you to show a ticket to the next point. If all the rules have been met, then 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 a few days, and will fly out of the same airport, then it is best to leave your luggage in storage room and take only the things you need with you.

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

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

4. How to calculate the transfer time if you need to leave the transit area?

Always plan ahead!

The transfer time is made up of the following activities:

4. 1. Time of baggage claim. Baggage claim can be greatly delayed, sometimes luggage arrives only with the next flight. So if you're flying with a layover and you can only check in luggage for one segment of the journey, you might want to consider flying without luggage, with hand luggage only. But if you still have luggage, then allow more time for baggage claim. Read reviews about a particular airline, how often luggage delays occur, at which airports this happens, how long luggage can be delayed, etc.

4.2. Passport control time.

It all depends on the case - in front of you in the queue there can be either a couple of people or a whole crowd. 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 go by 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 the waiting time for transport.

4.4. The time of check-in for the flight and passing through all inspections, as well as passport control at the airport of departure. If possible, check-in for your flight online to avoid the check-in queue. Even if you have luggage, the time for check-in will be reduced, because. at many airports, luggage 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.