Advantage to flights on same/different airlines, when connecting across different tickets
I'm going to be flying to the British Isles in a few months, and want to see three cities: Edinburgh, London, and Dublin. I considered getting a 3 leg booking, but for some reason it's extremely expensive - over double - to do so. Part of the reason being that Ireland is very cheap to fly to.
- Chicago <-> Dublin: $800 rt
- Dublin <-> London: $160 rt (around the same for Edinburgh, and about the same one-way from either, maybe $200 total)
- Chicago <-> London: $1000 rt (similar for Edinburgh)
- Chicago -> London -> Edinburgh -> Dublin -> Chicago: $2200 (!!)
These are all on "major" airlines direct from the airline (Aer Lingus or British Airways), I'm not travelling on Ryanair or chancing it on one of the shady ticket resellers.
Given the prices, I clearly prefer the Dublin round trip and then the separate price to London/from Edinburgh or reverse.
My question is, what's the best way to book this all told? Should I try to book all on the same airline, or book intentionally on separate airlines - or just pick the cheaper/simplest flights and not worry about it? I likely will stay in Dublin the first leg, so the return trip (London -> Dublin -> Chicago) would be all in the same day. If I book both tickets (separately) on British Airways, for example, will they forward my luggage if I ask them to, or will I need to deplane, pick up luggage, re-check, etc.? (Perhaps customs requires this anyway, I'm not familiar with UK/Ireland rules.) Will the airline notice I'm booking effectively a connecting flight and object (thinking I'm trying to get around paying the normal higher fare - which I sort of am, but I'm actually wanting to visit Dublin anyway, otherwise I probably wouldn't bother)?
American citizen, if relevant. I'll be travelling with my wife and two young children, also if relevant. Also, while not the main focus of the question, if there are suggestions on airlines (particularly Aer Lingus vs. British Airways, which seem the main two possibilities) they're welcomed.
Best Answer
If you'd prefer a short answer: if you fly on only 1 airline, you are much more likely to have a good outcome if there is a delay of the 1st flight, or some other issue. If it's a popular connection, they may hold the 2nd flight. If you miss a connection and it's their fault, almost all airlines will get you on the next available flight, and pay for your meal(s) and hotel room, if appropriate, while you're waiting, all at no charge to you. If there are 2 airlines involved, none of these considerations are likely, and you may have to pay a huge fare for a last-minute flight to replace the missed one.
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What if you have connecting flight with different airline?
In cases where the connecting flight is one another airline or another terminal, passengers must go through a security and baggage check once again before you get on board the connecting flight to reach your destination.Can you link two separate flights with the same airline?
A: It depends, but the general rule is NO. Some airlines will through check baggage onto separately ticketed flights, but some won't (even if both tickets are with the same airline). Some airlines will take pity if your delay is due to them, but others don't.What are the benefits of connecting flights?
5 Reasons to Take a Connecting Flight over a Non-Stop- It's cheaper. Let's be clear: Connecting flights are usually cheaper than non-stops, often significantly cheaper but not always. ...
- You get another reason to save. ...
- You may be able to squeeze in another city. ...
- Kids might need a break. ...
- Adults might need a break.
Does a connecting flight have to be with the same airline?
Fly on a single ticket when you need to connect flightsTypically, any connecting itinerary you arrange on a single ticket conforms with whatever connecting times apply. That's true even on tickets that involve two airlines, as long as those airlines have interline agreements.Connecting Flights *Explained* - Backpacking For Beginners Ep. 5
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