Using only the first leg of a connected flight when you need a visa for the final destination
A friend of mine booked a ticket a month or so ago which is a connected flight from Tehran to Istanbul and Istanbul to Belgrade (includes return ticket). Then we discussed his choice of traveling to Belgrade and the reason behind this decision (I believe Belgrade has not so many things to offer as "tourist attractions", so I blamed my friend and tried to convince him to skip the second leg and visit another city in Turkey instead). He has no problem visiting Istanbul anytime since it doesn't require a visa. It was the same for Serbia until last night that Serbia abolished visa free travel with Iran. My friend has also booked a flight from Istanbul to Kayseri and return ticket. My questions are:
- Is my friend still able to use the ticket to fly to Istanbul considering the fact that he needs a visa to travel to Serbia and has none?
- If he buys a separate ticket for his flight from Tehran to Istanbul, is he able to use the second leg of the return ticket to fly from Istanbul to Tehran?
Best Answer
Presuming that the flight from Istanbul to Belgrade is within 24 hours of his arrival into Istanbul, then he will almost certainly be denied boarding in Tehran if he does not meet the requirements to enter Serbia.
The airline will attempt to check him in for both flights, will detect his lack of a visa for Serbia, and will refuse to check him in for either flight.
If it is somehow able to check in for his first flight to Istanbul (eg, if it's a >24 hour connection, or if he obtains a visa for Serbia) but then fails to take the connecting flight to Belgrade, then the remainder of his ticket - including the return flights back to Tehran - will be cancelled by the airline.
The only options are to either obtain a visa for Serbia and continue on to Belgrade, or contact the airline to change the ticket - which will most likely have a fee associated with it.
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Can I only take first leg of flight?
No, you cannot skip the first leg of any itinerary. As stated above, after you've skipped a flight, all remaining flight legs on your itinerary will be canceled by the airline. It may seem silly, but this is a common mistake many infrequent travelers make.Do you need a visa when taking a connecting flight?
Re: Do I Need A Visa For A Connecting Flight Through The US? Yes. There is no transit at US airports and you will need to clear both Immigration and Customs at your first point of entry into the US regardless. You will need either an ESTA or a Visa.Can I just get on my connecting flight?
No you can't, if this is all on one ticket/PNR. This is called hidden-city ticketing. If you miss the first flight, your seat on the second flight will likely be automatically released.Does a connecting flight count as entering the country?
It is normally considered a visit if you are processed by Customs and Immigration, which you don't usually do on a connecting flight. Unless, of course, that connecting flight happens to be in the U.S. or you leave the airport during the connection.Flying Alone for the First Time | Connecting Flight Procedure | How to Catch a Connecting Flight
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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