Calling all international flight experts!

[skimomma]

My family is planning to trip to Europe in a few months.  We live 8-10 hours from the nearest major airport.  The airport that services our area only has one airline and flies a single route to one city.  If we were to fly from home using that airline, our tickets are not only very expensive but require 3 stops and over 24 hours of travel time.  So, we generally drive to one of the major airports and fly direct.  Even with gas and lodging, it costs less than half to do this.  So that is our plan.

But.  One member of our household cannot leave until several days after everyone else.  And this person does not have a car or major travel experience.  I was originally going to pay for the much more expensive ticket for them to fly to/from our home airport.  But then started to worry that with three stops, each way, two of which in other countries, there is a whole lot than can go wrong.  And they are not really prepared to deal with that.  So, I hatched a new plan and am wondering if this will be a problem.

The plan is to book them on a direct flight to and from the same airport we will be all flying out of, booking the return flight to be the same as the rest of the group.  Then book a one-way ticket from our local airport to the hub to catch their flight to join us.  Then we would all fly back together and drive home together.  My concerns/questions are:

1.  What happens when they get to the hub airport?  Do they exit the terminals and check in again as though they just arrived at the airport by car? 

2.  Will they somehow be "flagged" as suspicious since they just got off of a one-way flight?

3.  Is there a better way to do all of this?  Are there companies that arrange multi-airline tickets?

I feel like these are perhaps dumb questions but I really don't want to mess this up if we are not thinking of something important.

 

[Bootsie]

So, am I understanding correctly that the group will be leaving your town a few days earlier, staying in another city, and then flying to Europe?  So, this person would just be missing out on the first few days in the other city but then flying to Europe at the same time?  

Some of the specific logistics will depend upon if the person is checking bags and how long it is between flights 

Yes, multi-airline tickets can be arranged; it is going to be easier if they are codeshare/partner airlines.  You can try putting in a multi-leg ticket in the search function of the airline that you are using for the international flight.  

[Corraleno]

I think this could work as long as there is plenty of time between the arrival of the first flight (including allowing for possible delays) and checking in for the second flight. If the time is tight, it might be worth it to go the night before and get a nearby hotel. There's nothing suspicious about having a one-way ticket, I always buy one-way domestic tickets (on Southwest), because it simplifies things if I have to make changes. 

If you are planning to check bags, I'd have someone in the party who leaves earlier bring the luggage (or at least some of the clothes, toiletries, etc.) for the person who is coming later, so that person can just bring a carry-on and not worry about collecting their luggage at baggage claim at the first destination and then rechecking it for the next flight on a different airline. Besides the hassle of having to collect and recheck it, there is always a slim possibility of luggage being lost or delayed or misrouted, and you don't want to have to deal with that when you need to run to catch another flight.

 

Edited February 7, 2022 by Corraleno

[fraidycat]

Yes, they will have to exit the concourse, collect their baggage and go back through security. So, make sure, at the hub airport there is sufficient time between arrival and take-off.

They will not be flagged for flying one-way.

You may be able to book the flight all at once, leaving from your home airport and arriving at the hub airport. In that case, baggage would just be transferred and there is no need to leave the secured area. However, there is a greater chance of lost luggage doing it that way, because transfers of luggage between airlines is not always great.

[skimomma]

27 minutes ago, Bootsie said:

So, am I understanding correctly that the group will be leaving your town a few days earlier, staying in another city, and then flying to Europe?  So, this person would just be missing out on the first few days in the other city but then flying to Europe at the same time?  

Some of the specific logistics will depend upon if the person is checking bags and how long it is between flights 

Yes, multi-airline tickets can be arranged; it is going to be easier if they are codeshare/partner airlines.  You can try putting in a multi-leg ticket in the search function of the airline that you are using for the international flight.  

No, the group will be driving to another city and flying to Europe all on the same day.  The last person would then fly to the other city a few days later (on the one-way flight) and then fly to join us in Europe.

I have messed with every kind of code sharing within the airline that services us locally but they do not have as many offerings/partners in the region we are going so every flight is expensive and requires many legs.  I cannot get it under 24 hours and three stops.

[skimomma]

8 minutes ago, Corraleno said:

I think this could work as long as there is plenty of time between the arrival of the first flight (including allowing for possible delays) and checking in for the second flight. If the time is tight, it might be worth it to go the night before and get a nearby hotel. There's nothing suspicious about having a one-way ticket, I always buy one-way domestic tickets (on Southwest), because it simplifies things if I have to make changes. 

If you are planning to check bags, I'd have someone in the party who leaves earlier bring the luggage (or at least some of the clothes, toiletries, etc.) for the person who is coming later, so that person can just bring a carry-on and not worry about collecting their luggage at baggage claim at the first destination and then rechecking it for the next flight on a different airline. Besides the hassle of having to collect and recheck it, there is always a slim possibility of luggage being lost or delayed or misrouted, and you don't want to have to deal with that when you need to run to catch another flight.

 

Yes.  All of us will only be taking carry-on.  That is why I wondered if they would actually have to leave the terminal entirely or just go to the international concourse.

[Corraleno]

4 minutes ago, skimomma said:

Yes.  All of us will only be taking carry-on.  That is why I wondered if they would actually have to leave the terminal entirely or just go to the international concourse.

They wouldn't have to go outside the terminal, but I'd call the airline to confirm whether they can check in and get a boarding pass at the gate, because otherwise they would need to go down and check in at the ticket counter and then go through security again.

[skimomma]

2 minutes ago, Corraleno said:

They wouldn't have to go outside the terminal, but I'd call the airline to confirm whether they can check in and get a boarding pass at the gate, because otherwise they would need to go down and check in at the ticket counter and then go through security again.

With Covid, it's been  long time since I have flown, but I seem to think that everyone has to go through security again to enter the international concourse.  Luckily, we will be there before  them so we can check it out and send intel.

[Bootsie]

4 minutes ago, skimomma said:

No, the group will be driving to another city and flying to Europe all on the same day.  The last person would then fly to the other city a few days later (on the one-way flight) and then fly to join us in Europe.

I have messed with every kind of code sharing within the airline that services us locally but they do not have as many offerings/partners in the region we are going so every flight is expensive and requires many legs.  I cannot get it under 24 hours and three stops.

Did you try the airline that you will be flying to Europe on for a flight from your home town to the final destination?  Although it does not serve that town, it might have a way a booking a ticket from that town.  

As far as the question regarding whether the person would have to leave the secure area and re-enter through security will depend somewhat on the set-up at the airport.  Some airports have an international terminal and domestic terminals.  Regional flights will fly into a domestic terminal and then everyone who is flying internationally will need to go through security at the international terminal (even if they are continuing with the same airline).  Regardless, the person will need to check in for the international flight.  This usually cannot simply be done online as it is for a domestic flight because a passport (and perhaps COVID health paperwork) must be verified by the airline.  This check in could be done at the gate (or a customer service center within a secured area) but sometimes it is easier to do it at the main check-in even though it is outside security.

One thing to realize is that this persons' ticket would not be grouped with your ticket even if you are flying back to the US together.  So, if something happens as far as bumping passengers, changing seating, etc. you will not all be included, that one person is handled as an individual--it probably won't come up but things can happen when you are travelling...    If you work with a travel agent, they may be able to get the one person booked on the same return reservation.  It would not cost anything to check with a travel agent and see what they could work out.

[regentrude]

I don't see why the person would need to leave the terminal if they do not have checked baggage.
If the check in online the night before and have their boarding passes for both flights, they can go directly to the departure gate without needing to exit again. Depending on the airport, they may need to go through additional security, but that sometimes happens even with connecting flights by the same airline. They would have their documents checked at the gate.

Edited February 7, 2022 by regentrude

[fraidycat]

15 minutes ago, skimomma said:

Yes.  All of us will only be taking carry-on.  That is why I wondered if they would actually have to leave the terminal entirely or just go to the international concourse.

In that case, no need to leave the terminal, since check-in is done online now. 

[skimomma]

2 minutes ago, Bootsie said:

Did you try the airline that you will be flying to Europe on for a flight from your home town to the final destination?  Although it does not serve that town, it might have a way a booking a ticket from that town.  

As far as the question regarding whether the person would have to leave the secure area and re-enter through security will depend somewhat on the set-up at the airport.  Some airports have an international terminal and domestic terminals.  Regional flights will fly into a domestic terminal and then everyone who is flying internationally will need to go through security at the international terminal (even if they are continuing with the same airline).  Regardless, the person will need to check in for the international flight.  This usually cannot simply be done online as it is for a domestic flight because a passport (and perhaps COVID health paperwork) must be verified by the airline.  This check in could be done at the gate (or a customer service center within a secured area) but sometimes it is easier to do it at the main check-in even though it is outside security.

One thing to realize is that this persons' ticket would not be grouped with your ticket even if you are flying back to the US together.  So, if something happens as far as bumping passengers, changing seating, etc. you will not all be included, that one person is handled as an individual--it probably won't come up but things can happen when you are travelling...    If you work with a travel agent, they may be able to get the one person booked on the same return reservation.  It would not cost anything to check with a travel agent and see what they could work out.

This is good info!  Thanks!  I did not think of trying via the other airline to see what it would do coming from our hometown.  I'm not too worried about a bump.  They are competent enough to handle one delayed flight alone, I just didn't want something to go totally off the rails in another country entirely.

[Bootsie]

2 minutes ago, regentrude said:

I don't see why the person would need to leave the terminal if they do not have checked baggage.
If the check in online the night before and have their boarding passes for both flights, they can go directly to the departure gate without needing to exit again. Depending on the airport, they may need to go through additional security, but that sometimes happens even with connecting flights by the same airline. They would have their documents checked at the gate.

I have seldom had a situation in which a could get a boarding pass for an international flight except once I was at the airport.  

[regentrude]

The big drawback of using different airlines is that the 2nd airline will not be responsible for delays of the first. If it's the same airline, they will honor the ticket and rebook free of charge in case of missed connection. If it's a different airline and you miss the flight, you may have to purchase a new ticket. So you must plan plenty of connection time. 

[regentrude]

Just now, Bootsie said:

I have seldom had a situation in which a could get a boarding pass for an international flight except once I was at the airport.  

I just flew to Germany from the US in November and had three legs. I was able to obtain all my boarding passes for both directions when I checked in the night before online.

[Bootsie]

1 minute ago, regentrude said:

I just flew to Germany from the US in November and had three legs. I was able to obtain all my boarding passes for both directions when I checked in the night before online.

I wonder if it is different for different airports, or different if you are only a US citizen.  I flew to Milan in the summer, DH flew to Germany in the fall, and DD flew to Austria a few weeks ago and none of us was able to check complete check in online from the US.  We all had trouble with checking in to return to the US also because we couldn't get our COVID negative test verification to be recognized.  

[kirstenhill]

27 minutes ago, regentrude said:

The big drawback of using different airlines is that the 2nd airline will not be responsible for delays of the first. If it's the same airline, they will honor the ticket and rebook free of charge in case of missed connection. If it's a different airline and you miss the flight, you may have to purchase a new ticket. So you must plan plenty of connection time. 

I think this is a real factor to consider -- If the first flight A to B is cancelled, is there even another flight in the day that will get to B in time to make it to the flight from B to C?   We live in a city with a small airport that makes a couple of regional connections, and a couple of national connections.  We've pretty much given up trying to fly out from here because even in weather that seems perfectly fine to us, if the plane coming IN to our airport met with weather delays in its origination location (even thunderstorms), crew shortages, airline computer problems etc..more often than not they would just cancel the outboound flight for that day rather than state that there was a delay.  At our small airport there is often only one flight per day to each destination (or maybe one in the very early morning and one very late in the day), so if the first flight is cancelled, it often completely messes up the entire itinerary.  It feels like flight cancellations are becoming more common these days in general, unfortunately.  If it is all on the same airline they will rebook it for you or find some way to get you on your way (once when my husband's flight from our small airport to a regional hub was cancelled, the airline paid for a shuttle bus to get passengers off the cancelled flight to that first destination, and of course rebooked subsequent flights if that wouldn't get them there on time!).  But if the B to C leg is on a totally different airline, I can see how that could cause real problems unless the second flight was some kind of flexible ticket.

Edited February 7, 2022 by kirstenhill

[Stacia]

Is there a way for the person to get an uber/airport limo/transport (bus, friend/relative, etc.) -- basically be driven -- to the major airport the rest of you are planning to drive to? Are there any options &, if so, what are the costs/options?

[skimomma]

15 hours ago, kirstenhill said:

I think this is a real factor to consider -- If the first flight A to B is cancelled, is there even another flight in the day that will get to B in time to make it to the flight from B to C?   We live in a city with a small airport that makes a couple of regional connections, and a couple of national connections.  We've pretty much given up trying to fly out from here because even in weather that seems perfectly fine to us, if the plane coming IN to our airport met with weather delays in its origination location (even thunderstorms), crew shortages, airline computer problems etc..more often than not they would just cancel the outboound flight for that day rather than state that there was a delay.  At our small airport there is often only one flight per day to each destination (or maybe one in the very early morning and one very late in the day), so if the first flight is cancelled, it often completely messes up the entire itinerary.  It feels like flight cancellations are becoming more common these days in general, unfortunately.  If it is all on the same airline they will rebook it for you or find some way to get you on your way (once when my husband's flight from our small airport to a regional hub was cancelled, the airline paid for a shuttle bus to get passengers off the cancelled flight to that first destination, and of course rebooked subsequent flights if that wouldn't get them there on time!).  But if the B to C leg is on a totally different airline, I can see how that could cause real problems unless the second flight was some kind of flexible ticket.

I'm not really worried about the cost of having to rebook or even buy a new ticket.  I'd much rather have this person stranded in the US if they are going to get stranded.  I have friends and family that can easily get on the phone and help with anything like that.  I am far more concerned about two connections in other countries where anything from a missed flight to a Covid thing could have them stranded in a place no one can help.  But the concerns are noted.  I see the very real risk.

[skimomma]

14 hours ago, Stacia said:

Is there a way for the person to get an uber/airport limo/transport (bus, friend/relative, etc.) -- basically be driven -- to the major airport the rest of you are planning to drive to? Are there any options &, if so, what are the costs/options?

Not really.  That would be my preference.  Asking anyone to drive 20 hours, round trip, to drop someone off at the airport is outside of even what our very good friends would be willing (or even able) to do.  There is no Uber or anything like that.  There is the Greyhound, but I have MUCH bigger concerns about this person navigating that than a missed flight.  That route is two bus transfers (in the middle of the night at unmanned locations), a total of 20 hours on the road, and the bus terminal for the hub city is nowhere near the airport so they would have to navigate public transit or a ride share to actually get to the airport at the end of it all.  The only two feasible options are this one or booking them on a 4-leg flight from our home airport.