Looking for a long-haul flight and the price makes you wince? There’s a trick plenty of travellers use: buying two separate tickets instead of one, with a stopover in between. It’s called a self-transfer. This guide explains how it works, what you can gain, what you risk, and how to set it up so that everything goes smoothly.
What is a self-transfer?
With a single ticket, you book your whole journey in one go, for example Paris → Bangkok with a stopover in Dubai. The airline looks after your connection: if your first flight is late, it puts you on another flight, and your bag follows you.
With separate tickets, you buy each flight on its own: for example Paris → Istanbul, then Istanbul → Bangkok. These are two different contracts, sometimes with two airlines that have nothing to do with each other. You’re the one who links them up: you get off the plane, collect your bag, check in again, go through security again, and then board the second flight.
Why it’s sometimes cheaper
The price of a ticket doesn’t depend only on distance. It depends on demand on the route, competition between airlines, the season and each airline’s own policy. The result: a short flight between two big, well-served cities can cost very little, while a longer flight on a route with less competition can cost a lot more.
By splitting your journey in two and going through a well-served city, you can sometimes pay less than for the single ticket, even if you take more flights. It doesn’t always work out that way, which is exactly what Getzy compares for you. And a stopover is often a chance to see one more city along the way.
The advantages
- A sometimes lower price than the single ticket on the same journey.
- More choice: you can mix traditional airlines and low-cost ones.
- More freedom: you can stay a few hours, or even a few days, in the stopover city.
The risks to know about
Separate tickets work well, but only if you know what you’re signing up for.
- Your connection isn’t guaranteed. If your first flight lands late and you miss the second, the second airline has no obligation to you. You may have to buy a new ticket. We go into this in detail in our guide to missed connections.
- Checked bags aren’t transferred. You have to collect yours and check it in again yourself. Read our guide to baggage and stopovers.
- Customs and visas. To collect your bag, you enter the stopover country. Depending on your passport, you may need a visa or an authorisation. Check with our stopover visa tool.
- Changing airports. Some cities have several airports. If your second flight leaves from a different airport from the one you land at, you need to plan the journey between the two. Our airport change tool helps you estimate the time needed.
How to do it well
- Leave plenty of time. Between the first flight’s arrival and the second one’s departure, allow generously for getting off the plane, clearing customs, collecting your bag, checking in again and going through security again. If in doubt, make the gap longer or spend a night there.
- Go for cabin baggage. Without a checked bag, you avoid a lot of the difficulties. Still, check your airline’s rules.
- Check the visa before you buy. Once the tickets are bought, it’s too late to find out you need a visa.
- Think about travel insurance. See what yours covers if you miss a connection on separate tickets: some policies cover it, others don’t. Read the terms or ask your insurer.
- Avoid making the second flight the last one of the day. If something goes wrong, you’ll have a fallback the next day, or even the same day.
- Keep your documents close at hand: tickets, bookings, passport, the address of where you’re staying.
When to prefer the single ticket
A single ticket is often still the best choice in these cases:
- you’re travelling with young children, or you have little flexibility on your dates;
- you absolutely must arrive on a specific date (a wedding, an exam, an important appointment);
- you have checked bags you can’t avoid;
- the saving is small: a few euros aren’t worth the stress and the risk;
- the stopover is in a country where you’d need a visa that’s hard to get.
Getzy always shows you the price of the single ticket when we know it, so you can see the real saving before you decide. You can start a search or browse the destinations for ideas.
Frequently asked questions
Is it legal to buy separate tickets?
Yes, you can buy as many tickets as you like, including from different airlines. Each ticket is a separate contract, with its own conditions. You just need to read them properly.
Is it riskier than a single ticket?
Yes, in one respect: if a flight is late, nobody is obliged to wait for you or to move you onto the other ticket. With plenty of time, cabin baggage and a plan B, the risk stays reasonable for many travellers.
How much time should I allow between the two flights?
It depends on the airport, the country and your baggage. There’s no single rule: the bigger and more complicated the stopover (customs, changing airports, checked bags), the more time you need. Find out about the stopover airport and play it safe.