On a single ticket, your bags are normally checked through to the final destination and the airline protects your connection if the first flight is late. If your itinerary is built from separate tickets (a self-transfer), you must collect and re-check bags, pass security again, and allow much more connection time — the flights aren't protected. When you book with us, your itinerary makes clear which kind you have.
Single ticket: the easy case
- Bags are tagged through to the final destination at first check-in.
- You usually receive boarding passes for all legs at once.
- If a delay breaks the connection, the airline rebooks you at no cost.
Separate tickets: you are the connection
A self-transfer means landing, clearing immigration, collecting bags, re-checking them with the second airline, and passing security again — and if the first flight is late, the second airline owes you nothing. Also check both airlines' baggage allowances separately: they can differ, and each leg charges its own fees.
How much time to allow
On one ticket, the airline only sells connections that meet the airport's minimum connection time. On separate tickets, treat anything under three hours as risky, and longer for big hubs or when you must clear immigration between flights.
Transit notes for Dubai and other hubs
Short airside transits generally don't need a visa, but leaving the airport — which every self-transfer bag collection requires — can mean entering the country. Check the entry rules for the transit country before booking that itinerary.
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