Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Is it ever advisable to purchase two separate airline tickets?
Here's the rundown: I am wanting to fly from DFW to CDG leaving on 12/13 and returning 12/30. The cheapest flight from DFW is $1150 non-stop. With one layover, the price lowers to $1050. This seems unusually high to me for Europe in December.
However, I found a super cheap direct flight from MSP to CDG non-stop for $500 round trip. I could book a separate flight DFW-MSP and back for around $250, making my total trip $750.
Is there anything I should be aware of by booking separate tickets like this?
I do that all the time. The one thing you have to be wary of, especially when traveling during the winter, is that if fr some reason you can't get yourself to MSP, you might be in trouble if you miss your next flight. The airline may not be willing to accommodate you, then again sometimes they do. There are not a boatload of direct flights between the two, but enough of them that if you make sure to do an early flight out, you should be able to get there OK. There are worse airports than MSP for a long layover.
If your DFW-MSP flight is late, canceled, rescheduled.
You can not change your MSP-CDG ticket for "Free", Your on your own, they are two separate tickets that are not connected. You are paying for a walk-up fare in MSP of $1300-3000 per person. (and you need to get the "old" ticket to change to a oneway (that will cause a re-fare calculation also), or you are looking at $1500-3000 to get back.
You have to ask what are the odds of bad weather in MSP in December?
On the DFW-CDG (with a connection) if the connection does not happen its up to the airline to get you there, Airlines often do "Advance" rerouting of international passenger thru other Hubs, or put them on a Non/Stop. If you Flight went DFW-JFK-CDG and the weather in NYC was going to be bad and it looked to the Airline (Computers) that your would miss the connection, they might reroute you DFW-ORD-CDG, or on to one of there partner airlines BA thru London, AirCanada thru Canada...
I do that all the time. The one thing you have to be wary of, especially when traveling during the winter, is that if fr some reason you can't get yourself to MSP, you might be in trouble if you miss your next flight. The airline may not be willing to accommodate you, then again sometimes they do. There are not a boatload of direct flights between the two, but enough of them that if you make sure to do an early flight out, you should be able to get there OK. There are worse airports than MSP for a long layover.
The flight leaves MSP at around 5PM. There is a DFW-MSP flight that arrives at MSP around noon.
I've never purchased two separate tickets before. I'm assuming I will have to find my baggage, then recheck it in MSP?
The flight leaves MSP at around 5PM. There is a DFW-MSP flight that arrives at MSP around noon.
I've never purchased two separate tickets before. I'm assuming I will have to find my baggage, then recheck it in MSP?
We've done this several times with international flights. HOWEVER, we always fly into the first city the day before the international flight. I can't even imagine risking same day arrival at MSP during the winter. Not worth the stress to me or the savings of one night cheap airport hotel and a pizza delivery. (Of course, we always fly in the day before a cruise, too.)
Yes, you will have to find your luggage and recheck.
I've done it in the past (for a flight to the UK), but you do take a risk of missing a flight this way if, for instance, your first leg arrives late or is otherwise delayed. So I'd make sure that you give yourself as much time as possible between your first and second flights. Granted, if you miss your flight, you should be able to get rebooked as a missed flight stand-by, but you never know when you're going to actually get to board under such a situation and you're likely to miss out on sightseeing, etc. Still, for savings like that, I'd gladly do so.
If your DFW-MSP flight is late, canceled, rescheduled.
You can not change your MSP-CDG ticket for "Free", Your on your own, they are two separate tickets that are not connected. You are paying for a walk-up fare in MSP of $1300-3000 per person. (and you need to get the "old" ticket to change to a oneway (that will cause a re-fare calculation also), or you are looking at $1500-3000 to get back.
You have to ask what are the odds of bad weather in MSP in December?
On the DFW-CDG (with a connection) if the connection does not happen its up to the airline to get you there, Airlines often do "Advance" rerouting of international passenger thru other Hubs, or put them on a Non/Stop. If you Flight went DFW-JFK-CDG and the weather in NYC was going to be bad and it looked to the Airline (Computers) that your would miss the connection, they might reroute you DFW-ORD-CDG, or on to one of there partner airlines BA thru London, AirCanada thru Canada...
Is there a different rule for international flights or something? For every domestic flight I've ever missed, the airline has always rebooked me on the next available flight for free. Granted, I had to be at the airport to actually get this done, but so would the OP be at the airport.
Is there a different rule for international flights or something? For every domestic flight I've ever missed, the airline has always rebooked me on the next available flight for free. Granted, I had to be at the airport to actually get this done, but so would the OP be at the airport.
Not if its booked on two seperate tickets. They may treat you as if you just arrived late for your flight, without caring about the reason.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
