Flying direct is always convenient — but not always possible or affordable.
Sometimes, a direct flight costs much more than one with a stopover. Other times, there simply isn’t a direct route available, leaving you with no choice but to book a connecting flight. But what exactly does that mean? And how do connecting flights work? How do connecting flights tickets look like? And are connecting flights always on one ticket?
In this guide, we’ll answer all these questions and help you understand how to make your next connection stress-free.
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How Do Connecting Flights Work? Your Questions Answered
Confused about connecting flights? Here’s what you should know.
1. What Is a Connecting Flight?
A connecting flight means your journey includes two or more separate flights to reach your final destination. In simple terms, you’ll change planes along the way — instead of flying directly from Point A to Point B, you might fly from A to C, then C to B. Some trips even include multiple connections and several flight legs.
The time you spend waiting between flights is known as a layover, and if that layover lasts more than 24 hours, it’s referred to as a stopover.
Connecting flights are often the only available option when there are no direct routes between your departure and destination cities.
2. How Do Layovers Work?
During a layover, you’ll spend time at an intermediate airport between your two flights.
If your journey is booked on a single ticket, you usually stay in the transit area, meaning you don’t go through passport control or collect your baggage — it’s automatically transferred to your next flight.
You’ll simply follow the “Transfer” or “Connecting Flights” signs, pass through security screening if required, and proceed to your next departure gate. Layovers can last anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours, giving you time to relax, grab a meal, or explore airport shops before your onward flight.
2.1 How Much Time Do You Need Between Connecting Flights?
Layovers can be quite short — sometimes as little as 30 minutes.
If you’ve booked a protected connecting flight with a short layover, it’s usually planned that way by the airline, and in most cases, you’ll still make your connection.
However, the ideal layover time is around 1.5 to 2 hours. This gives you enough time to walk to your next gate comfortably, pass security check if needed, and even grab a coffee before boarding your next flight.
2.2 Can You Leave the Airport During a Layover?
Yes, you can leave the airport during a layover — but only if you have enough time and the necessary visa or entry permission for that country. For short layovers under 4 hours, it’s best to stay in the airport.
If you have a long layover (6+ hours), you can explore the city, but make sure to return at least 2 hours before your next flight to go through security again.
3. Are Connecting Flights Cheaper Than Direct?
In many cases, yes — connecting flights are cheaper than direct flights.
Airlines often price direct routes higher because they’re faster and more convenient, while connecting flights allow carriers to fill more seats and operate more flexibly across routes.
However, the savings come with trade-offs: longer travel times, potential delays, and the risk of missed connections.
Many travelers choose cheap connecting flights to save money, even if it means a longer journey or an extra stop along the way.
4. Connecting Flight Types: Airline Transfer vs. Self-Transfer
There are two main types of connecting flights: regular connecting flights and self-transfers.
A regular connecting flight (airline protected) is booked on one ticket under a single booking reference. The airline handles everything — from transferring your luggage to issuing boarding passes for all legs of your trip. If your first flight is delayed or cancelled, the airline must assist, rebook you on the next flight, and provide care while you wait.
A self-transfer flight, on the other hand, involves separate bookings, even if they’re with the same airline. You’re responsible for collecting and rechecking baggage, going through security again, and checking in for each flight. If you miss a connection, you’ll likely need to buy a new ticket.
While self-transfers can sometimes be cheaper or more flexible, they also carry higher risk. Some third-party booking sites, like Kiwi.com, offer protection plans (such as the Kiwi Guarantee) for extra peace of mind.
What does self-transfer mean on Skyscanner? On Skyscanner, a self-transfer means you’re booking two or more separate flights that aren’t connected under one ticket. You’ll need to collect your baggage, check in again, and go through security at the connecting airport, as the airlines don’t coordinate your transfer.
5. Do Low-Cost Airlines Offer Connecting Flights?
Some low-cost airlines do offer connecting flights, operating much like traditional carriers.
You’ll receive all boarding passes at check-in, your luggage is checked through, and you can usually stay in the transit area without clearing passport control.
Examples include Norwegian Air Shuttle, Vueling, Pegasus Airlines, Scoot, and AirAsia — all budget airlines that provide convenient connections across Europe, Asia, and beyond.
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6. How Do Connecting Flights Work?
It all depends on the type of connection you have.
If you’re on a regular connecting flight (also known as an airline transfer), the process is straightforward. When you check in, your luggage is tagged to your final destination, and you’ll receive boarding passes for all flight segments. There’s no need to check in again between flights.
At your connecting airport, simply follow the signs to your next gate and wait for boarding. You may need to pass through a security check, but your bags will be transferred automatically, and you’ll usually remain in the transit area, without going through passport control.
If you’re on a self-transfer, you’ll need to check in separately for each flight and recheck your baggage between connections. This means you must leave the transit area, go through immigration and security again, and then check in for your next flight before proceeding to your new departure gate.
Airline-protected connections or regular connecting flights (booked directly through one airline or partner carriers) are issued on a single ticket with one booking reference.
7. Do You Need a Visa for Connecting Flights?
For regular connecting flights, a transit visa is usually not required since you remain in the airport’s transit area and don’t go through passport control.
The exceptions are countries like the USA, Canada, and Australia, where you must obtain electronic travel authorization (such as ESTA, eTA, or ETA) before your connecting flight — even if you don’t leave the airport transit area.
However, if you have a self-transfer, you’ll need to exit the transit area to recheck your baggage and check in again — in that case, a transit or entry visa may be required, depending on the country’s rules.
Also, if you plan to leave the airport during your layover, you may need a visa.
Is transit visa required for connecting flights? For regular connecting flights, a transit visa is usually not required. However, there are some exceptions such as the US, Canada and Australia where you must obtain electronic travel authorization.
8. What to Do if You Miss Your Connecting Flight?
If you have a regular connecting flight booked under one ticket (with a traditional airline or some low-cost carriers that offer protected connections), you’re covered if you miss your connection due to a delay or cancellation of your first flight. The airline will rebook you on the next available flight to your destination free of charge, handle the transfer of your baggage, and provide care while you wait, such as meals or accommodation if necessary.
However, if you’re on a self-transfer — meaning you booked your flights separately — the situation is different. If your first flight is delayed or cancelled and you miss the next one, it becomes your responsibility to purchase a new ticket. The airlines involved are not responsible for missed connections in this case.
You may still be eligible for flight delay or cancellation compensation for the first disrupted flight, but not for the entire journey. Having travel insurance that covers missed connections can help protect you from unexpected expenses.
When booking a self-transfer, always allow plenty of time between flights — ideally several hours — to go through passport control, collect and recheck baggage, check in for your next flight (online if possible), and clear security again. This extra buffer can save you time, money, and stress.
8.1 Missed Connecting Flight Compensation
If you miss your connection because of a delay or cancellation on a protected (single-ticket) journey, you may be entitled to flight delay compensation — not a special “missed connection” payment. The amount depends on the total distance of your journey.
For example, if your route is Budapest → Warsaw → Seoul and a delay on the first flight causes you to arrive in Seoul several hours late, you could receive up to €600 in compensation under EU261.
However, with a self-transfer, each flight counts as a separate booking. If one leg is delayed and you miss the next flight, you can only claim compensation for the delayed flight itself, not for the entire trip.
Read more: Missed Connecting Flight Compensation
9. Can You Skip Your Connecting Flight?
Technically, yes — you can choose not to board your connecting flight and end your journey at the layover city. However, this practice, often called “skiplagging,” comes with risks and potential consequences for future travel.
This only works if you’re traveling without checked luggage, as any bags checked through will continue to the final destination and can’t be retrieved at the layover airport. For that reason, skipping a connecting flight is not practical if you’re traveling with checked baggage.
Skiplagging (or hidden city ticketing) is when a traveler books a connecting flight but intentionally gets off at the layover city instead of flying to the final destination to save money.
However airlines strongly discourage this practice — it can lead to cancelled return flights, lost miles, or even a travel ban.
Skiplagging only works when you travel with a cabin bag only.
Read more: Can You Skip Your Connecting Flight?
10. What Happens to Baggage on Connecting Flights?
Connecting flights and luggage. What happens to your luggage during a connecting flight depends on the type of connection you have.
If you’re traveling on a single ticket (a regular connecting flight), your baggage is usually checked through to your final destination — but it’s always a good idea to confirm with the check-in agent.
If you’re flying on a self-transfer with separate tickets, you’ll need to collect your luggage after the first flight, go through security and check-in again, and then recheck your bag for the next leg of your trip.
To be safe, pack a change of clothes and essentials in your carry-on — just in case your checked luggage is delayed or lost along the way.
Read more:
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11. Connecting Flight With Different Airlines: Codeshare vs Self-Transfer
When your trip involves different airlines, your connection can be either a codeshare flight or a self-transfer.
A codeshare connection is booked under one ticket and operated by partner airlines. It’s a protected journey — your baggage is checked through to your final destination, and if you miss a connection, the airline will rebook you for free.
A self-transfer, on the other hand, is not protected. You arrange each flight separately, must collect and recheck your luggage, and if you miss your next flight, it’s your responsibility to buy a new ticket.
In short: codeshare = airline-protected, self-transfer = traveler-managed.
12. Multi-City Flights vs. Connecting Flights
A multi-city flight and a connecting flight may look similar at first, but they work very differently.
A connecting flight is part of one continuous journey — you fly from A to B to C on the same ticket, with a short layover between flights. You stay in the transit area, and your baggage is checked through to your final destination. The airline handles any missed connections or delays.
A multi-city flight, on the other hand, lets you stop and stay in each city along the route for as long as you like — for example, London → Paris → Rome, with a few days in Paris. Each leg is treated as a separate journey, even if booked together. You’ll collect your baggage after each flight and check in again for the next one.
13. How to Book Connecting Flights?
Booking connecting flights is simple — unless it’s a self-transfer.
You can book regular connecting flights directly with an airline or through travel sites like Kiwi, Expedia, or eDreams. Just enter your departure and destination cities, travel dates, and passenger details, then choose and confirm your flight. Make sure the booking shows as a single-ticket (airline-protected) connection — if you need to change airports, it’s likely not protected.
For self-transfer flights, you can either book each leg individually or use third-party platforms like Kiwi or eDreams, which combine separate flights into one booking. These are still unprotected connections, meaning you’re responsible if you miss a flight. However, Kiwi offers an optional Kiwi Guarantee, which can cover certain disruptions.
When booking self-transfers, always allow plenty of time between flights and try to avoid airport changes for a smoother journey.
14. How Do I Know If My Connection Is Airline-Protected?
You can tell your connection is airline-protected if all flight segments appear under one booking reference and were purchased together. This means the airline is responsible for getting you to your destination, even if one leg is delayed.
How to know if your flight is self transfer? You can usually tell if your flight is a self-transfer by checking the booking details. It’s often clearly stated on travel platforms like Skyscanner. Another sign is if you booked and paid for each flight separately.
Do you have more questions about connecting flights and self-transfer flights? Feel free to ask in the comments.