Book seperate ticket same airline - risks?
 

Hi,

I normally book my tickets in one package at the airline but as tickets were this time quite expensive I noticed when I book a certain part of the journey separate the tickets are heaps cheaper. The tickets I want to book are all at the same airline (Singapore Airlines) and it's basically the exacte same trip only one piece booked separate.

Are there any risks I should watch out for ?? (luggage, delays?..)

Many thanks for your help.

Could you add some more detail? If you have overlapping segments in the same name you risk them being canceled during a sweep. Especially if they're linked via a FF account.

Hi,

It's a flight from Sydney to London Heathrow with stopover in Singapore.
When I book separately (SYD-SIN + SIN-LHR)) then it gives me a lower price than when I book everything in one go (saving about $500).
The time of the flights are exactly the same as the combined ticket.

Any advise is much appreciated.

Unless you leave enough time between flights, a delayed SYD-SIN could mean that you miss the SIN-LHR. SQ would be within their rights to say that you simply no-showed for your SIN-LHR flight and make you pay for the next flight, as well as cancel your return ticket.

You also might not be allowed to check your luggage through, so you'd have to clear customs at SIN, collect your bags and re-check them.

This. The biggest risk is that one flight is very late or cancelled, and you don't make it to your next flight on time. Your entire ticket will be cancelled at this point and you'll have to buy a new one. You have this risk twice, both times in SIN. I would leave at least five hours, better overnight, to mitigate this. The hotel rooms might just erase any savings.

I have done this before, once, for a trip that couldn't be booked directly. The outgoing flight from Australia was very stressful because of air traffic problems at Sydney and I wondered at one point if I would miss the connection (which, in turn, had a separately booked connection!)

On the other hand that was the only flight out of dozens I have taken with SQ that had difficulties - so do you feel lucky? Ideally you would have a decent transit window in Singapore to minimise the risk. Since there are 5 a day from SIN-SYD you might be able to find a route that suits you.

SQ will check bags through the whole way if both legs are on SQ, you can also email before you fly to get them to combine the PNRs in advance of the trip which might make it easier at checkin.

Thanks mate, much appreciated!

I've done this a few times from Sydney with SQ. You are running the risk that if the first flight is delayed and you miss your second leg then you will need to purchase the second leg again at last minute prices. I always allow as much time as I can between the two flights, preferably overnight. That adds accommodation cost but does give you an excuse for a night in Singapore.

At Sydney give the check in agent details for both legs and ask them to check you in all the way through. They always do this for me.

And once checked through, wouldn’t OP have the subsequent flight protected - so in case of IRROPS and he misses the subsequent connection, he’s considered already checked in hence SQ is obligated to put him into the next flight?

No obligation to, but anecdotal evidence suggests SQ probably would as they also have the onwards ticket. If onwards ticket was on different carrier, chances would be much slimmer.

Check through does not mean that you are protected if you are on separate ticket.

Why not? Wouldn't the airline's decision to check through and issue the connecting flight's boarding pass means the airline has accepted the passenger for travel?

It is the pax responsibility to get to the next flight on time. If it is separate tickets, the airlines can simply ask you to buy a new ticket. Frankly speaking, you can do online check in 48hrs before, so I can check in for all my flights on separate ticket in advance, does that mean the airlines will be responsible as well for separate ticket ?

Have a boarding pass does not mean anything. You can easily get the boarding pass 48hrs before hand.

Although the airlines wouldn't be obligated to reschedule the connecting flight, wouldn't most full service ones still try (out of goodwill) anyway?

My first LOL of the New Year. Thanks for that.