Booking Flights With Multiple Airlines
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Edited by Adinda Irawan
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What does "multiple airlines" mean?
"Multiple airlines" on a flight search means that different airlines fly different legs of one trip, for example United from New York to Amsterdam, then Lufthansa to Berlin. The label does not tell you whether you hold one ticket or several. That is what decides who moves your bags, who rebooks you and what compensation you can claim.
On one ticket, the airlines have agreed to carry you as one trip: your bags usually go through to your final destination, and if the first flight is late, the airline rebooks you. On separate tickets, each airline handles only its own flight. As easyJet’s connections service puts it, "the airlines can only manage each ticket independently." So what matters is whether you hold one ticket or several.
One ticket or separate tickets: codeshare, interline and self-transfer
Most trips on multiple airlines fall into one of four types. The first two are one ticket. The last two are separate tickets.
| Type | Tickets | Checked bags | If the first flight is late |
|---|---|---|---|
| Codeshare: one airline sells a seat, under its own flight number, on a flight that another airline operates | One | Usually checked through to your final destination | The airline rebooks you. EU and UK missed-connection rights can apply. |
| Interline or alliance partners booked together: airlines that sell each other’s flights on one ticket | One | Usually checked through to your final destination | The airline rebooks you. EU and UK missed-connection rights can apply. |
| Separate tickets, or self-transfer, including "virtual interlining" | Two or more | You claim them and check them in again. Each airline charges its own fees. | Getting to the next flight is your job. In the UK, you have no legal right to care, compensation or onward transport for the missed connection. |
| Round trip made of two one-way tickets (KAYAK calls this a "Hacker Fare") | Two | Each ticket has its own bag rules | Each booking is handled on its own, so delays, cancellations and changes are more complicated. |
US rules define a codeshare as an arrangement in which one airline’s code is used on "a flight operated by another carrier." "Virtual interlining" is a sales term: some sites combine separate tickets on airlines that have no agreement into one search result, for example United from Lincoln to Denver, then Frontier from Denver to Austin. It looks like one trip, but it is separate tickets.
What does separate tickets mean, and how to tell which one you booked
Separate tickets means each flight was sold as its own booking, even if you paid for them together. Check these before you pay, and again on your confirmation:
- Booking references and ticket numbers: more than one airline booking reference (PNR) or more than one e-ticket number usually means separate tickets.
- "Operated by": in the US, the seller must show "Operated by" and the operating airline’s name when you buy. That marks a codeshare leg, and it tells you which airline to check in with.
- Google Flights: results marked "separate or self-transfer tickets" are separate tickets. Google shows them when they "could save you money or open more flight schedules", and it warns that if the first flight is delayed, "you might miss your second trip."
- KAYAK: a "Hacker Fare" is "a round-trip flight built from two one-way tickets, sometimes on different airlines."
A Laters.com confirmation shows a Laters.com booking reference and the airline reference (PNR). For the airport side of a self-transfer, see how connecting flights and layovers work.
Why book flights with multiple airlines, and when it is not worth it
Mixing airlines can save money and give you more choice:
- Lower total price: comparing airlines, instead of sticking to one, can find a cheaper combination.
- Better times: more options can mean shorter layovers and fewer early or late flights.
- More routes: some airlines do not fly every route, and combining two can get you where you need to go.
- A stopover you choose: stay a few hours, a night or a few days in the city between your two flights.
It is not always cheaper. KAYAK says that "two one-way flights do not always beat a regular round-trip," so price both. Then add what separate tickets can cost you: bag fees on each ticket, and a new ticket if you miss the second flight.
Can you book a round trip with two different airlines?
Yes. You book it as two one-way tickets, one for each direction. Before you do:
- Price it both ways. Compare the two one-ways with a round-trip ticket on the same dates.
- Check the airports. Make sure each ticket uses the airport you expect. Your return may land at a different airport in the same city.
- Expect two sets of rules. KAYAK warns that "you’re managing two separate bookings, so delays, cancellations and changes become more complicated."
Separate one-ways also keep the two directions apart. On a single round-trip ticket, if you do not check in or board your first flight, the airline marks the ticket as a no-show and "may then cancel the rest of your itinerary, including your return flight" (Laters.com FAQ). With two one-way tickets, the return is a different ticket, so it is not part of the outbound itinerary. The Laters.com FAQ gives another reason to book two one-ways: a child who travels out as an infant and comes back as a child.
On Laters.com, search each direction as a one-way flight. Our one-way flights guide has more on when one-ways make sense.
Before you book separate tickets: bags, time, visas and delays
If you fly two different airlines, does your baggage transfer?
On one ticket, usually yes. On separate tickets, no: you collect your bags and check them in again with the second airline.
One ticket: when your ticketed origin or destination is in the US, airlines must apply the bag allowance and fees from the start of the trip to the whole trip. On a codeshare, the rules of the marketing carrier (the airline whose flight number is on your ticket) apply. One exception: when you fly into the US, you must claim all checked bags at the first US airport, even on one ticket, and check them in again after customs.
Separate tickets: each airline applies its own rules and fees. Google Flights says separate tickets "may require claiming and rechecking baggage", and KAYAK says "the baggage rules may be different on each ticket" and bag fees are "not usually included".
Example: if your second flight is Ryanair, every fare includes one small personal bag of 40 x 30 x 20 cm that must fit under the seat. A 10 kg cabin bag of 55 x 40 x 20 cm needs the paid "Priority & 2 Cabin Bags" option, and checked bags of 10 kg, 20 kg or 23 kg are bought separately. So if your first ticket includes a cabin bag, the same bag can cost extra on the second. See Ryanair flights and our cabin bag and personal item rules.
If you travel light, with cabin bags only, you skip the bag claim and the second bag drop.
How to book connecting flights with different airlines: leave enough time
On separate tickets, you are responsible for making your next flight. Plan your layover around the steps you must take at the airport. Heathrow lists them for passengers on separate tickets:
- Go through immigration.
- Collect your bags.
- Check in again.
- Go through security for the next flight.
Heathrow adds: "Self-connecting passengers should allow extra time for these steps."
Your real deadline is the second airline’s check-in and bag-drop cut-off, not its departure time. For example, from 10 November 2026 Ryanair closes airport check-in and bag drop 60 minutes before departure, instead of 40 minutes. Border control adds time even on one ticket: Seattle-Tacoma airport advises 120 to 180 minutes for an international-to-domestic connection, because everyone entering the US must see US Customs and Border Protection and claim their checked bags.
For separate tickets, leave at least 3 to 4 hours, and more when you cross a border or change terminals. Before a separate long-haul flight, consider a planned overnight stopover: a night or more between the two tickets is the low-risk way to self-connect. Our connecting flights guide has layover times by connection type, and here is what to do during a short layover.
Transit visas when you self-transfer
Some countries require a transit visa even if you never leave the airport. On separate tickets, you usually have to go through border control to collect and recheck your bags, so a visa that only covers the airside transit area may not be enough.
- UK: a Direct Airside Transit visa is for changing flights without going through UK border control. A Visitor in Transit visa is for going through border control and leaving the UK within 48 hours. Travelers who do not need a visa need an ETA (£20) if they pass through border control at a UK airport before their onward flight.
- Schengen area: an airport transit visa covers only the international area of the airport and does "not permit entry". If your connection takes you through border control, you need a Schengen visa.
Check the rules for your passport and your connecting airport before you buy the second ticket.
Missed connecting flight on different airlines: who pays?
It depends on the booking, not the airlines. On one booking, the airline is responsible for the connection. On separate bookings, you are.
One booking: the UK Civil Aviation Authority says the airline "must provide you with care if you miss your connecting flight due to a delay on your first flight", and compensation is based on the distance between the first and last airport in the booking. Under EU rules, if you miss a connection and reach your final destination more than 3 hours late, you can claim compensation only if "your flights were booked as part of a single reservation". Two limits apply:
- On a journey from a non-EU country into the EU, "only the flights operated by EU airlines are taken into consideration". A non-EU airline’s flight into Europe does not count.
- There is no compensation if you miss the connection because of delays at security checks, or because you missed the boarding time at the transfer airport.
Separate bookings: in the UK, "you do not have a statutory right to care, compensation or transport to your last destination", although each flight keeps its own rights. If you miss the second flight, you may have to buy a new ticket.
Travel insurance can help, but not every policy covers a missed connection. Check that the policy names missed connections on separate tickets. Some sellers offer cover made for self-transfers. For example, easyJet’s flight-connections service sells ConnectSure: "Adding ConnectSure means we step in to find you the next available route and cover any extra costs."
EU and UK compensation for a late arrival on one booking
These are the amounts EU and UK rules set when a delay or missed connection on one booking makes you arrive late at your final destination, and those rules apply to your trip. The distance is from the first airport to the last one in the booking.
| Flight distance | EU (3 hours or more late) | UK (CAA) |
|---|---|---|
| 1,500 km or less (UK: under 1,500 km) | €250 | £220 |
| 1,500 to 3,500 km (EU: also flights over 1,500 km within the EU) | €400 | £350 |
| Over 3,500 km, 3 to under 4 hours late (EU: between the EU and a non-EU country) | €300 | £260 |
| Over 3,500 km, 4 hours or more late (EU: between the EU and a non-EU country) | €600 | £520 |
Sources: Your Europe: air passenger rights and UK Civil Aviation Authority: delays.
Do airline alliances protect separate tickets?
Not on their own. Alliance partners can be sold together on one ticket, and that single booking is what checks your bags through and protects the connection. Two alliance partners on separate tickets carry the same risk as any other self-transfer. If you want partner airlines, book them together on one ticket.
The three alliances:
- Star Alliance has 26 member airlines.
- oneworld lists 15 member airlines, with Philippine Airlines as a future member.
- SkyTeam states 13,800+ daily flights to 945+ destinations in 145+ countries.
Whatever you book, set flight alerts with each airline so you hear about schedule changes early.
Booking flights with multiple airlines on Laters.com
On Laters.com, you choose one-way or return and search flights from 650+ airlines. Each booking is a real airline ticket issued by the airline. After you book, you get a Laters.com booking reference and an airline reference (PNR).
To fly two airlines on separate tickets, book each flight as its own one-way. Each one is a separate ticket, so the bag, time, visa and missed-connection points above apply.
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- No booking fee: the price shown includes taxes, service charges and booking fees, and the booking fee is $0.
- Schedule changes: Laters.com tells you about meaningful airline schedule changes, meaning a departure more than 15 minutes earlier or 30 minutes later. Check your flight with the airline 24 to 48 hours before departure. For anything urgent within 48 hours of a flight, contact the airline directly.
- Cancelling: on separate tickets, you cancel each booking on its own. For a voluntary cancellation, Laters.com charges a processing fee of USD 50 per passenger, capped at the amount recovered, and the airline’s own rules also apply. See fare basis codes and ticket rules.
FAQ
Is multiple airlines good?
It can be. A trip on multiple airlines can cost less or fit your schedule better. On one ticket, your bags usually go through and the airline rebooks you if you miss the connection. On separate tickets, the connection is your risk, so leave more time and check your bags, visa and cover.
Can you book flights with different airlines?
Yes. You can book them on one ticket, as a codeshare or with interline or alliance partners, or as separate tickets. On Laters.com, you book each flight as its own one-way or return ticket.
Can you check a bag through on separate tickets?
Plan on no. Google Flights warns that separate tickets "may require claiming and rechecking baggage". Leave time to collect your bags, check in again and go through security.
Does EU261 cover a missed self-transfer?
No. EU missed-connection compensation applies only when "your flights were booked as part of a single reservation". In the UK, separate bookings have no legal right to care, compensation or onward transport, though each flight keeps its own rights.
What is a codeshare flight?
A flight that one airline sells under its own flight number but another airline operates. In the US, the seller must show "Operated by" and the operating airline’s name, so you know which airline to check in with.
Is it cheaper to book two one-way tickets?
Not always. KAYAK says "two one-way flights do not always beat a regular round-trip". Price both, and add any bag fees on each ticket.
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