Flying: Buying tickets together or separate?

So I am flying from Burlington, Vt(BTV) to Kansas City, MO(MCI). My questionis , if I book the flight all together I can get a price of $402 or $436 for flights with better times.
Here is my dilema. If I book each length separately, I can get the best flight times for $367 but I have to book R/T tickets to Laguardia(LGA) and R/T tickets from LGA to MCI.
So, will the airlines send my luggage on through to MCI from BTV or do I have to get my luggage at LGA and check it in again for the flight to MCI. Is it worth all this hassle? I could save $40 on the cheapest flight and $70 on the one with the better flight times.

What has been your experience?

I hope you get some feedback from some of the folks who fly often and use "the system" more than we do, but here's our two cents worth.

We want the outcome of the trip to be minimum hassle and the least amount of 'connections and other disruptions' that we can get. We balance that with the prices for 'economy flights, and make our decisions based on a reasonable compromise of all that stuff.

Our most common flight is Louisville (SDF) to the L A area (ONT) We use Ontario airport out there as it is much closer to Janet's family's locations and, while it costs a few bucks more for the flight than using a flight to LAX might, it is worth it in saved time and less 'cross-town' traffic.

Until recently the best deals we could get was Delta (with a Dallas or Atlanta connection) , American (with a Dallas connection) or Continental (with a Houston connection) Others via Chicago or Minneapolis were available but less desireable-time wise.
We stopped using the Atlanta connection as it took well over an hour of flight time and sometimes as much as 4 hours of ground time more than any Dallas connection.

Janet will try a new one next month. Expressjet has begun Louisville-Kansas City-Ontario service with NO change of Planes. Flight time is an hour and a half less than any of the big guys, the price is the same, and the timing is ok with us (no Red-Eyes). The only negative, if it is a negative...they use the over-sized business jets (the 40-50 passenger commuter jets) for the trip. The plus side has no change of planes or long connection waits... and same priceing that the others have ($237 R/T) We will report back on the service and how it works out.

In your case, I would opt for the thru flights...to avoid the hassle of bag pick-up and recheck and all the security mess. That has to be worth something to avoid!!
Let us know what you choose to do.

Unless you book the flight through with the airline you will be responsible for your luggage when you switch flights. When you book through all the way to KC they mark your luggage with that destination and also you will get your boarding passes for both legs of your journey. If you book separately you will have to get your luggage and then go back through the counter which also means you will have to go out of the terminal and then back through security. Is it worth $35 to you? Or look at it another way. Booking through you only have one chance of losing your luggage. Booking separately you have two chances.

Another thing to consider. Airlines have a 72% on time average. If you book through the airlines will at least make a feeble attempt to keep you on schedule with alternative flights if you miss your second and give you some priority over others, but if you are booking separately you are on your own with little sympathy from the airlines.

quote:

Originally posted by MBFDFyre

So I am flying from Burlington, Vt(BTV) to Kansas City, MO(MCI). My questionis , if I book the flight all together I can get a price of $402 or $436 for flights with better times.
Here is my dilema. If I book each length separately, I can get the best flight times for $367 but I have to book R/T tickets to Laguardia(LGA) and R/T tickets from LGA to MCI.
So, will the airlines send my luggage on through to MCI from BTV or do I have to get my luggage at LGA and check it in again for the flight to MCI. Is it worth all this hassle? I could save $40 on the cheapest flight and $70 on the one with the better flight times.

What has been your experience?

Don't do it ... You will be responsible for your luggage getting from baggage claim at airline 1 then you'll check baggage with airline 2 ... and the same thing on your way back.

Plus, if your first flight is delayed for any reason on the outgoing leg and you miss the first segment of the second RT ticket on airline 2, you will most likely have to rebook at a "walk up to the counter" rate on airline 2.

SCARY.

I have opposite thoughts. If you book your flights on separate airlines with a healthy layover between them, there shouldn't be an issue. The last time I did it (changing from Northwest to Southwest and vice versa) I was flying through LAX and didn't have a problem with luggage or security or anything else. I booked my flights with about three hours between them.

But yes, you will be responsible for checking/picking up your luggage when you change airlines. They don't like you to do that, so they're certainly not going to help you out with making it easier.

I just re-read your post. The most you're going to save is $70? Forget it. Not remotely worth it.

Thanks to everyone who's responded. I actually ended finding a really good deal on a flight but I am going through Newark, NJ on my way to Kansas City. The layover time is only 53 minutes. Do you think thats enough time to get onto the new flight? Assuming the plane takes off on time. I am not familer with Newark. Should I allow for extra time?

We DID use to handle "interline" baggage, when I worked for the airlines out west.
I worked as a ramp agent, and we just drove the baggage in those little tugs to the other airlines baggage room. So we did transfer luggage from one airline to another.

But every airline might not have the same policy.

It DOES make it more risky for passengers to have their luggage not only change planes, but change airlines as well...

I am a firm believer that there are only two kinds of luggage...carry-on and lost.

I have done round the world's w/ carry on. Pack for three days and you have packed for a lifetime.

BTW, a round the world ticket is cheaper than simply going to Europe or the Far East...by half. Never try and figure out airline fares but do pay attention to the weight limits on cheapie airlines and ALWAYS buy extra insurance on your luggage on international flights if you do check bags. International lost luggage gets paid by the kilo to a max that will not even pay for the bag much less what was in it.

quote:

Originally posted by V960

I am a firm believer that there are only two kinds of luggage...carry-on and lost.

I have done round the world's w/ carry on. Pack for three days and you have packed for a lifetime.

so very true.

once I discovered wash and fold, I have never packed for more than three days.

In fact, since wash-n-folds bundle up your clothes so perfectly, I send my clothes to one before I leave and simply pack the bundle. I can use my small luggage bag and carry it on. I love the wash-n-fold!

quote:

Originally posted by MBFDFyre

The layover time is only 53 minutes. Do you think thats enough time to get onto the new flight?

You're changing AIRLINES and you only have 53 minutes between when one flight lands and the other takes off? The planets are going to have to align and you should perform a ceremony of some sort before leaving home if you hope to make that work. 53 minutes is barely enough time to change planes within the same airline, much less get your luggage and get back through security to get to your next plane.

Good luck.

quote:

Originally posted by felix4067

quote:

Originally posted by MBFDFyre

The layover time is only 53 minutes. Do you think thats enough time to get onto the new flight?

You're changing AIRLINES and you only have 53 minutes between when one flight lands and the other takes off? The planets are going to have to align and you should perform a ceremony of some sort before leaving home if you hope to make that work. 53 minutes is barely enough time to change planes within the same airline, much less get your luggage and get back through security to get to your next plane.

Good luck.

yes, but you gotta love the challenge, no?

quote:

Originally posted by felix4067

quote:

Originally posted by MBFDFyre

The layover time is only 53 minutes. Do you think thats enough time to get onto the new flight?

You're changing AIRLINES and you only have 53 minutes between when one flight lands and the other takes off? The planets are going to have to align and you should perform a ceremony of some sort before leaving home if you hope to make that work. 53 minutes is barely enough time to change planes within the same airline, much less get your luggage and get back through security to get to your next plane.

Good luck.

I believe the sacrfice of at least a chicken would be required to make the connection. If they put the random and dreaded yellow stripe on your ticket (EXTENSIVE search to follow) call over the senior TSA guy and explain your problem. If the next carrier is in a good move they will wait for you. I'm batting fifty/fifty on them waiting when I have gotten the yellow stripe. Funny thing was the airlines that waited were the real bargain basement cheapies and the ones that left me were the full service (Yea, right) biggies. US Error and Northworst left me behind...holding a front of the bus ticket BTW.

My personal experience has been that on any major hub, unless the day is perfectly clear, the flight gods are alighned, make sure that you stay with the same airlines and even then, you odds of getting your luggage is only 90%.

Your best bet is to carry on. Watch what you put in your bag. Fluids over a certain amount flunk the test.

I hate changing planes and if you have to do it more than once, your odds of a problems really decrease

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

If you are booking your own two separate flights independently yourself forget it if you have only 53 minutes. If one airline is "officially" booking it for you, you still don't have any guarantees you can make the connection. First you have to understand the arrival time is the time you touch ground on landing. It still can take considerable time to actually deplane. Then you have reach your next gate and that could take some time. Then you have to have ticket in hand and board 20 minutes at least before you take off. You probably could barely make it if you only have carry on. It won't happen if you check luggage.

I say all this from experience as I travel a lot and I have had some doozies this year alone. Three episodes in a row:

1. Flying from Minneapolis to Kansas City. Flight was 30 minutes in the air for a 1:05 minute flight and pilot announced they were turning around and going back to Minneapolis because of electrical problems. Amazingly they did have another airplane with same flight number waiting for us and was only 1-1/2 hours late.

2. Flying from Minneapolis to San Antonio with change of planes in Memphis on same airline booked by airline. Arrived in Memphis after flight to San Antonio departed. Next flight was in evening after my scheduled return flight and that scrubbed my afternoon meeting. So I marched over to the next gate and got on a flight immediately back to Minneapolis that I was fortunate to get on because it was late waiting for the flight crew that flew me to Memphis. I was in Memphis less than 30 minutes and missed a BBQ pulled pork sandwich lunch I was hoping for.

3. Had a direct flight from Philadelphia to Minneapolis. The flight was cancelled so they booked me a flight with a connection and plane change in Detroit. Flight out of Philadelphia was late and I missed the connection. When I reached the gate the service attendant asked why I booked that connection implying I or the travel agency was stupid. Also said all remaining flights to Minneapolis that night were booked. Well, I went ballastic and impolitely explained to them that THEY booked that flight after cancelling my original flight. They then miraculously found me a seat on the next flight and there were standbys. It took 11 hours in total to get home.

I fly direct anytime I can. I also check for backup contingencies and still these things happen.

It is not all bad. Two years ago a party of 6 of us from Minneapolis to Detroit to Miami to Santa Cruz, Bolivia to Cochabamba, Bolivia 24 hours in total with lots of checked luggage. It went off without a hitch through three different airlines and four flights. Managed to continue on to Lima, Peru to Cusco, back to Lima to Atlanta to Minneapolis also without a hitch.

I will say, thank heaven for the invention of the cell-phone. More than once in the past 3 years I have been headed to Louisville to pick my wife up at the airport after one of her SoCal weeks to see family...when her flight connection in either Dallas or Atlanta (more often Delta/Atlanta) was cancelled or changed so that her new destination would be Lexington an hour or two later than the original.
We are really hoping the new direct flight via Expressjet turns out to be a real time-saving and schedule honoring run. I really miss the TWA schedule and service that used to offer many flights via St Louis...the shortest way to L A for us.

quote:

Originally posted by felix4067

quote:

Originally posted by MBFDFyre

The layover time is only 53 minutes. Do you think thats enough time to get onto the new flight?

You're changing AIRLINES and you only have 53 minutes between when one flight lands and the other takes off? The planets are going to have to align and you should perform a ceremony of some sort before leaving home if you hope to make that work. 53 minutes is barely enough time to change planes within the same airline, much less get your luggage and get back through security to get to your next plane.

Good luck.

... not only that, they expect you to be on the plane 20 minutes before it takes off. And don't you have to check in outside security to get a boarding pass to allow you through security?

Jeez, just be glad you're not going through DIA.

Well, I booked the whole flight through Continental so at least its the same carrier. I would hope that since its all the same airline, barring any flight delays, that I will be able to get to KC on time and with my luggage. Hopefully its not wishful thinking. But hey, if I do miss the flight, theres several more later on that day. I can't imagine they're all booked up. I mean, who actualy flies into Kansas City? hahahaha

good decision

A note on fares.
We did our usual Travelocity search to come up with a $237 R/T Louisville-Ontario for Janet the first week in August. We could have paid the same rate for ExpressJet, American, Delta, or Continental. Since we had used the big-airlines often in the past, and the new one is a no-change of planes, we selected it.
A couple of days ago I got an on-line teaser from Frontier Airlines, bragging about it's new low-fare service out of Louisville. It was linked thru Expedia, so I decided to check the rate against the one we have. The best Frontier could do was $978 for the same dates...and it had a change of planes in Denver and again in Phoenix, for a total of over 10 hours of travel. I wonder how many folks really take the 'on-line discount' service rates as the best they can get without checking others. I have seen some good Priceline stuff and we like Travelocity for longer range planning. But with any of the online srvices it really pays to shop around for travel fares!!

A simple comment on flight fares. I can fly from Greensboro. NC on US Air to New Orleans for about $225. I can fly from Charlotte to New Orleans for about $1200. The flight from Greensboro stops in Charlotte and I will be transfered to the flight to New Orleans. US Air "owns" the Charlotte a/p and screws the Charlotte flyers. When the finally go Chapter 11 or 7 I will not only clap but maybe jump in the air.

V960
Delta does that with some of it's flights that are routed thru the Cincinnati hub. A recent example
Lexington to LAX (with change of planes in Cincinnati $307 r/t)
Cincinnati to LAX using the flight that is the second part of the one above $430 R/T
Louisville to LAX using the same Cincinnati connecting flight was $237

Delta used to be pretty reliable, but in the past few years it has dropped to the US Air and United Level...And that's pretty far down the list for me.

Michael Hoffman commented on the new "SkyBus" low fare airline out of Columbus,Ohio. I read their schedule and fares on their website tonight (they were on the NBC News as a result of the $10 fare they offer in some situations).
Best deal I could find on the net for them was a $100 R/t but it is a 4-5 hour each way 200+ mile ride to get up to Columbus for us and back...plus the L A Airport they use is Burbank...Ok if you want to be downtown, but not good for an Inland Empire visitor.
So we will pass on SkyBus!

quote:

Originally posted by MBFDFyre

Well, I booked the whole flight through Continental so at least its the same carrier. I would hope that since its all the same airline, barring any flight delays, that I will be able to get to KC on time and with my luggage. Hopefully its not wishful thinking. But hey, if I do miss the flight, theres several more later on that day. I can't imagine they're all booked up. I mean, who actualy flies into Kansas City? hahahaha

If you're only changing planes, not airlines, you should just barely be able to make your connection. If the gates aren't on opposite ends of the airport, and if you don't have to leave the secure area to get to the next one.

As for catching a later flight...that may be an option, but odds are pretty good you'll have to pay extra for changing your itinerary. It's usually only about a hundred bucks, but I'm not familiar enough with Continental to know their policies.

quote:

Originally posted by V960

A simple comment on flight fares. I can fly from Greensboro. NC on US Air to New Orleans for about $225. I can fly from Charlotte to New Orleans for about $1200. The flight from Greensboro stops in Charlotte and I will be transfered to the flight to New Orleans. US Air "owns" the Charlotte a/p and screws the Charlotte flyers. When the finally go Chapter 11 or 7 I will not only clap but maybe jump in the air.

can you get a ticket from Greensboro to N.O. and simply decide to get on the plane in Charlotte, thus saving money but not having to drive from Charlotte to G'boro?

quote:

Originally posted by felix4067

quote:

Originally posted by MBFDFyre

Well, I booked the whole flight through Continental so at least its the same carrier. I would hope that since its all the same airline, barring any flight delays, that I will be able to get to KC on time and with my luggage. Hopefully its not wishful thinking. But hey, if I do miss the flight, theres several more later on that day. I can't imagine they're all booked up. I mean, who actualy flies into Kansas City? hahahaha

If you're only changing planes, not airlines, you should just barely be able to make your connection. If the gates aren't on opposite ends of the airport, and if you don't have to leave the secure area to get to the next one.

As for catching a later flight...that may be an option, but odds are pretty good you'll have to pay extra for changing your itinerary. It's usually only about a hundred bucks, but I'm not familiar enough with Continental to know their policies.

Hopefully I won't have to use my Nike's too much. I mean, aren't all the airplanes from the same airline kinda in the same area? I shouldn't have to do one of thos slow mo action movie sprints(you know, where the dude is screaming and jumps over some dudes suitcase as if he just leaped over the grand canyon) to get to my next flight.
I am being optimistic :) I will post in here after I get back from my trip as to how it went and if I had to deploy any super human jumping abilities.

If you fly into an airline's hub site you could easily walk a long way. That is true with Minneapolis and Detroit and Northwest Airlines since they own just about all the gates.

Yup...I don't believe I've ever changed planes within an airline without having to go at the very least from one end of the terminal to the other. Terminals are arranged so incoming flights are on one side and outgoing flights are on another. With some airports you get lucky and that means just walking a few gates...but in others (O'Hare leaps to mind) you often have to walk what amounts to a mile or so to get to your next gate.

We were lucky with Continental in Houston...The flight in from Ontario and the one out to Louisville were in neighboring gates. That made for an easy connection.

Delta in Atlanta and Cincinnati are at opposite ends of earth and require a LOT of walking between connecting flights.

I HATE CVG!!!!

I usually fly out of Louisville, to save some major $$$, it is even worth the 80 minute drive to the airport.

The sad part is I get on my flight, and sometimes we go from louisville back to cvg before going to Hotlanta. It is an 80 minute drive or a 20 minute plane ride!!!