[Airplane/Flight] Things to note when connecting to international flights

Make a reservation with plenty of time to spare for your connection.

How much extra time do you actually need when connecting? International flights require at least 2 hours to connect, so when arranging your own flight tickets, we recommend that you choose a flight that allows enough time for your transfer.

There is no problem if the flight you are transferring to arrives on time, but there may be a delay in arrival due to some trouble. Please note that as a general rule, you will not receive compensation if you miss your flight due to a flight delay.

You should also check before making a reservation whether you will be able to re-check your luggage at your connecting airport. Depending on the flight you booked and the airport you are connecting to, it may take time to drop off your luggage, or the location may be far away.

Based on the above, when making reservations for connecting international flights, we recommend using a reservation site that automatically calculates the connecting time.

Find out where to pick up your boarding pass for your connecting flight

When connecting between international flights, one thing you must not forget is picking up your reserved ticket. Even though you booked your connecting flight well in advance, be sure to check to make sure you don't end up in trouble, such as ``I forgot to pick up my ticket right before check-in,'' or ``I missed my connecting flight because I was looking for a pick-up location.''

Be especially careful when using another airline before or after connecting flights. If you use the same airline before and after your connecting flight, you can issue a ticket for your connecting flight at the departure airport, but if you use a different airline, you will need to issue a ticket at the destination airport. First of all, it is necessary to confirm the location where the ticket will be issued.

Additionally, you will need to enter the country once to issue a ticket at your connecting airport. When you enter the country, you will need to go through immigration and collect your luggage, then check in for your connecting flight, inspect your luggage, and check your luggage again.

The flow of procedures will vary greatly depending on whether or not a boarding pass is issued at your transit destination, so if you are collecting a boarding pass at your transit destination, please check in advance, such as by checking the airport map of the overseas airport on your smartphone. Let's leave it there.

If you use a different airline

You may find yourself saying, ``I really wanted to transfer on the same airline, but I ended up using another company's flight!'' Therefore, I would like to write about what happens when you transfer to another company's flight.

First, when transferring to another company's flight, you may be required to enter the country at the connecting airport. Depending on the airport, you may not need to enter the country. Once you need to enter the country, do not proceed to the connecting line, but instead line up in the non-resident line and go through immigration inspection.

This also varies on a case-by-case basis, but you may need to collect your checked baggage at the connecting airport. To avoid getting into trouble by accidentally receiving baggage that isn't yours, be sure to check that it's yours when you receive it.

After that, you will check in at the transfer counter. You may receive your flight ticket to your next destination here, so don't be careless and don't forget to pick it up just because you've checked in.

Once you have entered the country at your connecting airport, you will need to leave the country in order to board your connecting flight. This is also likely to take some time, so be sure to allow plenty of time.

If you fail to connect

No matter how much you prepare in advance, there may be times when you fail to make a connection! If you fail to transfer overseas, you may be in a state of panic, but for that reason, it's a good idea to think about what to do in the event of a failure.

First, if you use the same airline before and after transferring, you may be entitled to compensation from the airline, so check with the airline staff or counter. On the other hand, if you personally book with another airline, unfortunately you cannot receive compensation.

In particular, if the airline you use is an LCC (low-cost carrier), please be careful as there is usually no compensation for delays or cancellations.

You will not be entitled to compensation for delays in your connecting flight, even if the delay is not the passenger's fault. If you find yourself in such a situation, you will have to negotiate for an alternative flight at the check-in counter. There is no problem if you can find a replacement flight, but it can be crowded during the vacation season, and you may have to wait for more than half a day in some cases.

It is extremely difficult to be forced to wait unexpectedly at your connecting airport without being able to get a refund for your flight ticket. To prevent this from happening, it is important to make sure you have enough time to transfer and know what to do in case something happens.

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