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Buying two separate tickets a potential problem?

Buying two separate tickets a potential problem?

Old Jan 13th, 2015, 05:26 PM
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Buying two separate tickets a potential problem?

I'm looking at flights from midwest to DTW to AMS to BRE and return from HAJ to AMS to MSP and home. I cannot get the flights I want to come up on the Delta website or on Kayak. If I buy the AMS/BRE and HAJ/AMS ticket separately, the combined cost is less than any all-in-one ticket (not the schedule I want, however). Are there any issues I need to be aware of other than possible late flights and missing the connection? The arrival in AMS would be 5:55am and departure on KLM Cityhopper flight would be 8:45 to BRE. There would be 5 hours in AMS on return so that should be ok.
Any thoughts on this issue? Thanks!
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Old Jan 13th, 2015, 07:46 PM
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The two potential problems are (a) a misconnect rendering the second ticket useless - much more important on the return than on the outbound, and (b) the need to collect bags and re-check them for the onward flights, which could be a problem in the event of the first/third flight arriving late.

You can put a cost to this by looking at the price of one-way flights bought tomorrow or the day after. Chances are Delta wouldn't make you pay a full fare if you missed the AMS-MSP flight, but the odds are good that you'd pay more than just a change fee, maybe a hefty fare adjustment.

Have you tried Expedia instead of Kayak? And when is this trip? If it's in the peak/summer season, I'd be somewhat more concerned.

I'd also look at trains to/from AMS airport - very connected to the whole northern European rail system.
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Old Jan 14th, 2015, 06:05 AM
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Thank you for your response. This is in early-mid September. I will do carryon, so bag not an issue. Good point about trains; I've done that in the past, but the fare of $128 for the AMS/BRE and HAJ/AMS seems to be pretty comparable. I'll check again, tho.

I will check Expedia, and maybe call Delta. I usually prefer to buy directly from the airline.

Again, thanks!
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Old Jan 14th, 2015, 06:06 AM
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Did you try on Delta or Kayak using "multicity" feature for each individual segment (and not just the open jaw). For example segments DTW-AMS, then AMS-BRE, then HAJ-AMS and finally AMS-DTW. That would be more likely to let you pick the schedule for each segment that you want but it would still be all on one ticket.
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Old Jan 14th, 2015, 06:07 AM
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I think it would work the same even if you need a total of six segments, 3 on the outbound and 3 on the inbound.
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Old Jan 14th, 2015, 01:59 PM
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laurie, thank you. Yes, I tried on Delta numerous times with separate segments and it always came up... something about my flights or routes not available on those dates, or somesuch. And I think Kayak wouldn't let me do 6 segments....BUT today I actually was able to do it on the Delta site.....so I wouldn't need to get two tickets. ......but train from and to AMS would be about $50 less....so I'll have to think about it. I do really like the train!

Thanks again!
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Old Jan 14th, 2015, 04:53 PM
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In future searches on Delta, you need to use the search by schedule, not search by price which is the default. Delta tries to make things difficult in searches. Make a note of the flights you want, go to Delta's website, click multi-city and make sure you are searching by schedule. Enter each leg.
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Old Jan 15th, 2015, 04:25 PM
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Thx, ky! Good info. I should have thought of that.
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