Jim143

I am trying to book a flight from Atlantic Canada to Paris. I would like to go the most direct route, which would be through London then Paris. When I use the Kayak multi City function, I can get a flight to London on Air Canada which arrives early morning. I can get a flight later that morning on British Airways from London to Paris.

I have two questions. Is this considered to be two different itineraries and will I have to look after the baggage transfer myself in London. Is there any protection if there is any delay or cancellation in either of the flights.

Similarly on the return, I will be returning out of Marseilles and using the same multi city function, I get flights from Marseilles to Munich and Munich to Canada. I have the same questions there.

Any help would be appreciated.

Southam

Multi-city or multi-destination tickets are known colourfully in the business as open-jaws. You get one ticket for the outward-bound route and one for the return, with luggage checked through. It will likely be cheaper to book this way rather than trying to buy separate tickets for each leg yourself.
Note that Kayak refers you to the ticket-sellers rather than being the merchant itself. It is always good thinking to go to the airline's own site to compare prices and flight choices.
However counter-intuitive, if you are flying from Halifax you will go backwards, through either Montreal or Toronto, and then non-stop to Paris. Either of those airports is more convenient than the sprawling complex at Heathrow. On the return from Marseille your most reliable route will be through Amsterdam rather than Charles de Gaulle.
A good source for airline information is www.itasoftware.com although it does not sell tickets.
American carriers will take you to a US gateway such as Newark or Philadelphia.

janisj

What you describe isn't a multi city booking. Multi city/open jaw is flying in to one city and home from another.

So your entire trip IS multi city (Canada to Paris and Marseilles to Canada). Use those criteria and then look for the best routing for each end of the itinerary.

Jim143

If I use that criteria, it will give me St John's to Toronto (or Montreal)and Toronto to Paris. That would be the typical Air Canada routing.
I was trying to take advantage of the direct Air Canada flight from St John's to London and make the connection there to Paris. That would save me about 6 hours of flying time plus wait time in Toronto.

janisj

>>it will give me St John's to Toronto (or Montreal)and Toronto to Paris. <<

Yes, but it will also give you other options/airline combinations.

Try your request on Orbitz because it often puts together unusual airline combos. But if you want that specific routing it might cost a good deal more.

Or call Air Canada and see if they will book what you want.

alanRow

<i>That would save me about 6 hours of flying time plus wait time in Toronto.</i>

Most of which will be lost having to pass through UK immigration / collecting luggage / going through customs / changing terminals / check-in / security - with possible changes in schedules between now and when you fly that either mean you spend longer at Heathrow or have an impossible connection.

That's before you start worrying about your flight from Canada being late / cancelled, hence you don't reach London in time.

If you look at the Kayak website there are many options to remove flights that don't meet certain criteria - including stop over airports. There's a chance that what you want cannot be booked as a single itinerary on-line and you'll have to ring Air Canada or BA.

Jim143

Thanks everybody.
Maybe its not such a good idea after all. I will go back to the Toronto route. I talked to Air Canada. It's difficult to see the logic in it, but by flying all the way to Toronto and right back again, with about 6 hours more flying time, I can get a much cheaper Air Canada price than if I were to fly Air Canada direct to London and make a connection through Air Canada there.