lmh2588

I was considering booking two individual flights, one from Charlotte to Boston, and then a separate flight from Boston to London.

It will be my first time traveling internationally, and there was some things I was confused about.

I won't be checking any bags, just taking a backpack with me. Once I get to Boston, there's 2 hours and 40 minutes between my flights. Is that enough time to get whatever processes done between my flights?

How exactly does the security process work, as far anything that has to be done before traveling internationally? What will I have to do once I'm in Boston, check in wise, etc.?

Thanks in advance for everyone's help.

J62

we need more details to give you an informed answer. Are the two separate flights on the same airline? If not, what airlines, and do they have a partnership?

Jeff_Costa_Rica

There's no exit process per se to leave the U.S. You'd have check in in Boston and go through security again.

There's always a risk in doing things this way. If your incoming flight is delayed too much, you'll miss your Boston-London flight. Airline 1 owes you nothing in such a case, because it got you to Boston, and that's all it's obliged to do. Airline 2 owes you nothing because you'd be a no-show for your flight to London and it will cancel your ticket.

If this is all on one ticket, Airline 2 will get you to London on the next flight that has available space. The way you're considering it, you don't have that protection.

Kathie

There are potential problems with booking this as two tickets rather than one. If your first flight is late and you miss your second flight, on two tickets you are simply out of luck and would have to buy a new (full-price) ticket to London. If you were booked on one ticket, they will put you on the next flight.

lmh2588

It's JetBlue to Boston, and then Wow Air to London connecting through Iceland. It's a really great deal breaking it up separately like this (over $200 less) which is why I was considering it this way.

I could take a flight to Baltimore first instead of Boston still separately like this, but it would give me 4 hours in between instead if that would be safer.

So in either city, I would literally exit out of security like I was leaving the airport, and then just go back to the Wow counter, check in, and go back through security again?

Thanks again.

MmePerdu

If you book your flights with considerably more time between flights there would be less to be concerned about. But for just $200, the risk of it costing much more should you not get to Boston on time, for any of a number of possible reasons, I wouldn't dream of it. I can't afford to spend $200 for no reason but, in this case, there's reason to buy your trip through to London on 1 ticket.

janisj

I'd never EVER do this when connecting to an international flight -- If you miss the connection you'll have to buy a new ticket at the much higher walk up fares. And I'm not sure but WOW Airlines likely has very few flights out of Boston (maybe only once a day?? ) so if you do miss your flight it could be several days before you could get on a flight . . .

Odin

When you are booking a low cost carrier such as WOW, then you really don't have much choice than to book separate tickets. There is a risk of missing the connection to London as others have said, so could you book an earlier flight to Boston? I know it would be a very long wait but it would be better to have a contingency. What time of the year are you travelling, eg I wouldn't probably do this during Jan/Feb on the East coast due to weather.

pariswat

If I were to do it, I'd book my WOW the day before and sleep at Boston (which would eat a lot of my 200$ savings : a room, a dinner, but I'd incorporate it in my holiday). That way if something happens, You can rebook on the first leg and not miss the second (important one). But I feel more secure to fly on one ticket...

Some months ago I boarded a plane internal in Europe and the plane never took off (Etihad regional) - so we were all left there. I took another flight the next morning at an airport 100 kms from original airport - no big deal for me.

But I still remember a family of 5 who were supposed to catch another flight upon arrival that evening to bring them to Marocco. I still feel sorry for them.

lmh2588

Thanks for your advice, guys. I was looking at traveling in November (might be a bit colder but much lower ticket prices) hoping to hit up several European countries while I was away so the savings would help for sure but I don't want to chance missing any flights either.

It's looking like if I want to do the Wow Air option, maybe going through Baltimore is better? There are flights that have 6 or 7 hour connection times before leaving for Iceland, which would seem to be plenty of time to guard against any unexpected delays.

MmePerdu

Six or 7 hours might be fine, as the previous 2 might be fine. There are no guarantees. Whereas on a single ticket, there are guarantees. Simple. November weather delays may be fewer than, say, February. Maybe you aren't a worrier, but I'd be thinking about it from now until I'm safely onto the 2nd flight. You might want to check and see just how much the price of a full-fare ticket is, the one you'd have to buy if you miss the cheap flight, before you decide if saving $200 is a good enough deal to take the gamble.

suze

<You'd have check in in Boston and go through security again.>

Why would they have to go thru security again if they are still in the US and only changing planes. Wouldn't they stay in the secured area of the airport and just go gate to gate?

MmePerdu

I guess if Wow Air has gate check-in, then he could possibly just go to the gate. I don't know Boston airport, might there be a change of terminal?

suze

Even if you had to change terminals, why would you go back outside the secure area and have to do TSA again?

Odin

According to the info on their website, check in can only be done at the airport at the check in desk and they are landside.

lmh2588

So sounds like I would have to exit and redo security after I checked in...thanks for checking that for me, Odin.

I'm going to keep my options open, I definitely would like to do the Wow Air because it is a great deal and I really like the flight times, but if I do it, I'm definitely going to give myself at least 6-7 hours layover time to be on the safe side.

I'll definitely have lots of other questions to ask, but if anyone else has any more advice on this topic, I'll keep checking this thread, it is all much appreciated.

suze

Got it, thanks for the explanation Odin!

eAbbasi

I think that's enough time to catch your next flight and by the way Security doesn't take much time.

These are the minimum flight connections you can have for Boston Airport

BOSTON Airport| (1) Domestic-Domestic 30mins ( 2) Domestic-International 40mins( 3) International-Domestic 1hour.30mins International-International 1hour.30mins

MmePerdu

You're a trusting soul, eAbbasi. I think there are many of us who prefer more wiggle room than the "minimum flight connections" deemed enough for booking purposes. All those times are strictly hypothetical and then real-life intervenes, with mechanical, weather, and traffic delays. Then those numbers go right out the window, as we all know.

newtome

The question you need to ask yourself is whether you are willing to take a risk in November that there will not be weather delays affecting your flight to Baltimore. On a good day, there would not be a problem. But if your inbound flight is delayed or cancelled you have NO recourse for your ongoing flight to Europe. I'd fly in a day early and sleep at a Priceline-d Airport hotel to make the next day's WOW flight.