Is it possible for transit passengers to leave the airport? What to do and where to go when you return to the airport? Average transfer time

Many passengers are flying transit flights: due to the lack of direct lines to the desired point or due to savings (with a connection/transfer it is cheaper). There are also those who specifically select flights that allow them to visit another country during a transfer. For example, you can fly from Samara to Tbilisi via Istanbul. The question arises: “Is such a passenger allowed to leave the terminal building?” Usually, when transiting from the airport, you can leave if you have access required visa. But there are countries where Russian citizens will not require a visa: Türkiye, Vietnam, Thailand, etc.

Let's look at the situation using examples of popular destinations.

Dubai, UAE)

To enter the city, Russians will need a visa. It will be easiest for those who fly with UAE airlines - Emirates Airlines or flyDubai. In this case, after arrival, you go to the “Immigration Control” counter, and a visa for 30 days is added to your passport free of charge.

Previously, you had to order a transit visa from the carrier in advance via the Internet. Now the rules have been simplified.

If the flight is not carried out by a national company, the visa issue must be clarified with the carrier.

If you are not going to go to the city, your ticket is one to your final destination, and in Dubai you are just making a transfer, then you do not need a visa.

Istanbul

Citizens of the Russian Federation can stay in Turkey without a visa for up to 60 days. If you are flying with Turkish Airlines or Pegasus Airlines, you can leave the airport without any problems.

If you are specifically planning a route with a transfer to explore local attractions or go shopping, it will be convenient to choose suitable option using the Skyskanner service. It is advisable that the transfer be in the afternoon or evening, and the time between the two flights is at least 4 hours. The road to Istanbul from Ataturk Airport will take about 30 minutes, from Sabiha Gochken Airport - about 1.5 hours

Schengen

When connecting in one of the countries included in the Schengen area, you usually do not need to obtain a transport visa. Exceptions are cases when:

1. The transplant takes more than a day.
2. You are planning to leave the airport - to the city or even to another terminal, if the terminals are not connected by a transit zone.
3. You will have to make several transfers in the Schengen area.
4. If you have a layover in Berlin and you are not flying with Air Berlin.
5. If you do not have a connection, but 2 separate air tickets. In this case you will have to leave transit zone and go get your luggage.

Information about whether you can exit the airport building in the city where you are making a transfer can be conveniently obtained on the KLM website. You will need to enter information about your nationality, citizenship, country of departure, transfer and arrival. And indicate the countries you have visited in the last 6 days. After this, you will receive a list of documents that need to be completed, as well as information about the required vaccinations.

During the transfer

After arriving at the point where the transfer will be made, at the airport terminal the passenger enters the transit zone. It is also called pure or neutral.

Passengers who have passed customs and passport control gather here after checking in for flights, when boarding passes have already been issued. Those who have just arrived also find themselves in the clean zone. As well as foreigners flying in transit to another country. Until they leave the clean zone and go through passport control, it is considered that they have not yet arrived in the territory of that country.

If you have to transfer to another plane after a short period of time, it is better not to leave the clean area. There are places to relax, cafes, shops.

There are airports where there is no transit zone. Then you will have to go through passport control to make the transfer. Whether you need to apply for a visa - this question will have to be clarified with the airline or consulate. If the answer is yes, this means that without a visa you will not be able to make a transfer. But having received a visa, you can easily leave the airport building to spend the time before departure at your own discretion.

In most cases, tickets for flights with transfers are significantly cheaper than for direct flights. Moreover, a long transfer is an excellent opportunity to see another city on the trip. The main thing is to calculate the time correctly and remember to comply with visa requirements.

Let's figure out in what cases transit passengers can leave the airport during a transfer and what documents may be needed for this in different countries.

Transfer time

The first thing you need to take care of if you are planning a walk an unfamiliar city- this is timing. Will you have time to get back to the airport and board the plane?

Here's a list of what things to consider when planning:

• type of your flight - are you flying from the starting point to the final point of your trip on a single ticket or on two separate ones? (We will talk about the difference between these types in more detail below);
• During your transfer, do you arrive at the same airport from which you then depart? Or do you arrive and depart from different airports?
• Do you need to collect and then re-check in your luggage during a transfer?
• How much time do you need to spend on public transport to get from the airport to the city and back, and how often does this transport run?

On average, it takes at least 7-8 hours to get your luggage, leave it in a storage room, get from the airport to the city, take a walk and drink coffee, return to the airport, check your luggage again and check in for the next flight.

The exception is that if you are flying on a single flight, you do not need to think about luggage and re-check-in, and the attractions you are interested in are located within a 10-15 minute walk from the airport. In this case, you can fit in 3 hours. But such a coincidence of favorable factors is rare.

Let's take a closer look at each item on the list above.

Types of routes with transfers

Single flight. If you are flying with one or two transfers, but your entire flight is written on a single ticket, this means that during the transfer you do not need to collect and check in your luggage again and re-check in for the flight at the transfer airport. All this is done only once, when boarding the first segment of your flight. Consequently, you have almost the entire transfer time at your disposal. But don’t forget to check with airline representatives how long before the plane’s departure you need to be at the gate. An airplane is not a train; you won’t be able to jump on it a minute before departure.

An exception regarding baggage: if you are carrying items that need to be declared separately (antiques, weapons, drugs, etc.), then even on a single flight, the baggage at the transfer airport will need to be received and checked in again.

Selected flights. If the segments of your flight are written on separate tickets, this means that you are flying on two independent flights, and During the transplant you will need:

• collect luggage from the first flight;
• check in and check in luggage for the second flight;
• go through check-in and passport control for the second flight.

Baggage claim takes on average 20-40 minutes. After this, you will need to leave the arrivals area and go to the departure area of ​​the terminal from which your next flight departs. Next, the procedure is standard - at the baggage counter you check in and hand over your luggage, and at the check-in desk you go through check-in (if you haven’t done so in advance) and a security check.

Don't forget that check-in for a flight usually starts 2 hours before departure and closes an hour before.

Total you will need:

• 20-40 minutes to get luggage;
• 15-40 minutes to get to the check-in counter in the desired terminal (the arrival and departure terminals are indicated on the air tickets. Check in advance whether you will need to go from one terminal to another and look up an airport map online to find out how far they are from each other friend);
• 2 hours to check in for the flight;
• 1 hour that you will need to spend in the transit area after registration closes.

In total - 3.5-4.5 hours. Subtract this period from the total time of your transfer to understand whether you have time to get out into the city or whether it is better not to risk it and relax quietly in the airport lounge.

When is a transit visa needed?

So, you have a transfer at an airport in a foreign country. How do you know if you need to apply for a transit visa in advance - even if you don't plan to leave the airport?

We analyze the main options for the development of events.

Option 1. All segments of your flight are written on a single ticket. There is a chance that you don’t have to bother with visa issues at transit points - you go through passport control only when registering for the first segment of the flight, and during transfers you do not leave the airport transit area, for which transit visas are not required.

However, there are many exceptions to this rule. For example, transit through airports in the USA, Australia, Canada. If you have layovers (or even refueling stops on transcontinental flights) within these countries, you will definitely need to have the appropriate transit visa.

Not all airports have a 24-hour transit zone - for example, at Spanish airports visa-free transfers are only possible until midnight. If you have an overnight transfer, you will have to apply for a transit visa.

There is no transit zone at Berlin Tegel Airport, so everyone needs a visa except Air Berlin passengers - its flights arrive at a separate terminal, where transfers can be made without a visa.

If you have two or more transfers in Schengen and do not have a biometric passport, you will have to apply for a transit visa - even if you are flying on the same flight. To obtain a visa, you need to contact the embassy of the country of your first transplant.

Option 2. You are flying on a connecting flight, and the segments of your flight are written on separate tickets. As we mentioned above, this means that you will need to leave the arrivals area (aka transit area) and go to the departure area to check in for your next flight. At the exit from the "transit" you will need to go through passport control - without a visa you simply will not be allowed out.

But here, too, there are exceptions. Some airports - for example, London Heathrow and Gatwick - are designed so that you can get from one terminal to another without leaving the transit area. This means that you will not need a transit visa for your transfer. An exception to this exception is a flight on one of the European low-cost airlines (Ryanair, Wizz Air, EasyJet, etc.). Visa-free transit, alas, is not available to passengers of budget airlines, alas, even at those airports where it is provided for other travelers.

Option 3. You have a long layover and are planning to get out into the city. Most likely, you will need a transit visa, although there are a number of exceptions.

IN Singapore visa-free transit lasting 96 hours is available to all passengers who fly into this airport and can present an air ticket for the next flight to a third country (but not a return ticket to their point of departure - in this case you can not count on a transit visa).

At many airports China You can take advantage of visa-free transit of 72 or even 144 hours. A 24-hour transit visa waiver applies to almost all international airports in China except Fuzhou, Yanji, Mudanjiang and Shenzhen.

IN Great Britain Visa-free airside and landside transits are provided for air travelers.

Airside is available to those flying into London Gatwick and Heathrow or Manchester Airport. Unfortunately, Ukraine is included in the so-called “black list” from the point of view of British visa legislation. Therefore, to transfer at these airports you do not need a transit visa, only if the following conditions are met:

• you are on an onward flight and your destination is either Ireland or outside the UK;
• you depart before 23:59 on the day of your arrival;
• you have everything Required documents to stay in the country of your destination (if it is a visa-free country, you need to present a hotel reservation);
• you will not go beyond the airport transit area.

Landside transit allows you to fully explore the streets of London, go to a hotel or to another London airport. To use it, you need to present a number of documents to the passport control officer - but keep in mind that even if you have complete set the decision is made individually in each case, and you have the right not to be allowed to leave the airport.

Documentation to obtain permission for landside transit:

• air ticket for an international or domestic flight with departure no later than 23:59 the next day;
• valid US visa, New Zealand, Australia, Canada and air tickets to these countries;
• An expired visa to these countries will also work as an argument - provided that no more than 6 months have passed since your last entry into them;
• a valid biometric visa to Ireland, a long-term visa category D issued by one of the EU countries or Switzerland, a residence permit in Australia, the USA, Canada or New Zealand. Moreover, there are a number of restrictions on the timing of issuance and types of residence permits, so before your trip we recommend that you carefully study the transit conditions on the website of the UK Migration Service.

Timatic help base

As you can see, there are more exceptions than rules in transit visa legislation. In addition, changes are regularly made to the laws of a particular country or even to the rules of individual airports. Therefore, in each individual case, we recommend relying not on reviews on forums or the experience of friends and relatives, but on Timatic - a single international database that contains all the rules for border crossing and air transit, and which is considered the only authoritative source for passport officers at all airports in the world .

Timatic is a paid service for airlines and agencies. But some of them on their websites allow passengers to use the database completely free of charge. For example, using this link you can use the Timatic database on the Emirates airline website.

Enter your citizenship, points of departure and arrival, as well as transit countries into the form and click the Submit button. You'll get full information about what documents you will need to stay in the country of your destination, and whether visa-free transit (TWOV - Transit Without Visa) is possible at all your transfer points.

This is a first-person account with impressions of short and long transfers. Not without advice either. If you have never flown with transfers, then perhaps we can save you from a fatal mistake. Or just make the “whites” laugh with their problems.

Too short connection in Frankfurt

July 2017. Flight Moscow - Frankfurt - Amsterdam. Transfer 1 hour.

What motivated me

It seemed that a short transfer - brilliant idea. You can save 10 thousand on tickets and not spend a lot of time at the airport.

How it was

According to Murphy's law, our flight from Moscow was delayed. You experience a very interesting ride of emotions when the plane to Amsterdam takes off in 5 minutes, and you are still in the air and have not even made it halfway to Frankfurt.

The stewards did not want to answer questions not related to food and drinks, and pretended that I was asking them about their personal life. There were even suggestions that we know different English.

As soon as we finally landed, I immediately turned on my phone to find some article (like this one) and understand what to do. It’s good that the airline for both flights was the same: a message immediately came with information about the flight to Amsterdam and a new ticket.

Just great. Only we landed in Frankfurt around 10 pm. And I’m leaving at 8 am the next day, because the flight I missed was the last one. Great time saver, smart girl.

Upon arrival, we (a group of tired, swearing travelers) found ourselves in a deserted part of the airport, but as soon as we walked a little further, there it was, a huge crowd, which also did not succeed in making transfers due to the fault of the company.

It was terribly hot, the cafeterias were no longer open (at 10 pm). Water dispensers too. There are only hard fucking dicks around and other variations of swear words that have expanded my English vocabulary.

Then I stood in line for 2 hours to get... a ticket to the queue for a voucher! According to the ticket, there were 89 people in front of me. At first I thought it would be easier to hang out at the airport than go through all this. But I hardly managed to sleep, and I would have lost another half day (out of 4) in Amsterdam.

Then they brought a lot of different water and sweets. I decided that I would do everything.

As a result, they gave us a voucher for a hotel near the airport, checked us in for the flight, handed us a boarding pass and told us where to go to get on the bus to the hotel.

By the way, a brochure and information about how and where to write to get monetary compensation, tried to hide it. One girl’s old boarding pass was taken away and torn up (and it was really needed to get money).

I found out everything in detail, collected it in separate place all the papers, but at the time of writing this article (September) I have not done anything. In such matters, I am not a fighter, but rather a whiner and a bleeding heart, who will be helped only out of pity. I can’t even figure it out with the cashier at Pyaterochka. Don't be like that.

I needed to break up a long story with a title.

When I walked out to the bus stop, I immediately remembered this joke from GTA about “Listen, I’m in the middle of big shit right now.” There were about 100,500 people, approximately zero buses.

When the next bus arrived, it was occupied by the Chinese, with whom it is difficult to compete in terms of elbow fights in line. And now it’s already one in the morning, and I’m not at the hotel yet. Get up at 5.

When I was already desperate and just sat down on the curb in my pajama pants, an airport worker ran up to me. Even Johnson's baby doesn't protect his cheeks from tears like this guy who said that there is 1 more seat in the free taxi.

The hotel ended up being a 15-minute drive from the airport, the room was great, and they woke us up in the morning for the bus. I thought about getting up a little earlier so I could start hating the airline because I was afraid there wouldn't be enough time during the day. But the breakfast was too delicious and the sunrise too beautiful.

What to do if you miss your connecting flight?

As you can see, this can all be resolved - long and nervous, but solvable. It is important that both flights are from the same company. Otherwise, the task will become at least 2 times more difficult.

There is always a chance of being late for a connecting flight due to your own fault - you don’t know English well, the queue was too long, or you yourself are very stupid. In this case, you need to run to the airline representative and ask to take you on board, if this is still possible. Most likely, you will be led through, since it is simply unrealistic to be very late if the first plane arrives on time.

Suppose that with you the impossible becomes possible. You late. If you have business class, then there is no need to worry. With a ticket purchased at a special fare or an economy class ticket, things are different. You will have to pay a fine or even buy a new ticket.

Is it worth flying with a short layover?

If you have a long vacation ahead, then nothing bad will happen. At a minimum, you’ll lose half a day, but you’ll gain experience and a story that makes you an interesting conversationalist. Maximum - buy another ticket.

Here is a list of circumstances under which you should absolutely not fly with short layovers:

• You are flying with children.
• You have a limited budget.
• You are flying for 3-5 days.
• You don't know English well.

Too long connection in Munich

July 2017. Amsterdam - Munich - Moscow. Transfer 9 hours.

What motivated me

“Fool, the ticket is cheaper, and there are more countries. You can walk around the city all day.”

Flight with a transfer: how it was

It was easy to find your way around Munich Airport - there are signs and signs everywhere. In order not to carry a heavy backpack everywhere (yes, I’m one of those), it was decided to give it to the storage room. Storing a bag up to 5 kg - € 3.5 per day. Walking lightly around the city is priceless.

After reading a bunch of forums where the information is chaotic and chaotic, we managed to find out that the best way to get to the city is by train.

I bought the ticket easily from the machine, there was no line. Perfect.

I reached the main square of Marienplatz in about 40 minutes and went for a walk.

At first everything went well. Then I caught myself thinking that I had already walked around everything in the area, there was too little time to “get away”, and too much time to continue walking around the point of return or sitting in a cafe.

Plus I’m tired and generally bored. As a result, I returned to the airport and stayed there for another four hours. Correction: this was the longest four hours.

If you want the same: useful information

Luggage storage is located in the central area (Z), level 03. Follow the signs with the word “Bulky Luggage”. “Buns” are large-sized luggage.

The location of another camera is difficult to describe; it’s better to ask at the information desk (which is what I did). If you correctly understand what the airport employee tells you, then soon on your way you should find a room separated by transparent walls. There are also computers and the Internet there, but I didn’t use them.

I was advised to check my luggage in a locker at the station, but there was no point in that. First of all, I don't trust robots (damn Decepticons). Secondly, it’s strange to drag your bag to the station and be surprised that all the slots are occupied.

Next to “Bulki” there are machines where you can buy a train ticket to the city. You can recognize them by their badge with a white letter S on a green background and the inscription Bahn Munchen.

One train ticket costs 12 euros. But if you are two, three, four or five of you, then it is more profitable to take Airport-City-Day-Ticket Group. It costs 22.30 euros and will allow you all to ride for a whole day there and back. And by metro too.

To get to the main site you need to take the S8 train. There is also S1, but it is longer and there may be confusion with it on the way back. Better not to worry and remember only S8.

The interval between departures is 20 minutes. The station is located right at the airport, you need to look for it by following the signs, of which there are many.

Is it worth flying with a long layover?

If you have thoughts like “Why should I go somewhere, this is an additional expense. I’d rather wait at the airport,” then you’re wrong. There is no telling how much you will spend waiting and surrounded by so many sausage shops.

You should definitely decide on a long transfer if:

• The city where the transfer is planned is not of particular interest and you would not want to go to it specifically.
• You know how to accurately calculate time, plan routes and in general you are a control freak.
• Life is a merry carnival.

Long transfers are not for you if:

• You are constantly afraid of being late, you are nervous and do not know how to let go of the situation.
• You are traveling with small children.

I hope that the article was useful and that you will not get into the same troubles, but will approach planning your trip wisely.

If you know life hacks for travelers, or can share useful information, write to us. We always welcome new authors to our magazine!( [email protected])

Timescenery - a revolutionary all-in-one organizer. Book flights, hotels and other accommodation, rent cars. Search best places and optimal routes around the world. Collect your trips in a new format, share them with friends or use ready-made script from our collection.

A little about transfers and how to make them comfortable. To begin with, the basic things.

It is best if your connecting flights are issued on one ticket. This is possible if both airlines you are flying with are members of the same airline alliance (SkyTeam, SkyAlliance, OneWorld, etc.). In this case, if the first connecting flight is delayed or cancelled, your chances of getting to your final destination without loss will increase significantly.

Don’t neglect airline loyalty programs - sooner or later, accumulated miles can be converted into a free ticket, and when you receive “elite” status, you will have access to all sorts of business lounges, which will make your life at the airport much more comfortable. In addition, airlines are more loyal to loyal passengers, which again increases your chances in case of any kind of problems.

Well, now about the transplants themselves.

1–2 hours — enough time to stretch a little at the airport, have a snack, smoke a cigarette (although this is not allowed everywhere).

3–4 hours is the most inconvenient time. Too little time to go into the city, but enough time to get bored.

5–10 hours — if you have a visa from the country in which you are making a transfer — you can go out and take a walk. A heavy bag can be checked into a storage room. Record how long it will take you to get from the airport to the city center and allow this time + 30 minutes for the return trip. If you don't have a visa, you'll have to explore the airport.

12 hours or more — some airlines (e.g. Qatar) provide free hotel for passengers with long layovers. Others give coupons that allow you to enter a special room where you can have a snack. Check all available options on the airline's website before departure.

My favorite airports:

Schiphol (Amsterdam). Perhaps my favorite airport in Europe. Huge, but at the same time very convenient, with perfect navigation. By by and large, there is no point in leaving it, everything is inside. There are two hotels (regular and capsule), several spas, a library, a children's game room and countless shops, cafes and other duty-free entertainment. Other features include an excellent cheese shop and a smoking room in the Irish Pub where you can combine the bad with the bad. Although, if you have a Schengen visa, it’s still worth getting out into the city at least for a short time. If you don't mind, you can get from the plane to Amsterdam Centraal central station in about 40 minutes.

Hamad (Qatar). The old terminal in Qatar was quite gloomy, but the new one is simply amazing. It seems that there is everything you can imagine here, and this “everything” is created with an oriental scale and an appropriate level of luxury. In the central hall there is monumental contemporary art - “Lamp Dog” by Urs Fischer, in the arrivals hall “Oryx” by the Dutchman Tom Klaassen. The works of Hirst and other dear contemporaries are also hidden somewhere. Everything here is designed for comfort - there are plenty of “quiet rooms” where you can take a break, “TV rooms” with huge plasma panels, smoking rooms, showers, prayer rooms, and an incredible variety of premium lounges. With a silver card, a room with cozy sofas, light snacks and a shower becomes available, with a gold card - already personal cabins for relaxation and an unlimited selection of alcohol. You can enter some rooms (Oryx Lounges) for money - a pass costs about $60. There is also a hotel at the airport, and if you have a long layover, the airline often provides a hotel in the city and a free round-trip transfer.

By the way, Qatar Airways miles (part of the OneWorld alliance) can be spent right at the airport. You can pay with your airline card at any of the many Duty Free shops. So if you don’t plan to save up for an award ticket, then the miles for one round trip flight are enough for a bottle of good whiskey.

And another life hack from the same airport — in Qatar they ignore the rules banning the transport of liquids into hand luggage. Apparently, being in the very heart of the Muslim world, they are not particularly afraid of terrorists. So you don't have to worry about the road sunscreen in a cosmetic bag and a bottle from Duty Free, not sealed in plastic, purchased at the previous airport. They won't take it away :)

My next favorite airport hasn't been built yet, but I already want to go there. After all, the new terminal in Beijing was designed by one of the greatest architects of our time - Zaha Hadid. The models can be seen right now at her exhibition, which is taking place in the Hermitage, and the pictures are .

Anastasia Richter - content director of a marketing agency

A long transfer — plus one checkpoint on the route, and this is always interesting. Sometimes it seems that you simply don’t have the energy to walk between flights. Then I think that our life is quite short, and the planet is too huge to miss the opportunity to see a new place. So, for example, I visited Kyiv for the first time 6 years ago. Having arrived after Kazantip at 5 am, it was super difficult for me to make a choice in favor of a walk. But a double espresso restored my sanity and I spent seven hours walking around this beautiful city. This time was enough to take the funicular to the Upper Town, walk along Andreevsky Descent, where I almost bought a gramophone, through the historical district of Podol, and wander through the underground Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, reflect on the eternal in the local rose garden and be stunned by the architecture and sky-lilac color of St. Michael's Cathedral. I complemented the picture with a gastronomic must-have - Ukrainian borscht with donuts and vodka. Then there were several more transfers in the Ukrainian capital, and during one of them I took advantage of a two-hour flight delay and got to Maidan.

Once, on the way from Rome to Moscow, my friend and I had a great walk around Vienna, which we chose as a stopover to visit the famous Vienna Opera. But we mistakenly bought tickets to the national one, not the state one, so we decided to take a walk. In 6 hours we visited the Christmas market opposite the Karlskirche, reached the symbol of the city - St. Stephen's Cathedral, which, like in a horror film, pierced the heavy foggy sky and dined on classic Viennese cuisine at the Plachutta restaurant... By the way, interior decoration We still saw operas.

There was also a 17-hour overnight layover in Riga and a morning walk through the historical center in search of a bank — we needed currency to buy at least water.

And very soon I will have an overnight transfer in Berlin after Ibiza, and as a cherry on the “Vacation” cake, I will certainly go to the CDV (Club der Visionäre), meet with friends and have a good dance.

If you choose an indirect flight, this means that you will have to fly with a transfer. For those who are still afraid of transplants or don’t know everything about them, I’ll try to sort them out.

If you are flying with a transfer, then you are moving from city A to city B, while landing in a completely different city on the way to point B. In this case, you get off the plane, enter the airport, and then board another plane. Naturally, total time flight time when flying with a transfer increases. But the ticket, as a rule, becomes cheaper.

And it is simply impossible to get to some places in this world without a transfer. Therefore, if you are going to fly on planes at all, you should know as much as possible about transfers in advance.

A "transfer" may also be called a "Connection" or a "Transfer" (rarely a "Transit"). In addition, at every airport in the world there will be an inscription in English, by which you can understand where you need to go to get a connection, and not accidentally leave the airport - look for the inscriptions “Transfer” or “Flight Transfers” or “Flight Connections” or "Connecting Flights" (or rarely - "Transit").

Once again about terminology.

A transfer is a change of board during a flight from one point to another using 2 or more flight legs.

What is flight leverage?

A flight leg is a part of a route carried out without the aircraft landing. Accordingly, if your ticket has only 1 leg, it is a direct flight. If 2 or more, then you are flying with a transfer (after all, the plane lands and you get off the plane).

Important points about transfers:

Everything is simple here. For example, you arrive at Sheremetyevo Airport (Terminal F) and depart from Sheremetyevo (Terminal F). IN in this case everything will be easy and simple. After getting off the plane, you will need to follow the "Transfer" signs and the like.

These signs will take you either to the general departure hall or to a special area for transit passengers. There you will need to find a board/screen that shows flight departure times, flight numbers and gates. Next, go to the desired gate (you found the gate number on the board/screen) and wait to board the flight.

This type of transplant takes the least amount of time.

You should find out whether the transfer takes place at the same airport/terminal either when purchasing an air ticket, or find it in the form of the air ticket issued to you. If the departure terminal is not indicated on the ticket, during the day before departure you will need to go to the website of the airport where the transfer is made and look at the arrivals and departures board (or enter the flight number). Of course, both flights need to be checked. Because you must make sure that the arrival of one flight and the departure of another flight takes place in the same terminal.

If your transfer takes place in a small city/airport, then most likely there is only 1 terminal at this airport. Such airports are, for example, in Riga, Vilnius and Tallinn.

*small and cozy Tallinn airport

But there are pitfalls here too. There are small airports without a transit area. For example, the same Tallinn airport.

This means that if you are flying from Russia via Tallinn to a visa-free country, you still need a Schengen visa, since you will have to go through customs control immediately upon leaving the plane.

This is neither good nor bad. Simply, if you do not have a transit country visa, when purchasing an air ticket you need to check at which airport the transfer is taking place and whether there is a transit zone there. Such information for any airport can be easily found on the Internet.

2. Transfers occur in different terminals and even different airports

Things are more complicated if you find out that the ticket at the airport or arrival and departure terminal in the city of your transfer indicates different values.

Let's take Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport as a first example:

In Moscow Sheremetyevo you can arrive, for example, at Terminal F, and depart from Terminal D. They seem to be different terminals, but when you go to the airport website and look at the official airport diagram, you will immediately understand that no problems will arise. In this case, the terminals, although different, are located in the same place, are one group of buildings and are interconnected. Therefore, in this case, you will simply have to spend some time walking from one terminal to another. And, most likely, you will have to go through security again.

But if you arrive, for example, at Terminal C, and depart from Terminal D, then everything becomes more complicated. As you can see from the diagram, the terminals are located on different sides of the runway, which means that you will need to somehow get from one terminal to another. And this will no longer be just an easy walk.

I would like to note right away that there are quite a few airports in the world where you have to travel from one terminal to another by public transport or taxi.

In the case of Sheremetyevo Airport, a bus runs from Terminal C to Terminal F every half hour. It takes 10-20 minutes. That is, you need to budget at least 2 hours for such a transfer.

At some airports, such as Frankfurt am Main, a mini-train runs on a monorail between terminals. In any case, different terminals mean that, firstly, you need to find out how to get from one terminal to another (this information can be easily found on the airport website or on various forums), and secondly, that your transfer should last at least couple of hours.

But that's not all.

Things are even more fun if your transfer involves a change of airport.

For example, again, it’s easy to take the Moscow aviation hub, which has as many as 3 major airports. And all are located on different sides of Moscow. If you arrive in Vnukovo, and your next flight is from Domodedovo, then your transfer time should be at least 4 hours. In general, this will not create any additional problems for you. Only time costs. If you are a citizen of Russia.

But again, if you are a citizen of Russia, and your transfer at different airports will take place in another country. This is a good reason to check the visa rules of a given country.

Let's imagine that you are flying from Moscow to Rio de Janeiro with a transfer in Frankfurt. If the transfer takes place within this airport, then you do not need any visas.

Now let’s imagine that you wanted to save money and found chip flights in Rio with a transfer in Madrid, and suddenly it turned out that you were arriving at Girona - Costa Brava airport, located 90 kilometers from Barcelona, ​​and flying to Rio from El Prat Barcelona airport. This means not only that you will have to travel about 100 km for the transfer (which, by the way, is very easy to do, in just 2 hours with one bus transfer), but also that you will have to obtain a Schengen visa for such a transfer. And this can both neutralize your savings and complicate your trip due to the need to obtain a visa.

Google can easily find routes from one airport to another by public transport:

If you already have a visa, then there are no problems.

By the way, about the airport "El Prat Barcelona".

Even if you have a transfer only within this one airport, but in different terminals... you will still have to get a visa, since the terminals of this airport are located at different sides from the runway (almost like in Sheremetyevo) and are connected by free bus service. This means that you will have to leave the airport, which means step onto Spanish soil, which is the territory of the Schengen agreement :) So again you need a Schengen visa.

It is possible that in these examples everything seems complicated. And yet, everything is much simpler. I'm considering different examples. In your situation, you will only need to check one air ticket. Preferably before purchasing :) And if you are satisfied with the transfer conditions, buy a ticket. Or choose another ticket.

If a difficult transfer is found in an already purchased ticket, we simply look at what needs to be done for such a transfer, find on the Internet how to get from one point to another and voila! :) Everything is simpler than it seems. And in any case, such situations are always easily resolved. Although it requires additional body movements, I don’t deny it :)

But independent travel initially requires your body movements :) That’s why it turns out cheaper and more interesting!

In addition, transfers at different airports are not always difficult and hard.

After all, such a transplant could be the beginning of a good thing or. In the same example about Girona and Barcelona - for some it will be an exhausting transfer, but for others it may be 2 additional beautiful Spanish cities on the way to Brazil. It all depends on your tastes and wishes.

3.Boarding pass

Almost always, at the check-in counter at the very first airport of departure, you will be immediately checked in for the rest of your route and given boarding passes for all flights.

You may not be checked in for onward flights if your connection lasts longer than 24 hours. If a child is flying with you without a seat, you may also not be checked in for further flights. If you bought two separate tickets, if the transfer takes place in different terminals or different airports, you may also be checked in only for the first flight.

That doesn’t stop you from going through online check-in yourself for each flight separately. If this cannot be done, then there is no problem. Just go to the check-in counter at your departure airport after your transfer and check in as usual! That's all :)

Yes, it's that simple.

By the way, some budget airlines do not sell transfer tickets even for their own flights. That is, they can only sell 2 separate tickets. This is what WizzAir does, for example, when it flies from Moscow to Hungary. And they also do not provide transit halls. That is, their tickets must be used to cross the border in any case, present a Schengen visa and check in again for the second flight at the check-in counter. Even if you fly through Budapest to visa-free Georgia.

If you are not flying with a budget company and have a transfer within the same terminal or at a small airport, but you are still checked in only for the first flight, then during the transfer go to any airport employee, to the information desk or to the transit/transfer passenger counter - and there You will be issued a boarding pass.

Everything is simple here.

4. Transfer time.

Even if you are not going to organize for yourself or, you still need to be attentive to the transfer time.
Taking into account the above, your transfer may sometimes require collecting your luggage and checking it in again, or moving from one terminal to another. In this case, you may not have enough time if the transfer lasts only 30 minutes or even an hour and a half. And if the transfer involves changing the airport, then, as I already wrote, the transfer may take several hours.

But even if you don’t need to pick up anything, and you don’t need to change the terminal or airport, surprises may still await you :)

For example, in international airport Dubai (DXB) I only walked from one exit to another for about an hour :))) This was very unexpected. I could not even imagine that the airport could be SO gigantic. It’s good that my transfer took several hours! It turned out that on the way there we were simply unlucky with the departure of the arriving plane and the departure of the departing plane from the transfer. They ended up at different ends of a huge airport, built in the shape of a long sausage :)

This is what the airport looks like:

On the way back the transfer was only 45 minutes. And I thought that everything was lost :) As a result, on the way back, they didn’t even take us off the plane! We just sat and waited for 45 minutes until the plane was refueled and additional passengers were brought on board. Apparently, the airline knew that we would not have time to change planes during the transfer :) In general, also look carefully at the size of the airports when choosing long transfers.

In Tallinn, for example, I managed to change trains in half an hour, taking into account passport control :)

5. It varies. Lateness and delays.

However, in the same Tallinn I had a 20-minute transfer. And I didn't have time anymore :)

But my ticket was sold for both flight legs of the same airline - in this case, Estonian Air. And both flight legs were sold as part of a single ticket. This means that the airline is responsible for my connection, and if I don’t make it in time, then by law they... must come up with something to solve the current situation :) I was checked in for the next flight in the same direction, departing 2 hours later , and were given a food voucher worth 10 euros.

There are different coupons, for example:

Photo sources: vm.ru and ru-travel.lj.ru

If I was flying in the evening, and the next flight was only in the morning, then I would be provided with a hotel. These are the rules in the European Union.

If you have a short layover in a non-EU country and you're worried you might miss it, then before (or after) purchasing, look for something like "[Country] flight delay policies." All countries in the world should have regulations describing the behavior of airlines in such cases.

In general, if one company sold you a single ticket with a short connection, and you did not have time to change seats during this time, then you must be transferred to the next flight and this is considered as a flight delay due to the fault of the airline.

If you bought two separate tickets, then you are responsible for the transfer yourself. This means that if you don’t make it in time, you will have to buy a new ticket at your own expense.

If you bought one ticket, and at the same time two flight legs are carried out by different airlines, then there are already discrepancies.

How do you know if the airline is responsible for the transfer or if all the risks are on you?

This is the most hidden information on the Internet, but I’ll tell you especially for you. It's actually simple:

The airline under whose code the ticket was issued is responsible. If the codes are different, then the responsibility is on you.

Airlines can be completely different, but they can be part of the same aviation alliance and there can be a special codeshare agreement between them. This means that they can fly on different flights under the code of the airline that sold the ticket (even if in fact the flight is operated by another airline).

As an example, I found a copy of a real ticket on the Internet. Here is an example of such a ticket:

Three airlines are participating! FlyBe, FinnAir, Bangkok Airways - as many as 2 transfers in each direction.

But pay attention to the Flight column - “AY ****” is written everywhere there. "AY" is the airline code. In this example, FinnAir is responsible for all connections and flights.

If the codes were different, then the responsibility would already lie with the passenger. For example, the first flight would have code SU2401, and the next one AY2502 - then the connection between these flights would be your concern.

6. Other

At the very beginning I wrote: "... so that you do not accidentally leave the airport." So, if you accidentally did not make a transfer, but left the airport, then do not despair.

Firstly, if you cannot leave the airport for visa reasons, then they will not let you out :) In this case, they will politely tell you where to go to get to the transfer.

If you have a visa and you can get out... and at the same time you got out, but didn’t want to... then you can always and easily come back with a ticket or boarding pass. You just need to go through security again.

7. Transfers with visas.

Not everywhere you can make a transfer without thinking about anything.

For example, in Australia, the USA or Canada, in order to make a transfer even at airports with a transit zone, you still need to get a visa! Yes, they even have a special transit visa for these cases. And for such a visa you also need to collect documents and spend money on its registration.

Take into account such nuances and always check whether the country of transfer requires a transit visa.

On the other hand, in some countries where you need to obtain a visa, you can not only make visa-free transit at the airport (as in EU countries with airports that have a transit zone), but you can even get the right to free visa-free transit for 2-3 days!

Such rules for visa-free 2- or 3-day transit exist, for example, in many major cities China and Singapore. Thus, when flying through them to a third country, you can visit new places completely free of charge and without any hassles. But in such cases, it is transit somewhere further that is taken into account. If the ticket is round-trip, for example, Moscow-Singapore-Moscow, then you will no longer be allowed in without a visa.

About baggage on transfers I'll tell you separately. Otherwise there is already too much information for one article :)

If you have questions, objections or additions, I will be glad to see them in the comments. Your comments will be especially useful if I made a mistake somewhere. Yes, I'm not perfect :)

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