What Does it Mean to Travel on A Self-Transfer?
Self-transfer trips include tickets from two or more airlines that have no relationship with each other and do not coordinate when it comes to check-in or baggage. A self-transfer trip may look like one combined travel plan to you, but to each airline, it's just one flight—the one they're operating.
You'll therefore need to check in between flights, as well as collect and check your baggage each time you do. Since you'll have to leave the visa-free transit area to check in, you might also need a visa or a transit visa to complete your journey, depending on the country you're traveling to or changing flights in. It's your responsibility to check if you need a visa or any other documents.
If part of your trip is by train, you should follow the same steps with regards to visa and baggage, and keep in mind that the train station may be located at some distance from the airport.
Passengers departing from or to an airport located in the territory of a EU member state have certain statutory rights in the event of a flight disruption according to EU Regulation 261/2004, which include e.g.:
- the right to accommodation, if necessary,
- the right to rerouting under comparable transport conditions to the passenger's final destination, and
- the right to reimbursement for all flight segments.
As self-transfer trips include separate tickets from two or more airlines, these rights are limited to the flight associated with each respective airline and do not extend to the entire journey. This means that, in case of travel disruption, the statutory rights that you can exercise can be limited to only a part of the self-transfer trip and may affect the compensation you are entitled to. But don't worry, in case of eligible disruptions, you will be covered under our Self-Transfer Guarantee.
Traveling on a self-transfer doesn't mean all segments of your trip have to be self-transfers. The relevant ones will clearly be identified as such in the booking flow.