Cost-conscious Brits looking to save money are playing 'Travel Tetris' with their flights - but the hack could end up ruining your trip, says one expert.
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expert → look → trip
The term, a reference to the block-style video game, reflects a trend for buying separate flights and self-transferring to save money rather than paying for one flight with connections already included.
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term → reflect → connections
When travellers opt for a connected journey - or book a flight as part of a package holiday - they are usually protected if things go wrong.
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things → opt → holiday
However, self transfers that fall foul of delays, airport queues and lengthy baggage collection times might see tourists not refunded if they fail to make their next flight.
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they → fall → flight
Brits are increasingly playing 'Travel Tetris' and booking separate flights instead of connection packages to save money - but self-transferring can be a perilous pursuit
New data shows missed flight connections doubled in Europe over the summer months as the new Entry/Exit System struggled with its first peak tourist season, according to the International Air Transport Association.
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System → play → Association
Experts at corporate travel management company Good Business Travel warn if the first flight is delayed and the passenger misses the second, they may not be covered by the same protections.
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they → warn → protections
Instead, they may be forced to cough up for a replacement ticket at short notice and likely at a significantly higher price.
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they → force → price
Natasha Inglis, client experience director at Good Business Travel, said: 'We're seeing an influx of travellers playing "Travel Tetris" and getting more creative with how they put their journeys together.
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they → say → journeys
'Booking separate flights can look like a clever way to bring the overall cost down, but travellers need to remember that they're also taking on responsibility for making all those separate pieces fit together.
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pieces → book → responsibility
The problem with Travel Tetris is that what looks like a saving on paper can quickly become an expensive mistake if one part of the journey goes wrong.
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part → look → journey
If you're going to try Travel Tetris, you need to build in plenty of breathing room and understand exactly what you're responsible for if something goes wrong.
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something → go → what
Long airport queues and delays could lead to those who've tried to beat connecting flight prices missing their second flight and being left unprotected
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who → lead → flight
The Civil Aviation Authority explains how the level of protection differs between a package flight booking and those playing 'Travel Tetris' and booking separately.
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level → explain → Tetris
It says: 'If your booking includes two or more flights that were booked together as one journey (often with one airline or an alliance) your entitlement to care and compensation if there are delays will be based on the last airport in your journey.
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entitlement → say → journey
'If your journey includes two or more separate bookings (sometimes called 'self-transfer'), each flight is treated as a separate journey.
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flight → include → journey
You will not be able to claim care and compensation for the end-to-end journey if delays mean you miss a flight on your journey.
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you → claim → journey
However, the relevant entitlements for each individual flight still apply.
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entitlements → apply → flight
However, according to Ms Inglis, there are ways to help make self-transfer flights work.
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flights → accord → Inglis
She recommended leaving at least four hours between each journey and explains: 'If 'Travel Tetris' is the only option because of your flight route or travel dates, I'd be cautious about booking anything with less than a four-hour window.
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I → recommend → window
A longer layover gives you much more flexibility if your first flight is delayed, queues are longer than expected or you need to complete additional border checks.
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you → give → checks
Fortunately, there are ways to help make self-transfer flights work
Avoiding checked luggage and travelling light is another way to skip unnecessary hassle.
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Avoiding → be → hassle
Ms Inglis added: 'You may need to wait at baggage reclaim, collect your bags, go through arrivals and border control, check in again and drop your luggage before heading back through security.
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You → add → security
'If you can travel with hand luggage, you can remove one of those potential pressure points and give yourself more time to make the connection.
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you → travel → connection
It is also important to factor in border checks and other airport queues as well as flight times.
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It → factor → checks
'Don't look at your connection as simply the time between one plane landing and the next one taking off,' she said.
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she → look → landing
'You need to think about everything you may have to do in between.'
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you → need → between
The new Entry/Exit System launched across Europe late last year has been a factor in airport waits this year.
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System → launch → waits
Ms Inglis warned: 'Airport queues, baggage collection, border control and security can all eat into your connection time, so build that into your plans.'
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queues → warn → plans
She concluded: 'The golden rule for those trying 'Travel Tetris' is simple - never treat your connection time as a gamble.
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rule → conclude → gamble
Give yourself enough time and understand what you're responsible for if something goes wrong.'
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something → give → what
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