Connecting flights for business trips. A step-by-step guide
Reading time: 5 min
A connecting flight in business travel is a significant logistical challenge. Business passengers on transit flights are most afraid of a flight delay, which will cause them to miss their next flight. As a result, all the effort put into preparing important business meetings may go to waste. Unexpected situations can always happen, but proper organization of a business trip and detailed information about the transfer can make even choosing transfer flights a stress-free solution. Proper preparation will allow you to achieve your travel goal 100%. Check what you need to know about connecting flights!
In this guide, you will read about:
- Choosing transfer flights — step-by-step transfer flights
- Airport transfer for business trips
- Combined ticket — a guarantee of the continuity of your business trip
- Airport between flights — reserve enough time for your transfer
- Connecting flight — formal requirements
- When plans change. Flight delay — what to do?
- Efficient transfer flights at your fingertips
Choosing transfer flights — step-by-step transfer flights
It is easy to notice that a direct flight is more often preferred by business travelers. However, there are cases when transfer flights are a better option. A flight with a transfer comes into play when:
- direct flights are not available on the specific route selected, even when major airports are taken into account,
- direct flights do not fit into the meeting schedule or are not in line with the business travel policy,
- a connecting flight is often more cost-effective, which may have an impact on your business travel budget,
- choosing transfer flights offers greater flexibility in terms of hours (this may be important if you choose flight times that minimize jet lag).
Airport transfer for business trips
To effectively plan a flight with a transfer and at the same time minimize the risk of unwanted disruptions, it is worth paying attention to a few important issues. Which ones? We have written about this below.
Combined ticket — a guarantee of the continuity of your business trip
If you decide to buy tickets for a flight with a transfer, a good solution may be a combined ticket. This is the best choice if you have a transfer planned and this is your first flight. Why?
- Airlines are responsible for any delays - if the first flight is postponed, and you miss the second plane, the carrier is obliged to provide you with an alternative connection to your destination. Passenger rights are an important aspect of traveling — it is worth knowing what they guarantee to be well-prepared for any potential events.
- Checked baggage is automatically transferred to the destination of the business trip. The check-in point for checked baggage is the departure airport. In turn, the destination airport is the place where you must collect your checked baggage.
- Simplified check-in — if you have a combined flight ticket for a flight with a transfer, there are significantly fewer formalities to complete than in the case of separate tickets. Buying a combined ticket makes the departure airport the place where most of the check-in activities take place. This is undoubtedly a time saver compared to buying separate airline tickets for each flight.
Using modern solutions, such as the worktrips.com platform, will make every air trip you make fully effective. The system intelligently searches for and recommends accommodation and tickets for transfer flights, in line with the travel policy. Booking each flight is intuitive, and you can always have a combined ticket for a flight with a transfer at hand, on your phone.
Airport between flights — reserve enough time for your transfer
For your business transfer flights to run smoothly, it is essential to plan the right connection time. Airlines define a minimum connecting time, usually around two hours. This is especially important if you have chosen a large airport as your transfer point. Or maybe you have a transfer in the non-Schengen area? In that case, you should remember that check-in and security checks may be extended. Therefore, be sure to check the connection time to avoid problems related to too short a transfer time.
Transfer procedures may vary depending on the country. If you have a transfer in the Schengen area, it usually takes less time to get on the second plane. It is important to remember that a transit flight is different from a connecting flight transit flight is simply a stopover on the way, often needed, for example, to refuel the plane. Then, passengers leave the plane and wait in a specially designated area at the airport.
Connecting flight — formal requirements
An international flight with a transfer, especially a transfer in a non-Schengen area, may require additional documents. Are you planning a transfer to the USA or a transfer to Israel? Do you need a transit visa? Thanks to the integration of worktrips.com with the Sherpa system, you can verify the requirements directly on the platform. This will give you information about the transfer. Remember that your hand luggage should contain all your travel documents, which must be valid and complete.
When plans change. Flight delay — what to do?
If your flight is delayed, and you have a connecting ticket, the airline is obligated to organize transport to the destination, even if it means booking a flight for the next day. Passenger rights guarantee this. If you have just experienced a flight delay and are particularly pressed for time, you can count on the 24/7 support of WorkTrips travel agents. A longer layover and waiting for the next flight does not have to be time wasted. Every large airport has a business lounge and work zones.
Can you leave the airport between flights? Of course, if you have a layover of a few hours, and your visa regulations allow it. Leaving the airport and exploring the area will allow you to wait calmly for your next flight, and additionally, get to know the new place you are currently in. However, you need to precisely calculate the time needed to return and go through security again. To do this, it is worth collecting information about the transfer airport and getting to know its typography. Thanks to this, you will quickly find the check-in desk when you return to the transfer airport. This is especially important if the airport between flights is very large.
Efficient transfer flights at your fingertips
A Flight with a layover on a business trip should be planned consciously, taking care of all the details. Remember that good logistical preparation for intercontinental flights can be a large part of success. It is worth using tools that simplify this process. One such solution is the worktrips.com platform, which can comprehensively support your company and employees at every stage of the delegation. Thanks to this, you can manage the entire trip effectively, saving time and having the costs of the delegation under control. Even the most complex delegations, where the starting and destination airports are hundreds of thousands of kilometers apart, can proceed smoothly. Regardless of whether it is a layover in the Non-Schengen area or an airport in Europe, take your hand luggage with you, focus on your business goals, and the WorkTrips team of specialists will take care of your entire delegation. Arrange a free presentation of the system and see for yourself!