Self-transfer risk
Two flights on separate tickets means nobody guarantees the connection. See how much time you really need, whether your layover is enough, and who pays if the first flight is late.
Your connection
More optionsExtra travel, bag drop cut-off, late arrival
Enter the layover time to get a verdict.
Who is responsible if the first flight is late?
General principles only, not legal advice. Your rights depend on the airlines, the countries and the exact tickets.
Two tickets are two separate contracts
If the first flight is late and you miss the second, the second airline generally has no duty to put you on another flight or refund the fare. It sees a passenger who did not turn up. Some airlines will help as a courtesy, but it is not something you can count on.
Source: US DOT: Fly Rights (airline duties depend on the ticket and the airline's contract of carriage). check
The first airline answers only for its own flight
The first airline's duties (care while you wait, refund or rebooking, and any compensation where the law gives it) relate to its own delay or cancellation. They do not stretch to the cost of a separate second ticket you missed.
Source: Regulation (EC) 261/2004, arts. 5-9 (EU) and the equivalent UK, Canada and US rules. check
Missed-connection protection usually needs one booking
Rules that treat a missed connection as one journey (for example in the EU) are written around flights booked together on one reservation. Two unrelated tickets normally fall outside that. If you are in doubt, ask the airline in writing.
Source: Your Europe: air passenger rights. check
Bags are not checked through
On separate tickets your bag usually stops at the connecting airport: you collect it, clear any customs, and check it in again for flight two. That is why the tool adds time for a bag recheck and applies the bag drop cut-off.
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You may need to enter the country to connect
Collecting and rechecking a bag, or changing airports, often means passing through immigration, so you need the right to enter (visa or authorisation) even for a short stop. Check the entry rule for your passport before you book.
Protection sold with a self-transfer is only what its terms promise
Some booking sites and some airlines sell a guarantee for connections on separate tickets. What it pays for (a new ticket, a hotel, a refund) and the conditions differ, so read the terms and note who you must contact and by when.
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Travel insurance may cover a missed connection
Some policies pay when a delay makes you miss onward travel, often with conditions on the delay length and on how the tickets were booked. Check your policy wording; do not assume it covers separate tickets.
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Keep proof of the delay
Ask the first airline for written confirmation of the delay or cancellation and keep boarding passes and receipts. You will need them for any claim, insurance or a favour from the second airline.