Searching for cheap flights, some do not realize that their rights in the event of cancellation, delay, or change of flight schedules may vary depending on who they purchased the flight tickets from. This applies especially on cases with journeys consisting of multiple segments with stopovers and one airline may not be responsible for connecting flights operated by another carrier.

If a connecting flight is purchased from a single carrier for the entire length of the scheduled trip, the carrier is fully responsible for the connecting flights, and luggage is checked in only once and shall travel with the passenger to the final destination. However, some flight ticket brokers combine several of the cheapest flights into a single trip, meaning that within a single booking, transfers take place not only between aircrafts but also between different airlines.

In such cases, each individual leg of the journey has its own carrier reservation code (PNR), as each leg is a separate flight. And if, for example, a passenger misses a transfer due to a delay in the first flight, the second carrier is not obliged to provide re-routing to another flight at the earliest opportunity free of charge. The risk of connection is borne not by the ticket seller, but by the passenger who purchased such a combination of flights.

A “single” trip flight ticket usually has one PNR for the entire route, while a “multi-leg” trip has multiple PNRs, as it actually involves multiple separate contracts of carriage. This has an impact on changes, cancellations, and responsibility for transfers.

The European Consumer Centre was recently contacted by a Czech passenger who made a single booking with an agent, which included a flight from Prague to Nice with carrier A and a return flight from Nice to Prague with carrier B. Carrier B moved the return flight forward by one day, and the customer accepted this change. Carrier A then changed the departure time from Czechia, but the customer did not agree with this change and asked the ticket seller, i.e. the intermediary, to cancel the entire order. However, the seller only canceled the flight with carrier A and left the return flight valid, arguing that these were two different flight tickets (each with its own PNR). The consumer points out that both flights had the same reservation number and that the broker was aware that both flights were linked within a single purchase. However, the case shows that “one order” does not necessarily mean one reservation for the entire journey and that the procedures for changes vary depending on each segment.

When purchasing through an intermediary, it can also be expected that, in the event of a flight cancellation by the carrier, the broker will keep the service fee for brokering the ticket purchase, even if the carrier has refunded the entire amount paid.

Remember that if the carrier significantly changes the departure time or cancels the flight, passengers can choose between a refund and re-routing to another flight at the earliest opportunity under comparable transport conditions. If they choose to continue their journey, they are entitled to refreshments or accommodation for the necessary period.

This article was published in the dTest magazine 10/2025.