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I am flying later on in the year from Dublin->Munich and have a 1 hour only layover, and then connecting to Tokyo. All the flights were booked on Expedia through the same Lufthansa ticket.

I am getting quite anxious about the length of this layover especially it being my first time in Munich airport.

Therefore, I am wondering whether it is possible to book a separate 1-way ticket to Munich from Dublin which gets me into Munich earlier and THEN I can get my connecting flight.

Is this allowed? Will I be able to check-in/drop of my luggage to my connecting flight? Are there any issues which could arise from this?

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    I was at the gate of my connecting flight in about 15 minutes at a leisurely walking pace the last time I was there. Jul 10, 2017 at 11:16
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    When you do online check-in, pick a seat in the front of the plane. In this way, you would be in front of the crowd and hence can save a few minutes.
    – Max Payne
    Jul 10, 2017 at 12:35
  • You might find if you call Lufthansa and ask nicely that they'll move you to an earlier Dublin->Munich flight either cheaply or free. (Booking through Expedia makes this less likely though, in my experience it's almost always easier to make changes if you've booked direct with the airline).
    – Flexo
    Jul 11, 2017 at 8:38

6 Answers 6

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You cannot do this. If you miss the first leg of your ticket, the airline will cancel all the rest of your flights. You'd turn up in Munich and find that your reservation to Tokyo has been cancelled.

Munich is well designed for short connections, and you won't have to pass through immigration, so an hour isn't particularly unreasonable, provided that your flight from Dublin is reasonably on time. There's not much buffer for delays, but it's doable.

We have another question on short connections in Munich you might want to read: Lufthansa connecting flight at Munich, only 45 minutes in between. Will I be able to make it?. If you do want to change your flights, you'll need to contact Lufthansa and pay whatever change fee applies to your ticket.

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    Since you've booked both flights on the same booking, Lufthansa is responsible for getting you all the way to Tokyo. If you miss the connection because your arrival in Munich is late, they'll rebook you to Tokyo on their dime. Also, the airlines, in general, are responsible for ensuring that people can actually make the connection times they're selling tickets for. There is a minimum connection time for each airport and they won't go below that. You might have to hurry a little if the arrival was running a bit late, but they'll know you're coming & delay the departure.
    – FreeMan
    Jul 10, 2017 at 11:49
  • I am curious about this (not suggesting it is wrong) but I flew SFO ->LHR and had a connection to Bradford. I selected this by accident instead of Manchester. When I got to SFO I asked if I could cancel the 2nd leg and make my own way north. There was no issue with me doing this and I collected my bags in London and caught a train. Whats the difference between me doing this and the OP making their own way to Munich (if they inform the airline of their intention).
    – Dustybin80
    Jul 11, 2017 at 11:51
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    @Dustybin80 The important part is contacting the airline and inquiring with them in advance. It is sometimes possible to drop a leg without an additional charge, but for most fares, changing the origin city is going to result in a change fee and a difference in fare because the airline sells DUB->MUC->NRT and MUC->NRT as two different products with two different prices. By all means, the OP can ask, but they certainly can't skip the first flight without the airline's ok first. Jul 11, 2017 at 17:33
  • Fair enough, I imagine they're more concerned about someone skipping the first leg than the last as it would seem logistically more of a headache for them.
    – Dustybin80
    Jul 12, 2017 at 10:27
  • You might like to tell the flight attendant on the DUB->MUC leg that you have a short connection at Munich. They might be able to prioritise your disembarkation, by moving you to the front before landing.
    – Nick
    Mar 28, 2018 at 16:51
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As a rule, you can not.
Most or all airlines have the rule that if you are not on one leg of the travel, they cancel all other legs.

Your best thing will be to contact Lufthansa explaining your worries and ask them for advice. Likely they will tell you not to worry, but it might also be that they will be happy to change your ticket or even allow you to drop the first leg, but likely at a steep extra fee.
Flights with connections are often much cheaper than the same main flight without the connection and airlines do not want people to drop the connection part.

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  • Ah ok, I suppose that's fair. I've heard of people making lower connections at Munich airport - I am simply overcautious when it comes to these kind of things! Thanks very much.
    – Hendais
    Jul 10, 2017 at 9:06
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If all the bookings were made through the one provider (Lufthansa) they are responsible to get you from start to finish of the journey irrespective of any short connection time. They will book you onto an alternative connecting flight if the first flight is delayed. They have systems in place to do that. see https://www.caa.co.uk/Passengers/Resolving-travel-problems/Delays-cancellations/Your-rights/Your-rights-when-you-miss-a-connection/

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    Funny how that worked out for me when I went TPA-ATL-MCI with a one-hour layover all booked through Delta, and they got me to ATL too late and had to put me up at a hotel overnight. I could have had an earlier TPI-ATL leg on Delta that would have gotten me home that night, but trusted the travel agent that set it all up. I decided DELTA was an acronym for "Does Eventually Leave The Airport" (apologies to George Wallace for modifying his joke). Jul 10, 2017 at 19:13
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Check with the airline.

I was once in a similar situation in which I’d booked Munich–Montreal–Ottawa and back. Since I was already near Montreal, I called the carrier (Air Canada, the trans-atlantic flight being a code share flight with Lufthansa) and asked if I could cancel the Ottawa–Montreal leg of my flight (or just not show up) without affecting the rest of my itinerary. They said it was no problem, except that I wouldn’t be able to get a refund on the Ottawa–Montreal leg (or use that part of my ticket later).

However, that was back in 2002. Your mileage may vary, and only the airline can tell you for sure.

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The OP's journey is history now, and I trust the connection was made. However my policy is to refuse tight connections -- I always demand at least two hours between flight legs and three hours if one of the legs is intercontinental. With ever-increasing security checks between legs of flights an hour's delay at security is certainly not unheard of, and if flying into the US from an airport which does not have immigration clearance abroad, the immigration delay can be well over an hour.

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You're mis-reading your booking itinerary. Your itinerary will show both flights on the page, but you'll be issued the needed boarding passes for your flights at the airport. The itinerary that you were provided is only just that. Isn't a "Ticket". When you get to the airport, you'll check in kinda like a hotel, and you'll then be issued boarding passes while checking your luggage. Also, 1 hour is more than enough UNLESS your flight from Dublin is late. I myself have made connections in much bigger and busier airports than Munich in about 1 hour. So don't fret my friend.

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