In plain English
This means the connection is not being handled as one combined trip by an airline. The flights are booked separately, so the traveller must get from one flight to the next and take care of any baggage handling and check-in needed for the onward flight.
In context
Here, "self-transfer" labels a connection that the passenger manages personally rather than one handled as a single through-transfer by an airline.
- Situation
- Checking in, passing airport steps, boarding, connections, and flight status
- What it communicates
- labels a connection type managed by the passenger rather than as a single through-transfer
Meaning limits
The term alone identifies who is responsible for the connection, not whether the onward journey will proceed smoothly.
Examples
“Their Madrid connection was a self-transfer, with the second flight on a separate booking, so she had to collect her bag and check in again.”
“The cheapest route home includes a self-transfer in Milan between the late arrival and the morning departure.”