Air Berlin Connections

[XSBaggage]

I am planning to travel from Moscow to the UK in the summer. The cheapest is Air Berlin routing DME-DUS-STN-GLA (or TXL instead of DUS depending on the day I travel).
My question is, does this type of connection actually exist and work okay, considering each stop is only for 50 minutes? And also given that I can't access the same connection on the Air Berlin website (I got the fare through Expedia) is it a genuinely workable one? I know a bit about the way you can transfer okay at STN, but I thought that was only from EU destinations - makes me wonder about baggage etc.

All advice would be gratefully received thanks!

XSB

[k3lvc]

According to BAA website minimum time to be allowed for a transfer at STN is 2 hours. IIRC there isn't actually a transfer facility so it's a case of collecting bags, through passport control then check in again and brave the security queues.

Looks like Expedia are just coming up with a list of flights that are theoretically rather than actually achievable.

[WHBM]

Air Berlin organise a formal hub connection operation at Stansted, arriving from several points in Germany and then departing to Glasgow, Belfast, etc. The connections are deliberately organised in this manner and you will hear announcements on board approaching Stansted about what to do.

You will find that in the continuing connecting flight the through pax from Germany tend to be seated at the front of the aircraft and the pax boarding at Stansted are seated at the rear, an unusual approach - as is having announcements in German (also in English) on a UK domestic flight.

The BAA's two hours statement is a nonsense, they should say there are carriers operating through their airport using quite different limits.

Unlike other LCCs Air Berlin actively organise their timetables to include connections.

Separately, Moscow to Glasgow at a cheap fare. Have you checked CSA routing through Prague ?

[XSBaggage]

Thanks, will have a look at all options including Prague, but the Air Berlin option was showing as £103 including all tax etc so it will be hard to beat!

I had heard about the Air Berlin "hub" at STN (and saw evidence in their whiteboards which seem to be dotted around the terminal), but I just wasn't sure if it would work for a double connection, especially given the fact that DME is outside the EU and there are different baggage claim points etc etc.

XSB