Okay - this is crazy, but here is the deal: There are two airports about an hour from my house. One is tiny the other is a large metro airport. If I search for my overseas flight out of the small airport - I have to stop at the major airport and then it is non-stop to where I want to go. This price is $1400. If I search from the major airport - it is the same exact flight, but costs $1600!!! I really don't want to leave from the tiny airport because there is a 4 hour layover - and either way I have to drive an hour to the airport. So here is the question - can I book out of the tiny airport - not take that 40 minute flight and just drive to the large airport and get on the second flight that I am booked on? There are 4 of us so this would save $800! This seems crazy to me - but I am afraid that if I miss the tiny airport flight they won't let me get on the second flight. I hope I explained this well enough that you know what I mean.
Thanks for any help!
Posted by
Estes Park, CO, US
34 posts
The minute you miss or no-show for that first flight.............they will cancel the entire reservation. I know people who have skipped the LAST flight on a multi flight trip, but never the first.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23268 posts
Your first sentence summed it well. Not only crazy - stupid. You are a no show and they may well have put someone else in your seat. And then you think they will make them get off. Not likely. Once a no show, everything cancels.
Posted by
OP
Shelby
71 posts
I am just so frustrated - thank goodness I asked you guys. Thank you so much for answering - not sure what to do now...
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19092 posts
Gillie, I bet I know the flight they skipped, United from Denver to Colorado Springs, right.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23268 posts
No one ever suggested that airline fares had to make any sense.
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
1525 posts
I have encountered this many times while searching various options. I'm sure there is some semi-rational reason for this in psycho-business world, but it eludes me. No, you can't skip the first flight. You would get nailed. I might be tempted to try to call someone at the airline and threaten to fly with a different carrier if they don't match the lower price, but I would only give that about a 5% chance of working.
Posted by
Florida, USA
12172 posts
I did get off a KLM flight in Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam and didn't catch my connecting Lufthansa flight into Germany - because my car lease worked out better from there. The flight home, out of Rome, didn't get canceled. That was 2005 and airlines focus on it more now. I would expect if you miss the first leg, they will cancel the entire reservation. There's an outside chance you could contact the airline and get them to keep the reservation open, but that depends on them and I doubt they would approve it in advance.
Posted by
Estes Park, CO, US
34 posts
Lee, Nope.............it was Continental from Houston to San Antonio after a flight from the coast. I had called CO to rewrite the ticket the day before the flight, and they wanted SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS to rewrite the ticket and drop the last flight. I got off the phone. I got off the plane. This was 4 years ago.
Posted by
Ann Arbor, Mi
3696 posts
This is very common. I am between Detroit and Flint and many times I will fly from Flint to Detroit for several hundred dollars cheaper even on a domestic flight. I always check surrounding airports for just that reason. I also get extra miles for the 50 mile flight (500) and because I have gold status it is doubled. I don't like doing it, but it is worth the savings to me and I just take a computer or something to keep me busy. On the way home I have skipped out of the last leg and still gotten miles for all the parts I have traveled, but you can only do that if you have carry on luggage. But, it is correct if you skip the first part all the rest cancels. Makes no sense, but part of the game, so I learned to play it to save money.
Posted by
OP
Shelby
71 posts
Funny - those are the two airports I am talking about! Anyway, I did end up buying the large airport tickets since the price dropped a little and I only ended up paying $68 more per ticket - I still think it is crazy and ridiculous! Just didn't want that 4 hour layover!
Posted by
San Diego, CA
638 posts
It's always been interesting how this is, on the reverse end, thatme is the completion of the flight I ran into a similar situation, I was flying to Ireland, the cheapest flight I found went to Shannon so I booked it, when I was researching it a little more I saw that there was one stop, turned out it was Dublin, I called the airline and asked if I could just get off there? No way the agent said, first it was more expensive, secondly if I did and they did their head count and I wasn't there the plane couldnt take off. OK, took it at that, once on my way I struck in a conversation with a flight attendant, told her my story how I'd like to depart in Dublin, she said when we land just keep an eye out for her, once landed she contacted someone on the ground, called me forward, he asked if I had checked baggage, traveling RS way I didn't and he let me depart!
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23268 posts
Our son and dil did the same on a flight that stop in Amsterdam that was continuing to Paris. She faked an illness and did not feel like board at the moment. The gate people made a big deal about this missing the flight, they would not rebook a later flight, they would have to buy for that ticket, etc. They acknowledged the situation, just did not feel she was capable of flying and waved good by when they closed the door. Her recovery need another ten minutes till the other gate personal left the area. That was four years ago.