Delta Awards Booking Throwaway Ticket
Aug 30, 2015, 10:27 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Murder Mitten
Posts: 298
Delta Awards Booking Throwaway Ticket
Hey guys,
My original awards flight is from LA - TPE - BKK. however, we decided just to go to Taipei instead of Bangkok. Can I just get off at Taipei? Will there be any immigration issues? What about with Delta, will Delta care?
Since I have to wait for my friend for 4-5 hours at the airport, can I get to the transit area with my Bangkok ticket to head to the lounge, not get on my flight and then later go through immigration?
My original awards flight is from LA - TPE - BKK. however, we decided just to go to Taipei instead of Bangkok. Can I just get off at Taipei? Will there be any immigration issues? What about with Delta, will Delta care?
Since I have to wait for my friend for 4-5 hours at the airport, can I get to the transit area with my Bangkok ticket to head to the lounge, not get on my flight and then later go through immigration?
Aug 30, 2015, 10:47 am
#2
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: Delta DM, MM United MM, Marriott P for life
Posts: 122
If it's a one way ticket, Delta won't care. If you have any required visas for Taiwan and a ticket out of Taiwan, you won't have any immigration problems. As long as you could have used the lounge on your layover, you'll still be able to use it for 4-5 hours since no one monitors when you leave.
Aug 30, 2015, 10:51 am
#3
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: KATL
Programs: DL DM/2MM
Posts: 2,034
Of course the usual warnings about checked baggage will apply. If you plan on checking in bags, which on a lengthy trip to Asia you may, then they will be checked in all the way through BKK.
But I have no idea if you have to reclaim your bags in TPE or not.
But I have no idea if you have to reclaim your bags in TPE or not.
Aug 30, 2015, 11:47 am
#6
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: ATL
Programs: Delta PlM, 1M
Posts: 6,363
One of the biggest practical potential issues is that DL could rebook you w/o the TPE connection.
If on the CI midnight flight, this chance seams almost non-existent as DL can not come close to matching the schedule. And the risk is slight if you are on the afternoon flight.
I would not be that worried about either case.
BTW, you do not need a ticket to transit upstairs in TPE. You might well need it to enter the CI lounge though. To return to meet a friend at a gate or exit customs, just walk back downstairs. They do not care.
If on the CI midnight flight, this chance seams almost non-existent as DL can not come close to matching the schedule. And the risk is slight if you are on the afternoon flight.
I would not be that worried about either case.
BTW, you do not need a ticket to transit upstairs in TPE. You might well need it to enter the CI lounge though. To return to meet a friend at a gate or exit customs, just walk back downstairs. They do not care.
Aug 30, 2015, 2:24 pm
#8
Join Date: Dec 2008
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If your ticket is a roundtrip returning to LA (or has any segments remaining after BKK), keep in mind the airline may cancel the remainder of your itinerary if you miss any segment. The way to avoid this is to call and tell them you are missing a segment, but that may result in change fees and price changes (if eg low awards are no longer available, which they usually aren't).
Aug 30, 2015, 2:45 pm
#9
Formerly known as jbalis
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Bangkok
Programs: Delta Diamond, Starwood Gold, National Executive, MGM Noir,
Posts: 342
if you have a round trip ticket and stop half way they will cancel the remaining part of the ticket. It might be a lot more or less miles to do the TPE - LAX round trip so they might not be happy about it (see through fare). If you are canceling do to the current situation in BKK Delta will be understanding and help but there is only so much they can or will do. If BKK worries you I live there and although I can not guarantee safety I would would still recommend you trip to Thailand it is a beautiful country.
Aug 31, 2015, 11:48 am
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Murder Mitten
Posts: 298
It is an one-way awards ticket business class. I don't want to change it because it costs 150 dollars to change an awards ticket flight.
With everything happening in Bangkok, my HK friends are just meeting me in Taiwan instead of Bangkok.
With everything happening in Bangkok, my HK friends are just meeting me in Taiwan instead of Bangkok.
Aug 31, 2015, 11:54 am
#11
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Posts: 15,198
Should be no issue at all then. Just get off in TPE, but make sure you have whatever immigration/visa docs you need for BKK when you check in for the flight since the airline thinks you are going to there, and of course whatever you need for your visit in TPE.
Aug 31, 2015, 1:25 pm
#12
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Do you need a visa to visit Thailand on the passport you'll be carrying?
You are ticketed to BKK, so when at LAX the DL agents will be checking to make sure you have the appropriate docs to transit TPE and enter BKK, and can deny boarding if you don't have the appropriate docs to enter BKK. YMMV on whether they will bend if you tell them you plan to skip your last leg, but I'd assume they'd be very resistant since DL is responsible if you arrive at BKK and cannot clear immigration.
You are ticketed to BKK, so when at LAX the DL agents will be checking to make sure you have the appropriate docs to transit TPE and enter BKK, and can deny boarding if you don't have the appropriate docs to enter BKK. YMMV on whether they will bend if you tell them you plan to skip your last leg, but I'd assume they'd be very resistant since DL is responsible if you arrive at BKK and cannot clear immigration.
Aug 31, 2015, 3:42 pm
#13
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: ATL
Programs: Delta PlM, 1M
Posts: 6,363
Do you need a visa to visit Thailand on the passport you'll be carrying?
You are ticketed to BKK, so when at LAX the DL agents will be checking to make sure you have the appropriate docs to transit TPE and enter BKK, and can deny boarding if you don't have the appropriate docs to enter BKK. YMMV on whether they will bend if you tell them you plan to skip your last leg, but I'd assume they'd be very resistant since DL is responsible if you arrive at BKK and cannot clear immigration.
You are ticketed to BKK, so when at LAX the DL agents will be checking to make sure you have the appropriate docs to transit TPE and enter BKK, and can deny boarding if you don't have the appropriate docs to enter BKK. YMMV on whether they will bend if you tell them you plan to skip your last leg, but I'd assume they'd be very resistant since DL is responsible if you arrive at BKK and cannot clear immigration.
Not certain about China Air, but their island neighbor (EVA) does normally ask to see a return ticket (or reservation) when flying on a one-way into Thailand. I would presume this is TIMAC (or whatever that thing is) and as such all would follow it (even though Thailand does not).
They will not validate a resrvation in any way though, so if the OP had a previous ticket he could use that even if he has (or will have) cancelled it. Or for laughs you could get a reservation/ticket on a train from Bangkok to Vientiane and see how long it takes the CI staff to figure it out.