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Can I merge two separate reservations from A->B and B->C into A->C thus skipping B

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Can I merge two separate reservations from A->B and B->C into A->C thus skipping B

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Old Aug 22, 2014, 1:43 pm
  #1  
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Can I merge two separate reservations from A->B and B->C into A->C thus skipping B
How's that for an ambiguous title? I'm open to other ideas for how it could have been clearer!

I have a paid business (Z class) ticket to fly B-C-Europe. I have a separate positioning ticket (discount Y) to fly A-B.

Ideally, rather than flying A-B-C-Europe, I would like to fly A-C-Europe.

I have no bags to check.

Do I have any leg to stand on to try to bypass B?
Last edited by goalie; Aug 22, 2014 at 2:27 pm Reason: Better thread title
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Old Aug 22, 2014, 2:08 pm
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Unlikely to work.

I booked a STL-IAH-LHR and ended up with a need to be in CLE, so I ended up with two separate UA tickets CLE-STL and STL-IAH-LHR.

The CLE-STL sector posted a significant delay. Agents at CLE understood the risk of misconnect but insisted I'd have to go to STL and sort things out; they were totally uninterested in touching the longhaul ticket and booking me on, say, CLE-IAH-LHR. Perfectly reasonable under the contract of carriage. Things worked out fine.
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Old Aug 22, 2014, 2:29 pm
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I think this would require heroics that basically no agent will undertake.
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Old Aug 22, 2014, 2:45 pm
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It's doable and I've had it done a few times. You'll need a really great agent, and, ideally, some sort of risk of irrops/misconnect. Luckily, United is really good at that lately.
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Old Aug 22, 2014, 2:53 pm
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I hold a very old example from the CO days.
Travelling on a heavy discounted Y ticket from MCO-EWR,
Award travel from EWR-CPH-OSL.

I was advised to check bags - that way the team in EWR, knew about the delay and I was treated regular IRR/OPS.

Ended up MCO-EWR-FRA-CPH-OSL and then EVE (EWR-FRA) with only 4 pax in the Business First compartment (other 3 danish chefs), my god - I believe they opened 20+ bottles of wine on that trip.

Happy Camping
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Old Aug 22, 2014, 3:07 pm
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Originally Posted by mgcsinc
I think this would require heroics that basically no agent will undertake.
Most likely true.

I've had agents tackle problems like this before, but even pre-SHARES and the apparent scrutiny that agents are under for nearly all actions these days, it was not a sure thing.
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Old Aug 22, 2014, 3:51 pm
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Originally Posted by zrs70
How's that for an ambiguous title? I'm open to other ideas for how it could have been clearer!

I have a paid business (Z class) ticket to fly B-C-Europe. I have a separate positioning ticket (discount Y) to fly A-B.

Ideally, rather than flying A-B-C-Europe, I would like to fly A-C-Europe.

I have no bags to check.

Do I have any leg to stand on to try to bypass B?
Not going to happen. You're changing the origination in this case which would mean a reprice at current rates from the new origination city.

Actually what you're doing right now is against the rules. However unless you're doing this as a round trip with both tickets it won't matter.
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Old Aug 22, 2014, 3:55 pm
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Originally Posted by flyerCO
Actually what you're doing right now is against the rules. However unless you're doing this as a round trip with both tickets it won't matter.
Why do you think what the OP is doing is against the rules? Can you cite the rule?

This is plainly not nesting to avoid a minimum stay.
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Old Aug 22, 2014, 5:13 pm
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Originally Posted by mgcsinc
Why do you think what the OP is doing is against the rules? Can you cite the rule?

This is plainly not nesting to avoid a minimum stay.
You're right. I had my thoughts backward on what he was trying to do. AAAs BBBs CCCs get confusing after a bit. I misread as being a throw-a-way.

However regardless the point on the reprice is correct. There's no way for him to combine the two without repricing. If they wanted to sell it at the price of the combined tickets they would have posted that price as the fare.
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Old Aug 22, 2014, 5:56 pm
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Originally Posted by flyerCO
You're right. I had my thoughts backward on what he was trying to do. AAAs BBBs CCCs get confusing after a bit. I misread as being a throw-a-way.

However regardless the point on the reprice is correct. There's no way for him to combine the two without repricing. If they wanted to sell it at the price of the combined tickets they would have posted that price as the fare.
OP here. In the olden days of poser tickets, agents could easily staple the coupons together and issue a boarding pass.

I say "easily" though there was obviously computer legwork to clean up the records.
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Old Aug 22, 2014, 6:11 pm
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Why not find out what it would cost to change the tickets, e.g., pay the change fee(s). It is possible that the reroute results in a lower fare and that reduces the impact of the fees. If the fare reduction is sufficient, it may be worth it.
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Old Aug 22, 2014, 6:16 pm
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In this era of SHARES, I'd be amazed if you were able to get them to do this.
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Old Aug 26, 2014, 4:29 pm
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change A-B-C to A-C

It didn't involve Europe, but I was able to do this once when B was under a waiver.
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Old Aug 26, 2014, 4:34 pm
  #14  
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Originally Posted by Often1
Why not find out what it would cost to change the tickets, e.g., pay the change fee(s). It is possible that the reroute results in a lower fare and that reduces the impact of the fees. If the fare reduction is sufficient, it may be worth it.
He probably would have booked that way to begin with-- this is not a rookie FT'er asking the question. @:-)

Also, you're talking about two change fees-- probably $200 + $300-$500. Maybe if the ticket were rebooked in fantasyland it would come out cheaper.
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Old Aug 26, 2014, 5:31 pm
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Originally Posted by Ari
He probably would have booked that way to begin with-- this is not a rookie FT'er asking the question. @:-)

Also, you're talking about two change fees-- probably $200 + $300-$500. Maybe if the ticket were rebooked in fantasyland it would come out cheaper.
1. It doesn't say anything about that in the OP. More than likely that OP has had a change of plans and holds the wrong tickets for what he now needs.

2. Rare that UA imposes more than one change fee. Presume that's $300 and the fare has dropped, even a bit. Maybe it's worth $250 or less to OP.
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