Implications on Skipping the Return Leg of a Booking
May 8, 2018, 4:45 pm
#166
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Netherlands
Programs: KL Platinum; A3 Gold
Posts: 28,722
Your only problem is with checked luggage.
It costs €275 per bag to have it short-checked to Amsterdam. You may be lucky and encounter an agent who doesn't know, but you cannot rely on this, and I think you would be foolhardy to try. I even fell foul of this with a Delta check in agent who resolutely refused to short-check the bag just to AMS. Agents are trained to be on the lookout for this suspicious behaviour.
Note also that sob-stories about needing to get medication/documents/gifts/anything else at AMS will not yield a different result. I have tried. You will be told to repack so that what you need is in your carry-on. In many cases, the short layover will, in any case, obviate any such story about meeting a colleague/friend/family member at the airport in order to hand over something bulky or that can't be carried In the cabin. Going landside, clearing immigration, having your meeting, queuing up to re-check luggage, clearing security [and immigration again, depending on your destination], will all take time that most layovers simply won't allow.
The only reliable way to do what you're doing is to:
a) travel only with hand luggage on the return;
b) ensure that your onward ticket departs on the day AFTER your arrival at Amsterdam [bags can be short-checked when there is an overnight stop at AMS], or
c) ensure that your onward ticket is operated by train or bus [though as you are travelling on a non-partner airline, this clearly cannot be the case for you]
Note also that if you check-in a bag that is tagged to your final destination, and then attempt to have it returned to you at AMS, they WILL require the payment of €275 per bag there. Depending on your story for needing the bag (which may reveal your true intentions regarding travel), they may even attempt a ticket re-price. Additionally, intervening in the baggage system to have your bag re-directed at AMS, when it has been tagged to a different destination, will cause a lot of additional work and will not be gladly received. You can expect a long delay in this situation; I would advise you NOT to plan on being able to catch a flight departing relatively soon after your intended arrival time at AMS in such a scenario.
It costs €275 per bag to have it short-checked to Amsterdam. You may be lucky and encounter an agent who doesn't know, but you cannot rely on this, and I think you would be foolhardy to try. I even fell foul of this with a Delta check in agent who resolutely refused to short-check the bag just to AMS. Agents are trained to be on the lookout for this suspicious behaviour.
Note also that sob-stories about needing to get medication/documents/gifts/anything else at AMS will not yield a different result. I have tried. You will be told to repack so that what you need is in your carry-on. In many cases, the short layover will, in any case, obviate any such story about meeting a colleague/friend/family member at the airport in order to hand over something bulky or that can't be carried In the cabin. Going landside, clearing immigration, having your meeting, queuing up to re-check luggage, clearing security [and immigration again, depending on your destination], will all take time that most layovers simply won't allow.
The only reliable way to do what you're doing is to:
a) travel only with hand luggage on the return;
b) ensure that your onward ticket departs on the day AFTER your arrival at Amsterdam [bags can be short-checked when there is an overnight stop at AMS], or
c) ensure that your onward ticket is operated by train or bus [though as you are travelling on a non-partner airline, this clearly cannot be the case for you]
Note also that if you check-in a bag that is tagged to your final destination, and then attempt to have it returned to you at AMS, they WILL require the payment of €275 per bag there. Depending on your story for needing the bag (which may reveal your true intentions regarding travel), they may even attempt a ticket re-price. Additionally, intervening in the baggage system to have your bag re-directed at AMS, when it has been tagged to a different destination, will cause a lot of additional work and will not be gladly received. You can expect a long delay in this situation; I would advise you NOT to plan on being able to catch a flight departing relatively soon after your intended arrival time at AMS in such a scenario.
Last edited by irishguy28; May 8, 2018 at 4:55 pm
May 8, 2018, 8:43 pm
#167
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Paris, France
Programs: AF/KL Flying Blue Platinum for life/Club2000 Ultimate, Accor ALL Diamond
Posts: 21,922
Bumping this thread with a current question -- I've read through the last few pages but it is dated -- wonder if anyone might have more current experiences.
I'm looking at a very good business class fare on KL from eastern Europe to Asia return. Of course you have to fly to AMS from the eastern European city to go to Asia and on the return.
I'd like to just skip the AMS to eastern Europe leg on the return and head back to the US on DL (on a separate ticket).
Note that the AMS to eastern Europe leg is not on KL or AF or any ST member so that leg won't credit to my DL Skymiles account -- posts from early in the thread suggest KL does the same thing (back in 2012).
Anyone have any recent experience with this -- will KL just ignore the missed leg. Not looking for a refund or anything.
Delta generally ignores the skipped last leg unless the flyer is an habitual practitioner, as far as I can tell.
Thanks for any guidance that might be more current.
tom
I'm looking at a very good business class fare on KL from eastern Europe to Asia return. Of course you have to fly to AMS from the eastern European city to go to Asia and on the return.
I'd like to just skip the AMS to eastern Europe leg on the return and head back to the US on DL (on a separate ticket).
Note that the AMS to eastern Europe leg is not on KL or AF or any ST member so that leg won't credit to my DL Skymiles account -- posts from early in the thread suggest KL does the same thing (back in 2012).
Anyone have any recent experience with this -- will KL just ignore the missed leg. Not looking for a refund or anything.
Delta generally ignores the skipped last leg unless the flyer is an habitual practitioner, as far as I can tell.
Thanks for any guidance that might be more current.
tom
May 9, 2018, 8:27 pm
#168
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Washington, DC, Chapel Hill, NC (RDU)
Programs: DL Plat (won't hit DM again) 2MM (2.5), HH Gold, PC Gold, Hyatt Plat
Posts: 5,626
Irishguy and Goldorak
thanks for you guidance. I almost never need to check bags. This should work out just fine.
thanks for you guidance. I almost never need to check bags. This should work out just fine.
And my flight from Asia gets to AMS after all of the flights across the Atlantic have departed so I need to spend the night in Amsterdam anyhow.
tom
tom
May 10, 2018, 11:41 am
#169
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Netherlands
Programs: KL Platinum; A3 Gold
Posts: 28,722
As I understood it, your flight from Asia is part of a ticket that includes onward travel to Eastern Europe, on another carrier. This onward flight - the one you want to drop - is most likely departing on the same day that you arrive in AMS. This would be a problem if there was a bag to be checked, as the onward flight on the ticket you will check in with in Asia wouldn't include an overnight layover in Amsterdam.
May 10, 2018, 11:51 am
#170
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Washington, DC, Chapel Hill, NC (RDU)
Programs: DL Plat (won't hit DM again) 2MM (2.5), HH Gold, PC Gold, Hyatt Plat
Posts: 5,626
As I understood it, your flight from Asia is part of a ticket that includes onward travel to Eastern Europe, on another carrier. This onward flight - the one you want to drop - is most likely departing on the same day that you arrive in AMS. This would be a problem if there was a bag to be checked, as the onward flight on the ticket you will check in with in Asia wouldn't include an overnight layover in Amsterdam.
In fact, plans have changed. I was going to use the ST SOF-HKG fare as a mileage builder. Instead I put something together US to BUD (found a good fare from DCA where I'm based) combined with the BUD-CTU fare that ST has.
I do appreciate your guidance.
tom
Aug 23, 2018, 9:01 am
#171
Join Date: Apr 2016
Programs: UA Mileage Plus Delta SkyMiles
Posts: 424
Your only problem is with checked luggage.
It costs €275 per bag to have it short-checked to Amsterdam. You may be lucky and encounter an agent who doesn't know, but you cannot rely on this, and I think you would be foolhardy to try. I even fell foul of this with a Delta check in agent who resolutely refused to short-check the bag just to AMS. Agents are trained to be on the lookout for this suspicious behaviour.
Note also that sob-stories about needing to get medication/documents/gifts/anything else at AMS will not yield a different result. I have tried. You will be told to repack so that what you need is in your carry-on. In many cases, the short layover will, in any case, obviate any such story about meeting a colleague/friend/family member at the airport in order to hand over something bulky or that can't be carried In the cabin. Going landside, clearing immigration, having your meeting, queuing up to re-check luggage, clearing security [and immigration again, depending on your destination], will all take time that most layovers simply won't allow.
The only reliable way to do what you're doing is to:
a) travel only with hand luggage on the return;
b) ensure that your onward ticket departs on the day AFTER your arrival at Amsterdam [bags can be short-checked when there is an overnight stop at AMS], or
c) ensure that your onward ticket is operated by train or bus [though as you are travelling on a non-partner airline, this clearly cannot be the case for you]
Note also that if you check-in a bag that is tagged to your final destination, and then attempt to have it returned to you at AMS, they WILL require the payment of €275 per bag there. Depending on your story for needing the bag (which may reveal your true intentions regarding travel), they may even attempt a ticket re-price. Additionally, intervening in the baggage system to have your bag re-directed at AMS, when it has been tagged to a different destination, will cause a lot of additional work and will not be gladly received. You can expect a long delay in this situation; I would advise you NOT to plan on being able to catch a flight departing relatively soon after your intended arrival time at AMS in such a scenario.
It costs €275 per bag to have it short-checked to Amsterdam. You may be lucky and encounter an agent who doesn't know, but you cannot rely on this, and I think you would be foolhardy to try. I even fell foul of this with a Delta check in agent who resolutely refused to short-check the bag just to AMS. Agents are trained to be on the lookout for this suspicious behaviour.
Note also that sob-stories about needing to get medication/documents/gifts/anything else at AMS will not yield a different result. I have tried. You will be told to repack so that what you need is in your carry-on. In many cases, the short layover will, in any case, obviate any such story about meeting a colleague/friend/family member at the airport in order to hand over something bulky or that can't be carried In the cabin. Going landside, clearing immigration, having your meeting, queuing up to re-check luggage, clearing security [and immigration again, depending on your destination], will all take time that most layovers simply won't allow.
The only reliable way to do what you're doing is to:
a) travel only with hand luggage on the return;
b) ensure that your onward ticket departs on the day AFTER your arrival at Amsterdam [bags can be short-checked when there is an overnight stop at AMS], or
c) ensure that your onward ticket is operated by train or bus [though as you are travelling on a non-partner airline, this clearly cannot be the case for you]
Note also that if you check-in a bag that is tagged to your final destination, and then attempt to have it returned to you at AMS, they WILL require the payment of €275 per bag there. Depending on your story for needing the bag (which may reveal your true intentions regarding travel), they may even attempt a ticket re-price. Additionally, intervening in the baggage system to have your bag re-directed at AMS, when it has been tagged to a different destination, will cause a lot of additional work and will not be gladly received. You can expect a long delay in this situation; I would advise you NOT to plan on being able to catch a flight departing relatively soon after your intended arrival time at AMS in such a scenario.
Is this policy stated anywhere? Because I'm doing the same itinerary tomorrow. TIA.
Aug 23, 2018, 9:19 am
#172
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: mostly not far from AMS, otherwise NUE
Programs: FB Silver, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,381
Aug 23, 2018, 11:56 am
#173
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Switzerland
Programs: AFKL Flying Blue Platinum Ultimate, Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador Elite
Posts: 369
Last week at checking in at LAX for LAX-AMS-DUS WITH an overnight stay in AMS, the agents gave my daughter a hard time about short checking her luggage to AMS. They reluctantly did it siting medication that can't be carried on.
Is this policy stated anywhere? Because I'm doing the same itinerary tomorrow. TIA.
Is this policy stated anywhere? Because I'm doing the same itinerary tomorrow. TIA.
Aug 23, 2018, 12:30 pm
#174
Join Date: Apr 2016
Programs: UA Mileage Plus Delta SkyMiles
Posts: 424
General Conditions of Carriage 3.4: https://www.klm.com/travel/gb_en/cus...iage/index.htm
Aug 23, 2018, 12:58 pm
#175
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: CPT,AMS
Posts: 4,412
General Conditions of Carriage 3.4: https://www.klm.com/travel/gb_en/cus...iage/index.htm
(c) If the Passenger does not use all their Flight Coupons and prematurely interrupts their journey, the Passenger will be required to pay a fixed amount, of EUR 275 at Schiphol Airport and at Charles de Gaulle (Paris), in order to be able to retrieve their Checked Baggage.
BTW given that in AMS you can only drop your bag in the morning of the flight due to "security reasons", I'm surprised they are happy to keep a bag on a connecting flight overnight.
Aug 24, 2018, 5:07 am
#176
Join Date: Jun 2012
Programs: FB, M&B, UA, AA
Posts: 2,488
Last week at checking in at LAX for LAX-AMS-DUS WITH an overnight stay in AMS, the agents gave my daughter a hard time about short checking her luggage to AMS. They reluctantly did it siting medication that can't be carried on.
Is this policy stated anywhere? Because I'm doing the same itinerary tomorrow. TIA.
Is this policy stated anywhere? Because I'm doing the same itinerary tomorrow. TIA.
Oct 17, 2019, 2:47 am
#178
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: HEL
Programs: lots of shiny metal cards
Posts: 14,105
Along the same lines - I will arrive from Asia to AMS and instead of flying the last leg the Central Europe on KL 6 hrs later, I'll take a HV flight home (separate ticket) home 2 hrs after the arrival of the long haul.
It seems obvious, that the Asia-AMS leg should be flown hand luggage only, but do the KL and HV systems talk to each other? The HV flight lands before the scheduled departure of the last KL flight, so there are no obvious overlaps.
On a related note - would this 2 hrs be enough to go landside and check a bag for the HV flight and get back to airside? Do HV have mobile b/p?
It seems obvious, that the Asia-AMS leg should be flown hand luggage only, but do the KL and HV systems talk to each other? The HV flight lands before the scheduled departure of the last KL flight, so there are no obvious overlaps.
On a related note - would this 2 hrs be enough to go landside and check a bag for the HV flight and get back to airside? Do HV have mobile b/p?
Oct 17, 2019, 3:45 am
#179
Join Date: May 2015
Location: RBA / TBS
Programs: AF Gold / Accor Gold / Hilton Diamond / TP Silver / A3 Gold
Posts: 2,746
But in your case , no worries , as both flights are under different bookings
HV offer an android app , but i never used it so i cant tell
Oct 17, 2019, 5:00 pm
#180
Join Date: May 2009
Location: EDI
Programs: FB Plat, BA Bronze, Hotels.com
Posts: 400
irishguy28 talking of booking longer term returns, any idea how KL view overlapping return tickets? Want to visit family twice a year and looks like only way to have a competitive fare in KL is to do something like the below:
Ticket 1:
AMS - JFK, 10-Jan-2020
JFK - AMS, 15-Aug-2020
Ticket 2:
JFK - AMS, 16-Jan-2020
AMS - JFK, 09-Aug-2020
And there would probably be other tickets for some work trips around Europe in between the two periods.
Any issues with the above scenario from a fare condition perspective?