What would happen if you were on two flights at once?
Nov 13, 2011, 9:41 pm
#1
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What would happen if you were on two flights at once?
hypothetically speaking -- a flyertalk mystery short, if you will:
Mr. X has a ticket from Point A to Point B on a flight from noon - 4pm.
Mr. X also has a second ticket bought after the first, which goes from Point A to Point C from noon - 4pm the same day.
Mr. X's identical twin brother, Mr. Y, boards flight 1 using a copy of Mr. X's ID (which matches his face perfectly)
Mr. X then boards flight 2
So Mr. X shows as being boarded and in the air on two simultaneous flights.
What would happen in AA's giant computer brain?
(btw, this question is the end result of two frequent flyers discussing "Unreasonable Doubt" by Stanley Ellin over too many beers.)
Mr. X has a ticket from Point A to Point B on a flight from noon - 4pm.
Mr. X also has a second ticket bought after the first, which goes from Point A to Point C from noon - 4pm the same day.
Mr. X's identical twin brother, Mr. Y, boards flight 1 using a copy of Mr. X's ID (which matches his face perfectly)
Mr. X then boards flight 2
So Mr. X shows as being boarded and in the air on two simultaneous flights.
What would happen in AA's giant computer brain?
(btw, this question is the end result of two frequent flyers discussing "Unreasonable Doubt" by Stanley Ellin over too many beers.)
Nov 13, 2011, 9:45 pm
#2
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Never mind...not worth it.
Cheers.
Cheers.
Nov 13, 2011, 9:46 pm
#3
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Presuming Mr X used his FF# on both itns, the second booking will be canceled during the sweep by AA.com. At least that's happened with me when I wanted to book the second trip before canceling the first.
Now if not using his FF#, I'd expect everything to be just fine. Duplicate names are common.
Now if not using his FF#, I'd expect everything to be just fine. Duplicate names are common.
Nov 13, 2011, 9:46 pm
#4
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So my first thought would be it all depend if you put the FF# on the second ticket.
Nov 13, 2011, 9:49 pm
#5
Join Date: May 2007
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If both itineraries had the same frequent flyer number attached to it in advance, AA's computers would have canceled one of them long before departure.
If one ticket was purchased in advance and the second was purchased as a walk up fare within minutes of departure, one can possibly get away with what you describe.
If one itinerary does not have a frequent flyer number attached to it, and that reservation was made from a different source than the first one, you could possibly get away with it. Though AA's dupe program might still look for things like the same credit card info, billing address, contact phone and such.
As for two people with the same name flying on the same day, that probably happens multiple times every day.
If one ticket was purchased in advance and the second was purchased as a walk up fare within minutes of departure, one can possibly get away with what you describe.
If one itinerary does not have a frequent flyer number attached to it, and that reservation was made from a different source than the first one, you could possibly get away with it. Though AA's dupe program might still look for things like the same credit card info, billing address, contact phone and such.
As for two people with the same name flying on the same day, that probably happens multiple times every day.
Nov 13, 2011, 10:02 pm
#7
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Nov 13, 2011, 10:03 pm
#8
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So has your twin brother agreed to do it?
Nov 13, 2011, 10:09 pm
#9
Join Date: Jun 2009
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I think the world will continue to go round, and none will be the wiser.
Nov 13, 2011, 10:13 pm
#10
Original Poster
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sadly, the OP does not have a twin brother, only a sister who looks nothing like him. 
Nov 13, 2011, 10:40 pm
#12
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Nov 13, 2011, 10:57 pm
#13
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I keep coming back to that old standby: Don't mess with the space-time continuum.
Nov 13, 2011, 11:12 pm
#14
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