Not Using a Portion of Return Leg
Sep 24, 2010 | 7:59 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 158
Not Using a Portion of Return Leg
Hello,
Checking prices for a trip via UAL , SFO-PVG:
Booking SFO-PVG-SFO the price is $1245
Booking exact same day and same SFO-PVG-SFO flight
LAS-SFO-PVG-SFO-LAX-LAS the price is $921
+$324 for flying directly out of SFO
A) Are there any negative consequences of not using the return SFO-LAX-LAS portion of the ticket after clearing Customs/INS with my baggage? I know I am required to present my baggage to UAL just outside of the Customs hall for connecting flights.
B) If for some reason my baggage was mis-routed and arrived at LAS rather than SFO and I stayed in SFO, what consequences if any might occur with UAL?
I suspect getting my baggage back to SFO and clearing Customs might present a problem..
Thanks
Checking prices for a trip via UAL , SFO-PVG:
Booking SFO-PVG-SFO the price is $1245
Booking exact same day and same SFO-PVG-SFO flight
LAS-SFO-PVG-SFO-LAX-LAS the price is $921
+$324 for flying directly out of SFO
A) Are there any negative consequences of not using the return SFO-LAX-LAS portion of the ticket after clearing Customs/INS with my baggage? I know I am required to present my baggage to UAL just outside of the Customs hall for connecting flights.
B) If for some reason my baggage was mis-routed and arrived at LAS rather than SFO and I stayed in SFO, what consequences if any might occur with UAL?
I suspect getting my baggage back to SFO and clearing Customs might present a problem..
Thanks
Sep 24, 2010 | 10:20 pm
#2
Join Date: May 2007
Location: NYC
Programs: UA, AA, AGR
Posts: 327
While this is technically a violation of UA's conditions of carriage or related legalese (so they could try to cancel your Mileage Plus account or something), in practice throwing away the last part of a multi-segment itinerary almost never incurs consequences. Since SFO is your port of entry to the US your bags will have to be routed there for you to collect and clear customs with; at that point you can just walk out of the airport instead of giving them back to UA for the onward flight.
Sep 25, 2010 | 2:12 pm
#4
Join Date: May 2006
Location: GA
Programs: VA-SLV, QF-GLD, DL-PM, UA-ex1K, AA-exPLT, HH-DM, IHG-PLT, MR-GLD
Posts: 8,353
This shouldn't be any issue but a couple things to keep in mind:
- You must start the trip in LAS! Showing up at SFO will not work.
- You are buying a ticket LAS-PVG-LAS. So in case of flight cancellations, UA is not required to route you through SFO at all. If UA only operates PVG-SFO, this should be ok. But if there is a PVG-LAX, there is some risk that you could be rerouted on that and your plan would not work so well.
- You must start the trip in LAS! Showing up at SFO will not work.
- You are buying a ticket LAS-PVG-LAS. So in case of flight cancellations, UA is not required to route you through SFO at all. If UA only operates PVG-SFO, this should be ok. But if there is a PVG-LAX, there is some risk that you could be rerouted on that and your plan would not work so well.
Sep 25, 2010 | 3:31 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 158
Appreciate the reply's. They are as I suspected. My main concern would be if my bags arrived in LAS and I was still in SFO. Suspect UAL would want to move them in bond to SFO and I would incur some excessive cargo fees. Clearing the bags as personal effects at SFO Customs would not be a problem.
I just do not understand the price difference. Maybe UAL is being paid something by the LAS casinos, or they see an opportunity to gouge the SFO market.
Thanks again
I just do not understand the price difference. Maybe UAL is being paid something by the LAS casinos, or they see an opportunity to gouge the SFO market.
Thanks again
Sep 25, 2010 | 5:17 pm
#6
Moderator: Budget Travel forum & Credit Card Programs, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: YYJ/YVR and back on Van Isle ....... for now
Programs: UA lifetime MM / *A Gold
Posts: 14,684
Long story short: It's a hub penalty, or as airline execs call it, hub premium
I lived with it in Houston, now Dallas 
Some folks have been known to fly WN or some other cheap airline (it's a good idea not to do it on the same airline), and lose the last leg, and still save a lot of money.
There is a previous thread right here in Budget Forum, but can't seem to find it.
Since you have to claim your luggage before clearing customs, you should be OK.
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