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Advice please, on R/T ticket use policy. Thank You!

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Advice please, on R/T ticket use policy. Thank You!

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Old Dec 29, 2008 | 3:03 pm
  #1  
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Unhappy Advice please, on R/T ticket use policy. Thank You!

First most I am sorry if there is the wrong portion of the forum to ask. I have been lurking and I think this subtopic is most fitting

I have a bit of a issue.

I began my 21 segment trip last month (job hunting across the US), and have some problems with next week. Any advice would be helpful.

NEXT WEEK:

Mon 1/5 FLL -> ATL
Tue 1/6 ATL -> CAK

Fri 1/9 DCA -> FLL **

( ...FLL -> SAT etc.)

Problem is before I knew about having to go to Canton (CAK) I had already booked a flight from my home airport (FLL) hoping to sleep in my own bed for a night! So right now I have a FLL -> DCA -> FLL flight!
I called the airline stating that I cannot make the FLL -> DCA portion because I have to be in Canton for a 2 days and then must be in D.C. on the 9th.
They curtly told me that my whole ticket is then going to be canceled and I will not be allowed to fly RETURN home on the DCA -> FLL segment. even if i call on the day and beg them not to cancel my flight. She said I must not only check in but BOARD the flight!

Should I ..

a) book another ticket (o/w) from DCA-> FLL (I am very low on funds right now from the traveling, it is depressing me to always be dashing about and trying to be my best!)

b) pray and hope they do not cancel the return flight and just show up on return day

c) try to "fight" it ..more? at ticket counter maybe next week at another airport that has a Spirit branch.

I am obviously on a budget and trying to get to all the places without hotel/lag time in the middle. I usually fly American who I would be more willing to try this with ....but for the FLL -> DCA -> FLL I purchased Spirit and they do not seem very friendly at all.

Thanks for any advice very much. I think I should stick to American, sometimes I am able to snag a good deal
sweetpi3 is offline  
Old Dec 29, 2008 | 3:18 pm
  #2  
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Most airlines have the same policy-- in normal operating conditions (no weather waivers, irregular ops etc.) you must fly all segments of your ticket or the remaining segments will be canceled. That's the agreement you made when you purchased the ticket. And yes, they will actually cancel the remaining segments if you are not on board-- the FAs do a headcount on the plane prior to takeoff to make sure that everyone who has checked in has boarded the plane (so no, you can't just check in online and then not board the plane).

You can usually skip the last segment of your flight without penalty as long as you don't have checked luggage issues.

I don't think AA (or NW or DL or CO or UA) would view the situation differently.
chococat is offline  
Old Dec 29, 2008 | 3:25 pm
  #3  
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Welcome to Flyertalk, sweetpi3. I am moving your thread to the Budget Travel Forum for discussion. Please follow there..
Thanks..
Obscure2k
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Old Dec 29, 2008 | 3:36 pm
  #4  
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thank you chococat and obscure2k, thanks for redirecting post as well.
i supposed i have to swallow this as another cost of this jobhunting process i will wait a few days though, mostly to let me get over it..before i rebook a one way
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Old Dec 29, 2008 | 7:24 pm
  #5  
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Originally Posted by sweetpi3
...before i rebook a one way
You mean book

Ya, you miss a segment, and your ticket goes bye - bye

Just may have to be a little more careful with scheduling in the future.

Oh, and welcome to FT.

EmailKid
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Old Dec 29, 2008 | 7:34 pm
  #6  
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Jeeeze, who books a 21 segment ticket these days? 16 is the max right now, isn't it?

And other than some taxes, what is the benefit for booking a 21 segment ticket? These type of problems make it unwise for most folk.
Jaimito Cartero is offline  
Old Dec 30, 2008 | 6:49 am
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Originally Posted by Jaimito Cartero
Jeeeze, who books a 21 segment ticket these days? 16 is the max right now, isn't it?

And other than some taxes, what is the benefit for booking a 21 segment ticket? These type of problems make it unwise for most folk.
It sounds like the OP's 21-segment trip is made up of a number of 1 and 2 segment tickets, and their problem is simply that they will miss the first segment of one of the 2-segment tickets. Booking a 2-segment ticket is frequently worth it from a cost standpoint, but does sometimes lead to problems like the OP's.
lexande is offline  
Old Dec 30, 2008 | 10:08 am
  #8  
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thanks all.

yep my whole 2 months is made of 1-2 segment flights for the total. on different carriers and i am only building it upto 2 weeks in advance.
i suppose lesson & ticket rule learned.

should i bother cancelling it? the airline said non refundable. $80 cancel fee. Can i just ignore it and leave it well alone without getting black listed?!
sweetpi3 is offline  


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