Creative Ticketing on CO
Apr 23, 2004 | 12:26 am
#16
Join Date: Aug 2003
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I'm not a lawyer, but ...
If it went to court I think the airline would win if you could not convince the judge that you were effectively living at your consulting assignment for a short period. And your weekend trips are leisure trips home to visit your family. Because otherwise the company could argue that you're doing a bunch of 5-day business trips.
I think they should do away with the stupid saturday night stay altogether if they really just want to target business customers. There are too many loopholes.
I think they should do away with the stupid saturday night stay altogether if they really just want to target business customers. There are too many loopholes.
Apr 23, 2004 | 1:39 am
#17
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Originally Posted by Columbia04
If it went to court I think the airline would win ...
Apr 23, 2004 | 5:49 am
#18
Join Date: Aug 2002
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Is this legal?
I work for a sub of a very large company. We have lots of lawyers and tons of compliance training. Our Travel guidelines recommend this tactic for situations such as yours- they say that it's in compliance with the rules of the airlines.
Apr 23, 2004 | 7:48 am
#19
Join Date: Oct 1999
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Beware of the Super Dupe Snooper
Continental's out to git you evil doers: 
Continental Airlines :-: enhances :-: Flight Firming with Super Dupe Snooper from AAI
Continental Airlines :-: enhances :-: Flight Firming with Super Dupe Snooper from AAI
AAI's Super Dupe Snooper application compares all new PNRs to all existing PNRs in the Continental Airlines PNR database looking for PNRs with identical or similar names. When PNRs with matching names are identified, the itinerary logic compares the itineraries to determine if there is any overlap, duplication, or if the itineraries are non-chronological. In addition, AAIs Super Dupe Snooper identifies a duplicate between a PNR with one person and a PNR with more than one person, and will reduce and divide the record accordingly.
"Were confident that our investment in SDS will achieve payback in just a few short months," said David Kendell, Manager of Revenue Integrity for Continental Airlines.
"Were confident that our investment in SDS will achieve payback in just a few short months," said David Kendell, Manager of Revenue Integrity for Continental Airlines.
Apr 23, 2004 | 8:27 am
#20
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What the OP wrote about doing does not violate any of CO's rules and it should not be picked up by snooper.
Apr 23, 2004 | 11:48 am
#21
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Originally Posted by SPN Lifer
Paying the one-way fare is key. As stated, it could have been on the same carrier.
You could buy a roundtrip on, say, United and only use the outbound. That's still throwaway ticketing but it's an issue with United's Contract of Carriage and not with Continental.
Then you'd start buy roundtrips starting at your destination on Continental.
And there is nothing at all about this that violates Continental's CoC.
This isn't hidden city, point beyond, throwaway, back to back, or any other form of prohibited ticketing.
You are purchasing Continental tickets and flying on each and every segment in the order that they were booked. This is 100% within the rules.
Apr 23, 2004 | 7:51 pm
#22
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All you are doing is buying and legally using round trip tickets, with a Saturday stay. Period. And buying and using a one way ticket on another airline a couple of times. Period. And, saving a ton of moeny for you, or your client. @:-)
It would be a problem if you were "nesting" tickets, using "hidden city" schemes, etc. but what you are doing is PERFECTLY LEGAL, and ethical as well - at least as ethical as what CO or other Sick Six airlines do to business travelers.
Live long and prosper. MC2
It would be a problem if you were "nesting" tickets, using "hidden city" schemes, etc. but what you are doing is PERFECTLY LEGAL, and ethical as well - at least as ethical as what CO or other Sick Six airlines do to business travelers.
Live long and prosper. MC2
Apr 24, 2004 | 12:57 am
#23
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Boondocks of SE CO, USA
Posts: 247
Originally Posted by MgmtConsult1974
The closest thing I could find that would prohibit such ticketing is within CO contract of carriage under prohibited ticket practices.
3) The use of Flight Coupons from two or more different Tickets issued at round trip fares for the purpose of circumventing applicable tariff rules (such as advance purchase/minimum stay requirements) commonly referred to as Back-to-Back Ticketing is prohibited by CO.
I think prohibited practice number three is the closest to what Im doing, but not quite. Im not using flight coupons from two or more different tickets. Number one does not apply because Im traveling to all points for which the ticket is published. Number two does not even apply.
Based on these rules, Im doing nothing wrong, but Im still violating the spirit of number 3.
I guess Im still asking the question, can I be found in violation of creative ticketing rules based on what Im doing?
3) The use of Flight Coupons from two or more different Tickets issued at round trip fares for the purpose of circumventing applicable tariff rules (such as advance purchase/minimum stay requirements) commonly referred to as Back-to-Back Ticketing is prohibited by CO.
I think prohibited practice number three is the closest to what Im doing, but not quite. Im not using flight coupons from two or more different tickets. Number one does not apply because Im traveling to all points for which the ticket is published. Number two does not even apply.
Based on these rules, Im doing nothing wrong, but Im still violating the spirit of number 3.
I guess Im still asking the question, can I be found in violation of creative ticketing rules based on what Im doing?
You're not even violating the "spirit" of #3. Think of it this way: What if you drove your car to your project (and plan to drive it home at the end)?
Would you think anything was 'shady' about buying a round-trip ticket to fly home on the weekends if this were the case? Would CO? It's perfectly legit, even if CO would rather you reverse the itinerary and spend the big bucks.
Suppose for some insane reason you decided to buy a one way ticket home at the first weekend you were away so you could make your trips out on Monday--return on Thursday. Do you think CO would object and holler "creative ticketing" in that case?
It's just a matter of perspective: You're out to get the most value for your bucks, and CO is out to get the most bucks out of you that they can. Nothing wrong with that from either side--they set the fares, but you decide which fares you're gonna use.
Apr 24, 2004 | 8:58 am
#24
Join Date: Mar 2004
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I agree that this is perfectly legal. There is nothing wrong about this. You are flying on every segment that you purchased as agreed. It is none of CO's business if you decide to fly AA or any other airline. This is not back to back or hidden city or any other of the three "no no's" IMHO.