If I have a ticket for BDL-CLE-LAX-EWR-BDL, but instead of making my connection, I skip the EWR-BDL leg and take Amtrak to Connecticut instead, what happens? Is this permissible?

Technically, they do not permit you to book a segment that you have no intention of using, but I do not know how they can prove that you just did not have a change of plans on the return day. If you have no checked luggage, I would not worry about it. I have frequently had flights booked from X-PHL-ABE and skipped the PHL-ABE segment (usually because we arrived late and that segment was cancelled). In the cases that the late arriving flight made me miss my connection, I have gotten them to still give me the miles as the ticket was paid for and it was not my fault that they could not make the connection.

If you book the ticket open jaw so that the last segment does not exist, they may charge you more for the ticket.

Take the train and don't give it another thought. In the last few years I have skipped last legs three or four times such as DCA-EWR, EWR-DCA, and EWR-PHL. Sometimes the fare is so different that I buy the ticket intending to throw away the last coupon, and other times, plans just do change.

My situation is abit different, and possibly more risky, but I am curious as to the group's opinion.

I am scheduled to fly to DCA, with a connection in EWR. My ticket is actually an open jaw with the first 1/2 on CO and the second on NW (into DCA, out from BWI).

My plans just changed abit, and I will be staying for a couple days in NY, and I dont want to fly to DCA, then drive back to NYC at 10P...I would rather just hop off at EWR, stay in NY, then drive to BWI as scheduled and then fly home. My connection to DCA is the last flight there for the night, and I have a 45 min scheduled layover.

Here is the plan...

Option A) dont take the flight to DCA, say nothing to CO (the ticket is on CO stock, though) and call NW shortly after and tell them I missed the connection, am taking myself to DCA and mark the res as such so nothing gets cancelled.

or,

Option B) wait until the DCA connection leaves, then run to the gate counter out of breath (officially missing the flight), and plead innocent that I went to the wrong gate or something, and now missed the flight...tell the agent not to worry, I will get to DCA on my own...and please make sure nothing happens to my return res.

so...is this operation pretty risky, or should it be smooth sailing? which option is better?

i know that "by the book", it's technically a violation, but I dont want to get to DCA at 10pm and spend 3 hours driving back to where I just came from.

This could be risky if your inbound is early, it might be quite obvious. Or, if your DCA flight is late, same story. But if it does work, you can also ask for compensation for the "delay."

bocastephen:

I presume that your entire itinerary is CO coded, so that even if your BWI leg is on NW, the reservation all belongs to CO. So therefore:

Option A - forget it. As soon as you miss the EWR-DCA leg, the rest of your reservation will be cancelled.

Option B - Very creative and maybe the stars will align and you will be a good enough actor to pull it off, but it's doubtful. Most likely the CO agent will sympathize with your plight and work hard at getting you on the next flight (there are lots of them) to DCA.

Maybe your best bet will be to forget about the return ticket that you have and pick up a cheap one-way from Southwest or JetBlue (I also presume that you are going home to So Fla on this trip). CO will not bother you about this sudden "emergency" change of plans and you'll be out less than $100.

Seems to me if you show up late and 'miss' the flight, CO will want to book you on the next morning's flight. If you balk at that, then they'll want to reprice your itinerary and maybe try and collect $100 change fee as well.

after thinking about it abit more, I might not take the risk, but I doubt CO could make me spend money on a hotel overnight and wait until the morning to fly if I "missed" the flight by accident. They might offer to put me on Amtrak (which is OK, since there is no proof of me actually taking the train in that case), which is what they did for me after the winter snow storm disaster earlier in the year.

I will look at more comments as they get posted, but I think I might take the DCA flight and then drive back the next morning.

CO will not put you on Amtrak if you are the one who misses the flight. What they will do is offer to re-instate the remainder of your itinerary if you cough up the $100 plus fare difference.