I searched the other split PNR threads but can't find anything related to this question. I am booked on a DL PNR sea-ams-bud-ams-sea (the ams-sea is DL metal but KL flight number) with my girlfriend. WOrk may have me going from BUD to elsewhere on the same day. If I split the PNR, can I retain the value of the unused portion of my itinerary (minus change fees)? Work would be paying for the new ticket ex-BUD.

work being the constant flow that it is, I've got to restate my question.

I'm now going to be coming into BUD from elsewhere - work will pay, I've got no problem walking away from the value of the unused 1st 1/2 of the ticket. Existing PNR is Y, my new way into BUD will be J.

I will split the PNR so my gf and I are separate, and she'll use her reservation as it was booked.

My reservation:
What are my options and how can I avoid the most pain? I still need to use the return flight bud-ams-sea but will not be using the outbound sea-ams-bud flights. I don't want the reservation cancelled because I failed to use the 1st half. I also don't want to pay a $XXX change fee to not use half of a ticket.

I don't know yet what carrier I'll be on, but it won't be delta (coming in from asia) - could possibly be AF or KL but unlikely due to their schedules. Taking delta the 'wrong way' asia-sea-ams-bud is not an option as I've got a meeting till late on a friday in asia and have to be in bud at 4pm on saturday...

what say you fine folks?

Just a random thought, but if work is causing you to have to adjust your previously planned personal travel why would they not pay the change fee?

As far as your other options, best I can see is you are going to have to make a change to the original or risk the return being cancelled.

A couple of potential problems with your plan....

1) If you don't tell DL in advance, and just no-show for your first flight, you're going to have your return flight automatically canceled.

2) When you do tell DL what you plan to do, your original ticket will be repriced as one way - assuming you were on a discounted fare to start with. This may well cost more than the original discounted round trip ticket.

A more straightforward approach might be to simply cancel your entire original itinerary, and have your work pay for your entire new itinerary - of course, as you point out, first splitting off the gf's flight to a new PNR.

In any event, talk to DL before the trip and find out your options.

That's not too promising... forgot to add this was booked thru orbitz not DL.com.

There is a near perfect AF routing that'll get me where I want to be - any chance they might allow an itin change to that?

I will be starting my calls tomorrow morning

If is is work get them to pay the difference to get you to BUD and home. BUD AMS SEA on the same flight as GF.

Your big problem is you booked on Orbitz, with combinations of DL anf KL flight number. So even with a DL PNR it is a combination of DL and KL. It looks like figure pointing time between Orbitz, KL and DL.
Even if the flight is a DL flight but if you are ticketed with a KL flight number then you have to deal with KL. Some fares on Orbitz are consolidated(deep discount travel agency) fare and you will not get any ticketing assistance with the airlines. The tip off is you booked on Orbitz on different airline flioght numbers mean that they are pulling cheapest tickets for each leg of the flight.

Best idea is to see what you can recover having it change/amended to include your Asia leg so you can keep the same flight home with Orbitz. Dl will not touch the KL leg and KL will not touch the DL legs.

Well, DL had no problem with two methods after splitting PNR (though haven't done anything yet):
re-fare to a one way for ~$800 and walk away from the first half of the trip
change itin to get me from asia to BUD for ~8000

my guess is that work will have me do the 800...

the 8000 was so high because they can only codeshare on the flights thru AMS vs CDG is what I gather, which puts me on a combi which is pretty much booked up.