Does this violate the Delta rules?
Feb 19, 2014, 12:12 pm
#1
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Does this violate the Delta rules?
I want to take my daughter to Den from Atl on June 16th and pick her up on June 30th using an AMEX companion ticket. Will Delta get cranky if I also buy a roundtrip Den-Atl ticket for myself leaving Den on June 17th and returning June 29th? Actually I'd also love to fly with my wife from Atl-Ams on June 20th- June 27th while my daughter is at camp.
Many thanks to anyone who can let me know if flying inside other tickets like this violates Delta rules.
Many thanks to anyone who can let me know if flying inside other tickets like this violates Delta rules.
Feb 19, 2014, 12:26 pm
#2
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You'd need to check the specific fare rules. Others will be more knowledgeable than I am, but I don't think that nested ticketing is against the rules by default.
However, but if your ATL-DEN-ATL fare contains a Saturday night stay requirement, then it seems that this would violate that particular fare rule.
However, but if your ATL-DEN-ATL fare contains a Saturday night stay requirement, then it seems that this would violate that particular fare rule.
Feb 19, 2014, 12:26 pm
#3
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1 Jun. 16 ATL-DEN
2 Jun. 17 DEN-ATL
3 Jun. 20 ATL-AMS
3 Jun. 27 AMS-ATL
2 Jun. 29 ATL-DEN
1 Jun. 30 DEN-ATL
Assuming I've followed you correctly (as above), you basically have itineraries nested in one another. I am pretty sure you should be able to do this.
2 Jun. 17 DEN-ATL
3 Jun. 20 ATL-AMS
3 Jun. 27 AMS-ATL
2 Jun. 29 ATL-DEN
1 Jun. 30 DEN-ATL
Assuming I've followed you correctly (as above), you basically have itineraries nested in one another. I am pretty sure you should be able to do this.
Feb 19, 2014, 12:26 pm
#4
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That would appear to be back-to-back ticketing, though the reason you're booking it like that is not to circumvent minimum stay requirements. Is booking it that way less expensive than booking two round-trips June 17/18 and June 29/30? Flying ATL-AMS would not be back-to-back ticketing, that would not be an issue.
Feb 19, 2014, 12:32 pm
#5
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That would appear to be back-to-back ticketing, though the reason you're booking it like that is not to circumvent minimum stay requirements. Is booking it that way less expensive than booking two round-trips June 16/17 and June 29/30? Flying ATL-AMS would not be back-to-back ticketing, that would not be an issue.
EDIT: Bolding in your post is mine to show corrected dates.
Feb 19, 2014, 12:36 pm
#6
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I am aware of that. Ultimately the crux of the rule is Delta wants to prevent people from doing what is proposed to circumvent minimum stay to get cheaper tickets, so my question is does his proposed itinerary actually do that, and the quick way to check that is compare the prices each way.
Feb 19, 2014, 12:49 pm
#7
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This raises an interesting question: If it turns out that there is an issue with minimum or Saturday night stay, it at least appears that OP has a legitimate reason/need to book the tickets in this way.
Even without the companion ticket, perhaps he needs to be on the same PNR as his daughter for the June 16/30 trip to make it easier to not have her flagged as a UM (assuming she's younger).
Would OP just need to book into a higher fare class that does not have those restrictions?
Even without the companion ticket, perhaps he needs to be on the same PNR as his daughter for the June 16/30 trip to make it easier to not have her flagged as a UM (assuming she's younger).
Would OP just need to book into a higher fare class that does not have those restrictions?
Feb 19, 2014, 2:26 pm
#8
Join Date: May 2010
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I am aware of that. Ultimately the crux of the rule is Delta wants to prevent people from doing what is proposed to circumvent minimum stay to get cheaper tickets, so my question is does his proposed itinerary actually do that, and the quick way to check that is compare the prices each way.
(And we got around the warning by just doing the nesting on two tickets. So ticket one was on Delta with a Monday depart and return two weeks later and the weekend home in between was on AA LOL!)
Feb 19, 2014, 2:37 pm
#9
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You would certainly not raise any flags if the nested trip was on a different carrier altogether. But I assume that OP is interested in keeping all their flights on DL as it sounds like that is his primary airline (also, likely to have more nonstops out of ATL).
Feb 19, 2014, 4:43 pm
#10
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Highly unlikely to raise any flags. I have done this before for work when I had to fly A to B for an extended stay, then while at location B get told to fly to C for a day then Back to B to finish the original trip. This has happened several times and has never been flagged. None of the tickets have been restricted fares so that may have been the reason but unless the companion ticket rules require a certain stay then the OP should be able to do what he has indicated without issue.
Feb 19, 2014, 5:30 pm
#11
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as others have pointed out in this and other threads, Sat night stayover requirements for domestic tix are few and far between ... I'm not speaking from any recent experience but I certainly don't see that DL will give OP any pushback
Feb 19, 2014, 5:48 pm
#12
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The AMS trip is inconsequential. It's the nested ATL den trips where the problem lies. Technically it's a nested itinerary and violates the COC. Will delta give you a hard time is a question for delta, not FT.
Feb 19, 2014, 5:51 pm
#13
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I actually seem to see quite a few Sat night or minimum stay requirements on domestic tix, particularly of the TXV variety that I'd assume are the likely booking classes if OP is using a companion cert and booking this far in advance.
Feb 19, 2014, 5:56 pm
#14
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Based on what I can see in EF, the only ATL-DEN fares currently published that have min/max stay restrictions (and there are only 2) expire 4/9 and 5/21, so wouldn't be valid for OP's dates of travel anyway.
Feb 19, 2014, 6:39 pm
#15
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Nested tickets
Seems to me the best approach would be to describe what you are doing even quoting the pricing and then send the question to Delta. If you get an OK then keep the reply as proof.