newflyertalkuser

Hi everyone,

New here. Was wondering if anyone has booked a ticket through Delta and canceled one part of the flight.

For example, I want to go from X to Y and the ticket is $600 (one way), but there's another ticket available from W to Y (with a layover at X), which is only $150 (one way, same dates)...

I found one such scenario but I am not sure if I can simply book the ticket and cancel the first part and fly from what would be considered a layover.

Has anyone tried this?

JORBUST

You will be cancelled from the second flight when you don't board the first. No way around it, no exceptions, not possible.

davetravels

Welcome to FlyerTalk - Delta forum!

Simple answer - YOU CAN'T!

If you book a ticket from W to Y via X, and you don't show up at W for the first flight, the whole rest of your itinerary will be canceled.

edited to add . . . .

The only thing similar that works (usually) if you don't check any bags . . . .

If you want to fly from X to Y, and you find a cheaper ticket from X to Z via Y, you can get off the plane at Y, but . . . .

Many people here will say this is stealing, and other potential consequences, up to closing down your Delta SM account, but that's rare. I don't recommend it, and have only dunnit twice, I think (once to AirTran!)

lamont2718

This "technique," so to speak, is called hidden city ticketing and is possible only when the final segment/segments of an itinerary is/are dropped.

As a note, airlines are generally not happy about the use of such tactics and in the past have taken action against flyers who have repeatedly booked such trips.

gooselee

This. Don't make a habit out of it.

I've unintentionally done this before just because I had a ticket booked but later found out I needed to be somewhere else. Say I'm in the middle of a trip to MCO and have MCO-ATL-GSP booked, but find out I need to be in MEM instead. If ATL-MEM is cheaper than MCO-ATL-MEM, I'll just book the former, take my MCO-ATL, and then skip ATL-GSP and take ATL-MEM instead.

Although, I suppose in that case since I'm usually paying DL some obscene amount for a last minute booking and I'm taking SOME flight with them, they care a bit less than if I just abandoned the ATL-GSP and disappeared into the ether.

newflyertalkuser

Thanks everyone. Seems like my idea is not going to work in this case. It just seems absurd to charge me 4x as much for something that I can get much cheaper but I guess the system can never be perfect

matthew64832

Sadly, the prices are based on demand. The reason it is cheaper is that (presumably) no one wants to travel from W->Y, while lots of people want to travel from X->Y

Often1

Your idea?

These scams are expressly prohibited by the Contract you agree to and when you skip the first segment, the remaining segments will be cancelled and may have no value remaining.

NoStressHere

Assume you have tried booking the other way around?

You can skip the LAST segment, but not the first. And even that is against the "contract".

I use the term "contract" loosely as the airline can decide to skip their part due to weather, equipment, etc.

glueguy

The other potential problem with dropping the last leg and getting off in the middle is that in case of mx or wx, they may rebook you through a different hub and onto the final destination that they think you want to go to......

DLERT

That being the case - contract mumbo-jumbo forbidding this I would not
protest any posting (or lack) of skymiles to your account. The 500 or so miles
aren't worth any kind of protest or savings in a bargain fare resulting in
losing the whole shebang skymiles account.
What may throw a monkey wrench into this is leaving a vacant seat on a
flight that was shown full - then the GA does a headcount and realizes that
he could clear 1 standby or upgrade from Y to F resulting in what happened.
So what happened to Mr. Smith in 2b or was he not 2b on this flight - paging
Mr. Smith - Mr. Smith please check in with the gate - Oh Elvis has left the
building and so has Mr. Smith. ??? Happening all too frequently - Delta
investigates - merits or demerits applied to ticket holder contract violation ?
Fool Delta once - etc.

dadamn

Everyone above has mentioned the do's and don'ts, but the obvious solution is that you just need a one way from X to W that costs less than $450. That way the trip would be X->W, then you'd take the $150 W->X->Y. You get the extra miles and hopefully still come out ahead of the $600 price.

Colin

The onward flights get cancelled out many hours after the no show of the first flight, usually via an end of day batch process. Assuming a one-way hidden city ticket, where boarding pass for segment 2 is obtainable via online check-in, then you would be able to fly segment 2. Everyone on Flyertalk just parrots the official rules and never answers the specific questions of how it actually works. See for yourself with a dummy refundable fare, online check-in day before, and look at your reservation still in tack at Delta.com 20 minutes before departure of segment 2.

fti

Actually I had an issue nothing to do with hidden city ticketing where what you say was untrue. Yes, I had a boarding pass for segment two. But due to other issues I could not board at the origin so I drove to the transit airport. Had an issue getting my second segment reinstated (it was already canceled). My explanation was satisfactory as to why I missed the first flight, but it is definitely not always as easy as you state.