Flying PIT->DTW->EWR next Tuesday (late flight, landing around 11pm). Timing was better and flight was much much cheaper than the PIT->LGA flight.

My Tuesday plans got cancelled and I can head back to NYC really at anytime Tuesday. I know as a GM I cannot switch to the PIT->LGA flight. There's an earlier PIT->DTW->EWR flight. But since I have the time, can I switch to a PIT->ATL->EWR flight to get add'l MQM or must i keep the same routing?

Further on Delta.com they're willing to sell a flight PIT->LGA->DTW->EWR. Obvioulsy a lot of backtracking, but i have the time and would still be home by 1-2pm. If space is available (i'm on an Q fare) can I take these flights?

I would love to then go PIT->LGA and then head home from LGA but know thats "hidden-city ticketing" and not allowed by Delta (as tempting as it sounds i dont know if i want to risk it).

Delta is offering FCM for $120 on this leg. Not worth it, not even for the extra 750mqm. But if i did upgrade would it increase my likelihood of being able to pull this off? (i know F is not at all exciting on flights this short).

Thanks

Within 24 hours, you can do a same day confirmed change for free IF there is the same fare class available. I'm almost 100% sure you won't be able to find that fare availability, so you won't be able to do it in Y. If you buy up, then you'll be able to SDC to any flight that has open space in F, regardless of fare class, so you'll have a lot more flexibility. I don't believe you'll be able to SDC to PIT->LGA->DTW->EWR though (even if there is space), because that sounds like a broken fare that the website puts together for you.

Call and check on the change. While you can't go from a connection to a non-stop, you can change the routing, as long as the new routing is legal. I do it all the time. For example, I'll change MSY-ATL-LGA to MSY-MSP-LGA.

I always call before I check-in for the flights since it's easier for the CSR if they don't have to go through the extra steps of un-checking you.

If they do it, I'd recommend flying the entire route and not playing the hidden-city game. Just hope for enough of a delay arriving at LGA so you can terminate there.

I see they'll also sell online PIT->CVG->DTW->EWR which is the same amount of miles anyway (though the CVG->DTW leg is on a CR2). Is this also a broken fare? Price seems to be more in line with the PIT->DTW->EWR fares.

If you look at the trip on ITA you can see the fare details.

which I assume means when ITA shows 2 separate fares that its a broken fare?

If the fare class is available, you can SDC PIT-ATL-EWR. You can't do that by SDS. (You can do the earlier PIT-DTW-EWR by SDS.)

If you get a cooperative agent, and the fare class is available on all flights, you can do PIT->LGA->DTW->EWR. I doubt you'd get in trouble for not flying the last two segments, but don't check bags.

FCM would definitely make changes more likely, all you need is any seat available. (The rules say they must have F available, but if you're willing to fly Y on a paid F ticket they're willing to let you. You still get the MQM bonus.)

Being a broken fare does not particularly matter for SDC, other than it might take a slightly longer phone call.

Why would you say this? Do you have access to the fare bucket data? Remember the fare class must be open but it doesn't have to available for sale, mostly due to advance purchase requirements.

Officially if you have a broken fare, you must travel through the points where the fare is broken on SDC/SDS. Even if your new routing involves a broken fare, you can't do this because (with extremely high probability) the new routing isn't legal for your original fare rules.

That's officially. Reality is generally otherwise.