Community
Wiki Posts
Search

Skipping First Segment

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Apr 21, 2016 | 8:28 am
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Boston, MA
Programs: Delta DM, SPG Ambassador Platinum
Posts: 90
Skipping First Segment

I have an itinerary BWI-ATL (overnight) ATL-UIO, UIO-ATL-BOS coming up next week. However, work has now moved me from the Baltimore area and I will instead be elsewhere where taking BWI-ATL is no longer a possibility. Has anyone had any luck dropping or skipping the first segment of an itinerary and still flying the rest of the ticket? I can make it to Atlanta for the subsequent flights, but not the first leg. When I called the Diamond desk the quoted $900 to simply drop the first leg of my trip (of which I only paid $500!). Seems crazy, right?! Or am I crazy?

Any advice how I can still fly this ticket without being in BWI is greatly appreciated.
pitpit is offline  
Old Apr 21, 2016 | 8:32 am
  #2  
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
40 Countries Visited
60 Nights
5M
15 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 102,617
If you don't change the ticket and just skip the first segment, the remainder of the ticket will be cancelled.

What would it cost to purchase a new ticket, starting in ATL or BOS?
MSPeconomist is offline  
Old Apr 21, 2016 | 8:37 am
  #3  
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Illinois
Programs: Delta Plat; AA; UA; USAir; HHonors; Priority Club
Posts: 47
or a one way to BWI prior to the original trip
kmovies is offline  
Old Apr 21, 2016 | 8:55 am
  #4  
fti
FlyerTalk Evangelist
All eyes on you!
20 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: MN
Programs: Lots of programs, dirt on all of them!
Posts: 11,943
Originally Posted by pitpit
I have an itinerary BWI-ATL (overnight) ATL-UIO, UIO-ATL-BOS coming up next week. However, work has now moved me from the Baltimore area and I will instead be elsewhere where taking BWI-ATL is no longer a possibility. Has anyone had any luck dropping or skipping the first segment of an itinerary and still flying the rest of the ticket? I can make it to Atlanta for the subsequent flights, but not the first leg. When I called the Diamond desk the quoted $900 to simply drop the first leg of my trip (of which I only paid $500!). Seems crazy, right?! Or am I crazy?

Any advice how I can still fly this ticket without being in BWI is greatly appreciated.
You got a good deal on your ticket. If you change the origination point, they take what you paid ($500) less a change fee (probably $300) and use the residual credit (about $200) toward whatever a new ticket originating in ATL costs now, with little advance purchase. So $900 doesn't sound crazy.

Best is probably to get yourself back to BWI, buying a one-way flight if you have to, even if it is on a different airline.

As was said, if you miss a flight (the first flight or any subsequent flight), the airline will cancel the rest of your itinerary. The only flight you can sometimes miss is the last flight in an itinerary, but even then only if you just have carry on and that can be iffy sometimes too.
fti is offline  
Old Apr 21, 2016 | 9:02 am
  #5  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
2M
100 Nights
All eyes on you!
15 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: BOS
Programs: DL DM 2MM, Marriott LT Titanium, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 17,194
You skip the first part, kiss the rest goodbye.

Unfortunately what is probably making is so expensive along with the change fee, is the multi-city routing rule changes where the airlines f-u on pricing now.
rylan is offline  
Old Apr 21, 2016 | 9:09 am
  #6  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Boston, MA
Programs: Delta DM, SPG Ambassador Platinum
Posts: 90
Thanks for all the input guys. Yeah, work commitments won't permit me to take a flight in time from where I'll be to Baltimore on time (even on a non-DL flight), so that's out. Looks like I might just can the trip and put the $200 towards a completely new routing (which is significantly cheaper than just going ATL-UIO and back).

Thanks for all the thoughts. I was just wondering if anyone had any success getting out of a flight for free/cheaper than what I was quoted. Didn't think I'd see any luck but was worth asking.
pitpit is offline  
Old Apr 21, 2016 | 9:23 am
  #7  
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Programs: Delta diamond, SPG platinum, Hyatt diamond
Posts: 351
I have had luck doing what you wanted. Basically I had work by the new ticket on delta metal and then called the diamond desk and explained the situation and that I needed them to cancel out the first flight. They made the one time exception. So if you get the correct a gent and you are respectful/ nice it usually works out.
Jay00848 is offline  
Old Apr 21, 2016 | 10:18 am
  #8  
Moderator: Hyatt, American Express; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Community Builder
Active Streak: 30 Days
All eyes on you!
10 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: WAS
Programs: :rolleyes:, DL DM, AA EXP, UA Silver, Hyatt Glob, Mlife Noir (=> Marriott Amb), invol FT beta tester
Posts: 21,667
I gather this is a leisure trip, not a work-related trip? Because this question arises periodically and no one ever seems to spell it out :-) If the issue is due to a forced work relocation, you could see if they will cover the change fees for your personal trip as part of your moving expenses.
Zorak is offline  
Old Apr 21, 2016 | 10:46 am
  #9  
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: DCA
Programs: DL DM, HHonors Diamond, Hertz PC
Posts: 170
Originally Posted by Jay00848
I have had luck doing what you wanted. Basically I had work by the new ticket on delta metal and then called the diamond desk and explained the situation and that I needed them to cancel out the first flight. They made the one time exception. So if you get the correct a gent and you are respectful/ nice it usually works out.
I've done this as a PM. For work reasons, I ended up needing to drive from GSP to ATL, instead of driving. I was able to keep my ATL - MKE segment on a multi leg trip.

I'm not 100% certain - this was 6 months ago - but I'm pretty sure I didn't have to pay a change fee.
DCADeltaRoadWarrior is offline  
Old Apr 21, 2016 | 11:50 am
  #10  
5M
100 Countries Visited
All eyes on you!
20 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: New York, western US
Programs: DM/3MM
Posts: 4,315
Originally Posted by Jay00848
I have had luck doing what you wanted. Basically I had work by the new ticket on delta metal and then called the diamond desk and explained the situation and that I needed them to cancel out the first flight. They made the one time exception. So if you get the correct a gent and you are respectful/ nice it usually works out.
Interesting. I called UA today to do just this. I'm flying LAX-SBA RT, but family members will now be near LAX and could get us and drive us up. Which would not only be more pleasant, but would avoid my 4 hour layover at the SC at LAX. No go, so I have to stick with it so that I don't lose the return. I can understand this policy of a RT ticket is less than a one way, but in this case the RT was priced as two one ways. So UA would get to sell my seat, and I'd just take the return. No dice. That said, I have no status on UA anymore.
TrojanTraveler is offline  
Old Apr 21, 2016 | 2:28 pm
  #11  
All eyes on you!
10 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: home airport RSW
Programs: DM, 1MM, Marriott Life Plat- Titanium, ***Princess Status***
Posts: 875
One thing the diamond line can help you with in this situation for those of you who cancel a leg of your trip is keep your seat assignment when the ticket is re-issued. This is key if you have already made the upgrade or like your seat assignment.
nikitta28 is offline  
Old Apr 21, 2016 | 5:03 pm
  #12  
Suspended
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,253
OP - If this is work-related travel, I would drop the issue on your employer to figure out. If this is a leisure trip, most employers will cover the cost.

Alternatively, with proper documentation, some travel insurance will cover the change fees + fare difference. All worth researching.
Often1 is offline  
Old Apr 22, 2016 | 5:54 am
  #13  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
2M
100 Nights
All eyes on you!
15 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: BOS
Programs: DL DM 2MM, Marriott LT Titanium, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 17,194
Originally Posted by Often1
OP - If this is work-related travel, I would drop the issue on your employer to figure out. If this is a leisure trip, most employers will cover the cost.
This. At least for reasonable/decent employers, if they cause a disruption in personal plans they will compensate for the associated costs for airfare rebooking and hotel changes etc.
rylan is offline  
Old Apr 22, 2016 | 3:10 pm
  #14  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
All eyes on you!
25 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Nashville -Past DL Plat, FO, WN-CP, various hotel programs
Programs: DL-MM, AA, SW w/companion,HiltonDiamond, Hyatt PLat, IHF Plat, Miles and Points Seeker
Posts: 11,405
The EASY answer is that if you skip, the rest is cancelled. If you call, they reprice the enterir ticket at the CURRENT available seating/pricing.

The not so easy answer: it depends on the type of ticket, fare class, refund-ability, etc.

Remember, on the day you bought the ticket, you agreed to fly from A-B-C-D or whatever and they quoted a price for buying it that day.

You have TOTALLY changed the deal.

I think your deal and cost might have been reasonable.
NoStressHere is offline  
Old Apr 22, 2016 | 7:59 pm
  #15  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: 4me
Posts: 12,069
Originally Posted by Often1
OP - If this is work-related travel, I would drop the issue on your employer to figure out. If this is a leisure trip, most employers will cover the cost.
Hopefully he isn't his own employer.
TomMM is offline  


Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2026 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.