IROP two separate tickets (code-share)
 

Hi, I am flying YYZ to SHA in January. My first flight leaves YYZ at 9:30 am (to DTW).

If I book a flight from LGA to YYZ on Delta (operated by Westjet) at 6:30 a.m. - - ON A SEPARATE TICKET - on that same day, and my flight gets cancelled or delayed and I miss my flight from YYZ to DTW will delta accomodate me and get my to china without any fees?

I just want to make sure I understand what you are saying. You are going to go from LGA to YYZ on one ticket. Then you are going to take a flight from YYZ>DTW>SHA. These are separate reservations. All of them are 006 tickets? January weather in YYZ and DTW are a factor to consider. Checked bags? Customs in YYZ?

That all said, delta could be accommodating. If you are willing to take the risk and not get to SHA and could be flexible if they need to reroute you a day or two later and you can stay in DTW.
They may charge a fee based on why you are delayed.
They may take pity on you. Maybe not.

I can't tell from your profile if you have status with delta. If you don't...that is also a factor.
So, are you a risk taker?

They may accommodate you as a courtesy, but legally there is nothing you can do if they put their foot down and let you pay through the nose for a last-minute ticket to China. Personally I would not take the risk... I would fly to YYZ the night before.

hey what does 006? the YYZ to DTW To SHA is going to be in business class. I am a Gold Medallion member. I don't care if I'm late arriving to Shanghai - I am just worried about having to buy a new ticket. My travel agent can't put them all on one ticket without the price skyrocketing. I called Delta and they told me not to worry they would accomodate me, blah blah blah - but I want a second opinion.

Usually I'd go the night before - but having to wake up at 3:45 or 4:00 am defeats the purpose of a comfortable night at a hotel. I'd rather just leave in the a.m. - well aware of the weather.

Let me ask you guys this - if the first flight was operated by delta would that make a different to your analysis?

Thanks


D

I suspect that the OP might have one of the special sale fares from Canada to China, probably in business class. That could also affect treatment in IROPs as Z fare class inventory is unlikely to be available.

ADDED. I suspect, but don't know, that missing the flight due to a delay on DL would be different from a delay on another carrier as the latter case could lead to a lot of finger pointing about whether Westjet or DL is responsible for trying to help.

ADDED AGAIN. Remember that you go immigration and customs twice at YYZ. The transborder outgoing lines for USA BCP immigration and customs processing Plus security can be very long. Also, you must check in and drop bags at least an hour before scheduled departure time.

Does the flight you're considering leave LGA at 6:30 am or arrive in Canada at that time?

As long as both are DL tickets and DL flights they'll dhelp you out.

Note that DL doesn't fly to SHA, but rather PVG.

exactly ... the actual cost of a hotel room near the airport in Toronto is far less than the possible cost of a last-minute YYZ-SHA ticket

and I don't see why you would have to wake up at 0345 to catch your 0930 YYZ-DTW flight if you're at an airport-area hotel

Just making sure that the ticket from DTW to SHA was also a delta coded ticket. The ticket number would start with 006.

The fact that the flight is operated by another carrier, doesn't bother me. It's a connection carrier.

But, the thought of losing a first class seat causes me to pause. If they need to rebook me, it may nor may not be in first. They may, or may not, charge me.

If you are ok with the possibility that they may need to rebook you in coach on a later flight if you miss your connecion, take the risk.

DTW-PVG would be DL marketed and DL operated for the special sale prices. Presumably so would be the RJ YYZ-DTW flight on that ticket. The problem is that LGA-YYZ on the other ticket would be operated by Westjet, even if it's a DL codeshare.

Thanks got it now.. A little slow at midnight.
thanks

I am too. I mixed up the two little transborder flights in my post. It's fixed now.

OP has a ticket, at about $2000 RT TPAC in business class, for YYZ-DTW-PVG and return, ALL DL marketed and DL operated for the special price.

The contemplated purchase for the positioning flight would be LGA-YYZ operated by Westjet but sold as a DL codeshare. I assume it would leave from a different area of LGA from the terminals DL use, probably the central terminal, so that if there's an obvious delay, there would be no opportunity for the OP's two tickets to be changed to LGA-DTW-PVG, all on DL of course.

The first flight leaves LGA at 6:10am arriving YYZ at 7:46am. That leaves 1.44 minutes for immigration, bags, etc which is very tight for Toronto. I've also found Westjet to have significantly more delays than DL. I would fly in the night before.

Like others have said, Delta has no obligation to put you on a new flight and the fact that its not DL metal makes it more of a risk as any IRROP wouldn't be Delta's fault.

WS operates from the D gates (D6, iirc) at LGA

even though I did something similar a couple months ago (the same 0610 flight from LGA; 0945 trans-border departure on WS from YYZ; carry-on only), I still wouldn't second OP's thought where a high-cost TPAC ticket is in the balance

I know everyone here is trying to caution OP in case of worse case scenario but -

I had an AZ ticket (their ticket stock) connecting to a separate DL ticket in paid J (but that was a special cheap fare).

The AZ flight was delayed and even though I didn't miss my DL flights, DL said they would take care of me if there was a problem.

I expect if Westjet cancels or delays, given it's DL stock from LGA, DL would work with the OP (especially as GM). While it's possible they could demand payment for a new ticket, as long as the delay/cancel is weather or on the carrier (aka not OP missing the flight), I see the chances of them demanding a new ticket purchase at less than 1%.

If stuff hits the fan, I think the OP should be nice to the agents either on the phone, or see an agent who knows what they are doing at LGA for IRROP assistance.

I don't think ticket price or it being a sale is a factor. Same with inventory classes. If there is IRROPs, they'll either override and rebook into the original class, or rebook into a higher class. That's for DL to figure out. OP don't be sensitive or feel a need to justify your pricing in any way - I've bought cheaper paid J tickets and needed IRROPs assistance. The most that happened was one agent commented that she wish she had gotten the same pricing, but she provided me with the same high level of IRROPs service I've come to expect despitedespite how much or how little I paid for the ticket.

Thanks everyone for advice - three points

1) - thanks to the person who pointed out that my YYZ to DTW flight is at 9:30 a.m. (lol) - that is correct, I don't know why I thought it was at 6:30 a.m. - was thinking of my recent Tokyo flight.

2) - I actually am flying to SHA - taking China Eastern (or Southern or whatever they are called) from Beijing to SHA (lol)

3) The point you've all disregarded is the Delta lady assured me by phone that they would "absolutely" take care of me if I encountered trouble with my first flight.

But it seems all but one think I should just go the night before?

Finally, does it make sense that travel agent can't add a separate LGA to YYZ on same ticket? When I went to Tokyo the guy at Amex travel was able to do it no problemo.

thanks