Nested tickets
#121
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: RDU
Programs: DL DM, HHonors Diamond, Marriott Platinum, etc etc etc
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I have done it before (domestically) (one trip was personal than i flew and when i connected the other trip/ticket was work) and I am doing it in 2018 for international trips
i.e. bought JFK-Europe and then separately bought my domestic to get up to JFK. No different than you buying a flight to JFK on AA and then to Europe on DL,
One good thing about DL is they will check your bag through for you even with two separate tickets (the other domestic airlines wont)
i.e. bought JFK-Europe and then separately bought my domestic to get up to JFK. No different than you buying a flight to JFK on AA and then to Europe on DL,
One good thing about DL is they will check your bag through for you even with two separate tickets (the other domestic airlines wont)
#124
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: MIA
Programs: Delta 1 Million Miler, Delta DM, Hilton Diamond, SPG Gold, Marriott Gold, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 241
Reading this, I’m picturing those nested Russian dolls but instead of dolls you keep pulling out boarding passes from another boarding pass.
#125
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: ATL
Programs: Delta PlM, 1M
Posts: 6,363
Basically "positioning flights" (what you are doing, sep. tickets to get to the airports that have good fares) are perfectly legal. Also, side trips (if you were to buy a ticket JNB<>XXX while in JNB) are fine.
What the nested rules are designed for is the commuter flying XXX-YYY RT M-F for several weeks. The M-F is more expensive, so instead the pax figures he can interleave tickets over a few weeks and thus always get the cheap Saturday stay fares. And this the airlines do not like.
#126
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: ATL
Programs: SPG, DL
Posts: 307
An example, I book ATL-JFK rt up Thursday and back Tuesday. Then I book a JFK-ATL rt for Friday and Monday. In that scenario, I am violating a Saturday stay requirement because my intention is really 2 day trips to NYC from ATL (up thurs, back fri, then up mon, back tue).
Your scenario does NOT violate any Saturday stay requirement because your "nested" ticket doesn't return you home in the interim, it sends you to DUB.
#127
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: ATL
Programs: SPG, DL
Posts: 307
Again, your scenario doesn't violate this rule and is perfectly legal.
#128
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Nashville -Past DL Plat, FO, WN-CP, various hotel programs
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Yes.
Basically "positioning flights" (what you are doing, sep. tickets to get to the airports that have good fares) are perfectly legal. Also, side trips (if you were to buy a ticket JNB<>XXX while in JNB) are fine.
What the nested rules are designed for is the commuter flying XXX-YYY RT M-F for several weeks. The M-F is more expensive, so instead the pax figures he can interleave tickets over a few weeks and thus always get the cheap Saturday stay fares. And this the airlines do not like.
Basically "positioning flights" (what you are doing, sep. tickets to get to the airports that have good fares) are perfectly legal. Also, side trips (if you were to buy a ticket JNB<>XXX while in JNB) are fine.
What the nested rules are designed for is the commuter flying XXX-YYY RT M-F for several weeks. The M-F is more expensive, so instead the pax figures he can interleave tickets over a few weeks and thus always get the cheap Saturday stay fares. And this the airlines do not like.
#129
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Join Date: Nov 2009
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are there really that many fares that still have an explicit Saturday night stay rule (i.e., “Return travel not permitted earlier than the first Sunday following departure from point of origin” or similar language)?
#130
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: ATL
Programs: Delta PlM, 1M
Posts: 6,363
Most certainly quite a substantial number of such fares.
#131
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: LAX/BUR, RDU
Programs: DL SM, AAdvantage, SPG
Posts: 1,360
TRAVEL FROM LAST STOPOVER MUST COMMENCE NO EARLIER THAN THE FIRST SUN AFTER ARRIVAL AT TURNAROUND.
Or
TRAVEL FROM INBOUND TRANSATLANTIC SECTOR MUST COMMENCE NO EARLIER THAN THE FIRST SUN AFTER DEPARTURE OF THE OUTBOUND TRANSATLANTIC SECTOR
So far, nobody's nested tickets seem to be violating a minimum stay requirement, so they should be good.
#132
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: West of CLE
Programs: Delta DM/3 MM; Hertz PC; National EE; Amtrak GR; Bonvoy Silver; Via Rail Préférence
Posts: 5,384
When I did this, I didn't know it violated DL's rules. However, they were offering a DCA-JFK-MXP and return ticket for $1.4k; at the same time, a DCA-JFK RT was $142.00, and a JFK-MXP RT was $508.00. So I booked the cheaper option and saved about $800 per person.
Most recently, I bought a DCA-SEA RT. Just to do it, I took the public bus outside the DL baggage claim at SEA to Tacoma, walked 1/4 mile to the Amtrak station there, took the Cascades to Portland and connected onto the Empire Builder running along the north side of the Columbia River and on to Spokane, and then bought a one way DL ticket GEG-SEA-YVR, and then took the Amtrak "Thruway Bus" back to King Street Station (this was actually like a chauffeured sedan, as only 9 pax were on board; the only stop was at CBP in Blaine, WA, where we visited with the staff there and had our baggage x-rayed); then walked over to the light rail station for the 30 minute ride south to SEA.
Most recently, I bought a DCA-SEA RT. Just to do it, I took the public bus outside the DL baggage claim at SEA to Tacoma, walked 1/4 mile to the Amtrak station there, took the Cascades to Portland and connected onto the Empire Builder running along the north side of the Columbia River and on to Spokane, and then bought a one way DL ticket GEG-SEA-YVR, and then took the Amtrak "Thruway Bus" back to King Street Station (this was actually like a chauffeured sedan, as only 9 pax were on board; the only stop was at CBP in Blaine, WA, where we visited with the staff there and had our baggage x-rayed); then walked over to the light rail station for the 30 minute ride south to SEA.
#133
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Location: Nashville -Past DL Plat, FO, WN-CP, various hotel programs
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Posts: 11,072
Yes, they do.
But, they are talking about the TICKET and FARE - not what the person does. The PERSON can fly back and forth daily if they want. The RT ticket and the corresponding RETURN PORTION has rules.
#134
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JFK-CLE (one-way)
That way, if there's IRROPS on the outbound, you're protected. On the return, it's less of an issue (relatively easy to get from NYC to CLE).
#135
Join Date: Jan 2011
Programs: DL PM
Posts: 60
So it's legal flight and I purchased the JNB part and the ORD to XXX. Plan to fly to WAS night before and trying to decide which flight to choose. Last flight makes sense but leaves no room for error. If there is an IRROPs situation, would DL get me to JNB another way if I couldn't make the XXX to WAS segment the night before. Other option is to choose earlier flight to WAS but by the time trip comes, it seems like most flights are full anyway.
GM on DL and Biz class to JNB if makes any difference
Last edited by DLX5; Jan 5, 2018 at 4:34 pm