Skipping first leg - Delta / Air France - repercussions?
Mar 8, 2019, 2:52 pm
#31
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Plus, then you can do the infamous LAX In and Out burger run!
Mar 8, 2019, 3:52 pm
#32
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Unless you have to be home for the day, just get a cheap hotel room or heck, even Club Access for the day. Flying back and forth is hella headache for very little actual time spent at home (when you factor in travel time, going thru security 2x).
Plus, then you can do the infamous LAX In and Out burger run!
Plus, then you can do the infamous LAX In and Out burger run!
Mar 8, 2019, 6:37 pm
#34
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Mar 8, 2019, 7:19 pm
#35
Join Date: Apr 2006
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Are you checking a bag? If so, you absolutely must check it onto your original flight out of SFO. It is also at check-in of the first fight that an agent (or a computer or a kiosk) will verify that you have valid documents to enter French Polynesia. So you definitely need to check in at SFO for the first flight.
Now, are you the gambling kind? Are you? If you check in for the original flight, and check a bag, and then miss the flight, and then show up at the gate at LAX to board your LAX-PPT, most likely your reservation will have been cancelled and the boarding pass scanner at the gate will beep. You will then look puzzled. The agent will take you aside to sort it out. When the agent says you did not take the first flight, you can innocently claim that it must be a system error, because (a) here is my BP from the first flight, with TSA scribbles and all; (b) here is my bag claim tag, putting the bag onto both flights; and (c) here I am, am I not? How do you think I got here? If you are a good enough actor the desk agent may believe that is it some system error, and reinstate you. Or not. This is where your gambler's luck will play out.
Now, are you the gambling kind? Are you? If you check in for the original flight, and check a bag, and then miss the flight, and then show up at the gate at LAX to board your LAX-PPT, most likely your reservation will have been cancelled and the boarding pass scanner at the gate will beep. You will then look puzzled. The agent will take you aside to sort it out. When the agent says you did not take the first flight, you can innocently claim that it must be a system error, because (a) here is my BP from the first flight, with TSA scribbles and all; (b) here is my bag claim tag, putting the bag onto both flights; and (c) here I am, am I not? How do you think I got here? If you are a good enough actor the desk agent may believe that is it some system error, and reinstate you. Or not. This is where your gambler's luck will play out.
Mar 8, 2019, 7:23 pm
#36
Join Date: Oct 2007
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This. If you have time to kill and like exercise, you can walk out of LAX and over to the In/Out on Sepulvelda (I've done it). While there you can sit outside and eat your burgers with the incoming flights right over your head (if the winds are right). It's not a bad walk, though not particularly senic. Or take a Lyft/Uber over to Venice Beach.
Mar 8, 2019, 7:39 pm
#37
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: SFO
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Your predicament is roughly the same as OP's. When you make a change to an inflexible ticket, you pay a change fee plus the fare difference. That might be cash, points, or miles.
In your case, the change you sought meant that there was a fee and likely that the fare for the ticket you now wanted cost more. If, by way of example, the change fee was $300 and a new ticket for the new route cost $400 more than what you had paid, you would need to pay $700.
Same issue for OP, if he wants to drop his SFO-LAX, he will pay the price for the new ticket LAX-PPT + fee + fare difference as of today.
If this was not the case, nobody in their right mind would pay for a flexible ticket.
The tradeoff for OP is that he got a dirt cheap price in return for an inconvenient itinerary.
In your case, the change you sought meant that there was a fee and likely that the fare for the ticket you now wanted cost more. If, by way of example, the change fee was $300 and a new ticket for the new route cost $400 more than what you had paid, you would need to pay $700.
Same issue for OP, if he wants to drop his SFO-LAX, he will pay the price for the new ticket LAX-PPT + fee + fare difference as of today.
If this was not the case, nobody in their right mind would pay for a flexible ticket.
The tradeoff for OP is that he got a dirt cheap price in return for an inconvenient itinerary.
Mar 8, 2019, 7:48 pm
#38
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: SFO
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I get the city pair competitive issue. I don't get the huge difference between two different SFO departure times connecting to the same LAX-PPT flight. Is Delta only willing to sell the low fare to people prepared to kill seven hours on the connection? I haven't looked, but I would guess that French Bee doesn't have a horribly long connection time.
Mar 8, 2019, 9:48 pm
#39
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I get the city pair competitive issue. I don't get the huge difference between two different SFO departure times connecting to the same LAX-PPT flight. Is Delta only willing to sell the low fare to people prepared to kill seven hours on the connection? I haven't looked, but I would guess that French Bee doesn't have a horribly long connection time.
Mar 8, 2019, 11:14 pm
#40
Join Date: Jul 2014
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Its demand for the flight. Theres 1)more demand for the later flight due to being end of day (thus people can work and still get home) and 2)it providing a short connection time for International flight. Both of these mean increased demand, which means increased ticket cost. Also the later flight may be more heavily booked.
Mar 9, 2019, 6:01 am
#42
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OW SFO/LAX is different than OW SFO/PPT. Totally different demands even though will use the same SFO/LAX flights. Pricing is done by origin/destination not by individual flight. Suggest you read up on married segments for more info.
Mar 9, 2019, 5:30 pm
#44
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: Delta Diamond , Marriott Ambassador, Alaska MVP Gold, American Airlines Gold
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Depending on your status, the Medallion line may be willing to move your first flight to a later time — or potentially let you book the new one way SFO-LAX and link those. I’ve had them do that (I wasn’t paying with points, which could have been a factor in my favor) successfully when an anticipated weather event (that DL hadn’t acknowledged — they did 24 hours later but I wanted to get ahead of the crowds) forced a change of plans. Originally, American Express Travel (who I booked with) told me would be a $5k change (it was a J ticket to Australia and was not operated by DL but VA but was marketed by DL) in order to move my SEA to LAX flight up.
This was for work so I would have done it if forced, but that felt ridiculously out of bounds so I ended up just conferencing in the Medallion line and they were able to make the change for ~$300 or so (they re-classed my domestic ticket but kept the rest of the itinerary the same). YMMV of course, but this is one of those instances I’ve found that status certainly helps.
This was for work so I would have done it if forced, but that felt ridiculously out of bounds so I ended up just conferencing in the Medallion line and they were able to make the change for ~$300 or so (they re-classed my domestic ticket but kept the rest of the itinerary the same). YMMV of course, but this is one of those instances I’ve found that status certainly helps.
Mar 9, 2019, 6:32 pm
#45
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Given that you have a lengthy TPAC flight ahead, consider a day room where you can relax. Call the front desks of a couple of places and see what you can get for a rate when you provide your specific check in and check out times.