exactly - i think it would all work very smooth

This all works well till the FA does a final count and is off one passenger. The GA might not provide essential the cancellation before closing the door, but definitely will after. This will result in the ticket let's being cancelled for the companion at the connection and/or a demand for payment for new ticket.

It's the same answer as it has been for the previous 4,567 examples of trying to breach the Delta terms and conditions of travel - By all means try it if you feel lucky, but be sure to be ready to face the consequences when it all goes horribly wrong. Also, If I was planning to fraudulently obtain travel from a global company (intentionally or circumstancially) I might not discuss the finer details on a public website before doing it, a simple point often lost on the FT community.

Gotta love all the extraneous judgment and snarks. I don't recall saying I wanted to violate the T&C, in fact I posted them to foster a discussion about them. Does the primary not showing for the return cause a cancellation? It's new to me and tough terms to search on in this clogged forum. It appears from those who answered with less snark that yes, the primary not showing does cause cancellation of the companion. Noted.

A 1-way SRQ>MSN ticket is $186. I'll buy him that and eliminate any risks. I did like the screenshot boarding pass idea and would have considered it if I had less to lose, but it also appears that if the companion cancels the primary does too so he'd have to figure out how to get both of us scanned in on flight.

If the 1-way was more, I'd try and say I'm sick and get them to split it up.

Slow learner, if we don't discuss it here, where do we discuss it? Some Silk Road for people trying to optimize their Delta experiences? I'm not going to live in fear and paranoia by not posting what I'm considering here.

Another idea is if you can route your trip to JAN through MSP then you can fly the first leg together, his MSN flight ticket won't be cancelled, and you can buy MSP-JAN-MSN .

It's a bit out of the way (I had to look up JAN), but think of it as a milerun...

That's a good idea. I wish our return was via ATL. That would make life perfect because I would absolutely have no problem taking original to ATL and letting him board to MSN and me splitting to JAN. Yes, it's out of the way and I go there every other week until September. Too bad I didn't get that BOS project.

Yeah, but think about the extra miles!
(Says the guy who recently flew MSY-LAX-JFK to get home... :) )

Will DL care if a abandon the return leg of a companion certificate fare?
 

Maybe a silly question: I'm flying DL from JFK to RAP via MSP, then planning on flying return on WN from Denver directly (have a bunch of WN points to burn). Was planning on booking this using the companion cert from my Amex DL Platinum, but the only option is to book it as a round-trip.

So.. will DL care if I book it round-trip so I can use the cert, and then simply skip the return flight? It's not like I'm doing hidden city ticketing/stopping at MSP. Otherwise, I won't have an opportunity to use the cert, and it will be a waste.

Nope.

If you're the paid passenger they can refuse to let companion fly back without you. Have you checked to see if the cert works to book an open jaw RT JFK-RAP and DEN-JFK? Of course assume both of you want to return from DEN.

Is the outbound so expensive that it's cheaper to book the r/t and use the certificate?

I am not sure OP is even planning on having the companion do the return leg - but as long as it's a nonstop and you both check-in, I doubt they would do anything. I've aborted my return leg before and my companion successfully flew. Delta would have no way of knowing that you were going to be a no-show until after your companion is on the plane. And, airlines have been trying to avoid pulling people already on planes with confirmed seats off ever since a certain United incident. Delta knows better than to fight a PR battle on this.

I agree its unlikely. However they can do so and some over zealous agent might.