Forcing longer connection
Is it OK to use multi-city to force a connection that the DL website doesn't display, apparently because the connecting time is greater than four hours? I was looking for ELM-DTW-MSY and the only one-stop routing that it would show leaves ELM at 6:00 a.m. When I checked for a routing from ITH, one came up leaving in the afternoon and connecting to a DTW-MSY flight in the evening. I can get that flight to show up from ELM using the multi-city option, but will DL give me any trouble if I book it? I don't want to leave at 6:00 a.m., nor do I want to connect through ATL in addition to DTW if I don't have to.
|
You can book it, but it's likely to be more expensive because you will have a broken fare (which also restricts SDC/SDS options, although that's unlikely to matter in this case). You'll need to have one fare component to the "long connection" (actually stopover) and a new fare component departing from the "long connection" (stopover) airport. OTOH, there's always a chance that married segment logic could make the broken fare cheaper.
|
Thanks.
Isn't airline pricing wonderful? Although the multi-city fare is higher than with a connection at ATL, it's lower than the early-morning one-stop. It's also possible to force a one-stop afternoon routing for the return, albeit with an even longer layover. |
Currently, domestic layovers longer than 4 hours results in a broken fare and paying a fare for each segment vs. a single "through" fare covering entire ELM-MSY itin (there are separate fare filings for both the individual segments, as well as for ELM-MSY). Generally, one-way and roundtrip searches won't show such options which is why you have to resort to multi-city search. While purchasing separate fares on each segment is generally more expensive than a single through fare, this is not always true depending fare bucket availability and fare filings. Early during Covid, they allowed connections up to 6 hours on a single fare for a time due to very limited flight schedules being flown. They have reduced a lot of regional flying this summer due to regional pilot shortages and many routes that had 3-4 daily flights last year are now down to 1-2. I suppose it wouldn't be too surprising if they allowed 6 hour domestic connections again on a single fare from certain smaller stations if current situation continues.
|
Some background, not that it matters to the actual question: this is to replace an ITH-PHL-MSY routing on AA, because AA is discontinuing service at ITH. The alternatives that AA can offer leave from ROC or SYR, each roughly 100 miles away and with much worse winter weather than ELM -- the trip is in January -- plus very tight connections. It's an award flight so I could cancel it and redeposit the miles. ITH-EWR-MSY on UA is also possible.
|
Originally Posted by kochleffel
(Post 34360719)
Is it OK to use multi-city to force a connection that the DL website doesn't display, apparently because the connecting time is greater than four hours? I was looking for ELM-DTW-MSY and the only one-stop routing that it would show leaves ELM at 6:00 a.m. When I checked for a routing from ITH, one came up leaving in the afternoon and connecting to a DTW-MSY flight in the evening. I can get that flight to show up from ELM using the multi-city option, but will DL give me any trouble if I book it? I don't want to leave at 6:00 a.m., nor do I want to connect through ATL in addition to DTW if I don't have to.
The disadvantage to booking as separate tickets is with respect to schedule changes as a switch on one ticket will mean also having to change the other. IROPS may also get a little more complicated (though not overly so) because an agent will have to make adjustments to two tickets versus one. ETA: I see your recent post where you said this trip is in January. There is a good chance of schedule changes between now and then so I may recommend booking as a multi-city on one ticket. Then DL can more easily treat this as ILM-MSY and if there are schedule changes, just rebook it as ILM-MSY, particularly if segments are added or changed to make for a true connection in DTW. |
Originally Posted by ATOBTTR
(Post 34361830)
You can book it as a Multi-City on one ticket. You can also book this as two separate one-ways. The advantage to the latter option is that if the price for one segment changes (drops), you can rebook that segment and get the difference back as an e-credit where is if it's all one ticket as a multi-city, you would have to reprice the whole ticket for any change. DL will protect you on back-to-back separate tickets in the event of IROPS and will even through-check bags across separate tickets when it's DL to DL (or DL to a handful of select partners).
The disadvantage to booking as separate tickets is with respect to schedule changes as a switch on one ticket will mean also having to change the other. IROPS may also get a little more complicated (though not overly so) because an agent will have to make adjustments to two tickets versus one. ETA: I see your recent post where you said this trip is in January. There is a good chance of schedule changes between now and then so I may recommend booking as a multi-city on one ticket. Then DL can more easily treat this as ILM-MSY and if there are schedule changes, just rebook it as ILM-MSY, particularly if segments are added or changed to make for a true connection in DTW. Is there any chance at all, for ELM-DTW and DTW-MSY on separate tickets, that an agent would refuse to check a bag to MSY? I don't know whether Delta ground service at ELM is staffed by Delta employees, Skywest employees, or someone else. |
Originally Posted by kochleffel
(Post 34365417)
Is there any chance at all, for ELM-DTW and DTW-MSY on separate tickets, that an agent would refuse to check a bag to MSY? I don't know whether Delta ground service at ELM is staffed by Delta employees, Skywest employees, or someone else.
https://pro.delta.com/content/agency...e-policy-.html I would save the above link as a favorite so if you run into an agent who is saying it's not permitted, you can point to them that DL policy says it is permitted (again, as long as your layover doesn't exceed a certain number of hours that would force you to claim your bag regardless of being on separate tickets or the same ticket - I do not know what the figure is with 100% certainty). |
I've seen some claims about a 12 hour connection maximum to check bags through (although it doesn't really seem to be documented anywhere), but it doesn't sound like OP will be anywhere near that.
|
Somewhat unrelatedly, but while we're on this topic - I have noticed that the DL website blocks you from using multi-city search to price a fare break at a transfer point (that is, a fare break point must have a minimum connection time of 4h01 domestically). Very annoying when the fare break is cheaper.
|
It also forces >24 hour connections on international routes. If you try some like DTW-ATL + ATL-MBJ with both flights on same day, it will just bomb out. Most likely a work-around related to multi-city searches not checking married segment inventory (and only checking individual flight inventory) and mistakenly offering fares for which there is no married segment availability. If you prevent the multi-city search from offering any connections where married segment inventory would apply, it can't flub it up.
|
Yet delta.dumb routinely offers me broken fares with (domestic) connections under four hours even when there's a cheaper through fare. It used to be easy to solve this by using advanced search and forcing a higher fare class until the broken fare goes away for the flights one wants, but this isn't an option any more.
|
Originally Posted by MSPeconomist
(Post 34366220)
Yet delta.dumb routinely offers me broken fares with (domestic) connections under four hours even when there's a cheaper through fare. It used to be easy to solve this by using advanced search and forcing a higher fare class until the broken fare goes away for the flights one wants, but this isn't an option any more.
|
Originally Posted by MSPeconomist
(Post 34366220)
Yet delta.dumb routinely offers me broken fares with (domestic) connections under four hours even when there's a cheaper through fare. It used to be easy to solve this by using advanced search and forcing a higher fare class until the broken fare goes away for the flights one wants, but this isn't an option any more.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...29af4d034c.png https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...dd410be5af.png |
Originally Posted by xliioper
(Post 34365541)
I've seen some claims about a 12 hour connection maximum to check bags through (although it doesn't really seem to be documented anywhere), but it doesn't sound like OP will be anywhere near that.
However an agent who knows how can override 12 hour limit. They just add the segment onto the bag tag like it was a separate ticket. |
All times are GMT -6. The time now is 5:00 am. |
This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.