Split/back2back ticketing?
 

OK -- here's the deal:

I just started a new job and I will be commuting MSP-BUF on a weekly basis for six months to a year. I pay for the tix out of my own pocket.

There aren't many deals with NW in/out of MSP. :(

I find that if I book, say, out on Friday and return, not the following Monday, but the Monday after that (and then buy tix BUF-MSP for the in-between Monday returning the Friday after that), I can cut the price down quite a bit.

Not sure if this is called split ticketing or back-to-back ticketing or what, but whatever it's called, I understand the airlines frown on the practice.

Does anyone have any experience with NW and how they treat this sort of thing? I realize I can minimize my chances of trouble if I book the itins on different airlines. If I choose, say, CO, and have the miles applied to my World Perks account, will that raise a flag?

If anybody knows of a better (cheaper) way to commute MSP-BUF, I'd sure like to know about it.

Thanks.

What I would do is for the first week buy a one-way LCC ticket from MSP to BUF. Then I would buy weekend trips BUF-MSP-BUF on NW/CO/DL. Keeps it very clean as far as buying tickets ( no nesting involved ). After doing it for 6 months to a year you will need to buy a cheep one-way back to MSP.

There will be no issues with NWA if you do this.

Not sure what you're proposing here.

I did a "LCC trip" BUF-MSP (I drove up here). I live in BUF.

The problem is that the tickets (out on Friday/return on Monday) run between $360 and $600, whereas with the "skipped" week, I can get them for between $275 and $300. Either way, it's a good chunk of change, but when you're paying it, every nickel counts.

Southwest is beginning service MDW-BUF in July, and they already fly MSP-MDW, so that may be an out in the future, but historically I've always been able to beat SW on any route I've tried.

So, yes, I can do the alternate week thing, but the bookkeeping gets tricky and the routing gets less convenient (NW provides non-stops). Oh well.

I would do what Madison8 says. If you do back-to-back ticketing NW's computer is likely to figure it out. If you buy a one-way ticket to get started and then ticket "backwards" (to get the Saturday night stay), it's cool with NW, and you're likely to save a bunch of $$.

I did this for a better part of a year when I traveled to MEM weekly.

I'm already doing that !!

The problem (price-wise) is that if you buy a ticket A-B-A, where you depart city A on Friday the 1st and return to city A on Monday the 4th, you pay X$.

If you buy the ticket A-B-A and again depart on the 1st, but return on Monday the 11th (a week later than in the original example), you can get the ticket for, say, 75% of X$.

Then you buy a ticket B-A-B, departing on the 4th and returning on the 14th (to include the Saturday night stay). and again it costs less than X$.

You keep that up week after week.

I know it's a little complicated, but if you sit down with a calendar it all makes sense. Not sure if split or nested or back-to-back is the correct term, but I'm sure thet don't like it, but I can't swear that it's illegal. Still, they can deny boarding or zero out FF balances, and so on, so I'd rather avoid problems if I can.

My main goal is to save a not inconsiderable chunk of money each week. My question was, is this still as frowned upon by the airlines as it once was, and has anyone done it and kept it up for a time.

The fare here should not be that high since there is a saturday stay.

The key point to not violate back-to-back ticketing rules is to use your tickets in order. In other words, buy and use the tickets in the same order.

You live in BUF, work in MSP. So you buy a one-way ticket for BUF-MSP for your first Monday, use it to fly that Monday. Then buy roundtrips for MSP-BUF, departing MSP-BUF Friday, departing BUF-MSP on Monday. This includes a Saturday stay. Keep on doing this: buy tickets departing MSP, having your Saturday stay in BUF. There's no back-to-back ticketing.

It's going to get you in trouble unless you fly two unrelated airlines.

Steve

Your example implies that staying one week will lower the fare versus a Fri-Mon ticket including the Saturday stay. Is that because you are booking further out? Is should not matter, only the Sat. stay.