Checking in only to the first flight
 

Hi,

I have flight ticket BGO-OSL-ORY (the return flight) that includes a baggage transfer directly to the connecting flight. However, my plans have changed and I would like to stop at OSL and take another flight (not SAS) to a different destination later on the same day. Is it possible, at the check-in desk in BGO, to declare my baggage only to OSL and is there something else I need to know? Many thanks.
(I tried to find an answer to my question through the customer service but ended up talking to two people who cross-referred each other.)

Airlines generally don't like short checking luggage. Mainly as it gives options to use cheaper connecting bookings for direct flights. You should probably call them in advance and ask if you cancel the last leg, so you know the outcome in advance and can plan accordingly.

The nuclear option is of course to check your bag through and be a no show. They will then return the bag. But you'd need to have a lot of time in between to give them time for that...

Thanks, I try to call them again.

Hi,

Works fine. Also works the other way - you can even check-in another bag later, at your transfer airport. Tried myself couple of times with SAS.

That's not entirely true. SOME airlines don't like it, others are perfectly fine with it. LX (Swiss) apparently even informs customers that if they like to do that they'll have to inform staff to short-check the luggage..

You may always become sick and are unable to fly that last segment.
If you do it once, there is absolutely nothing the airline can do. Of course, if you do it frequently, it will be noticed..

But starting to feel sick on the first flight, and refusing to take the second one? Would make fairly bad news for an airline to read "Airline forced passenger having the flu to fly", if you ask me ;)

I've had to do this once with SAS and it worked out just fine. I called ahead to let them know and to ask what to do. Granted I wasn't transferring to another flight on the same day with a different airline - just needed to make my connection into a longer stopover. It's possible I've done it a second time needing a flight change but took a different flight with SAS... I still called them.

Luggage-wise they were totally cool with it. They have usually asked me when I have a connection if I want my checked luggage checked through all the way or if I want to pick it up at the connection. If they don't ask, just ask them yourself. They've been pretty accommodating about this with me as I'm sometimes actually dropping my bags in CPH for Le Boyfriend to pick up and take home before personally continuing on elsewhere without it- I have fun with luggage...

Many thanks for your replies! After my last post I actually called to the Finnish customer service (it was Norwegian last time), where a lady said immediately that there is no problem :)

I'm a bit confused. I thought that SAS only flies to CDG, not ORY. Are you sure your ticket is to ORY and not CDG?

Oh, in fact you are right. That flight is not by SAS, but Norwegian. Thanks for pointing this out!

So I am guessing Norwegian all the way, or two separate tickets. Two separate tix will make it easy, I don't think SK will check through to DY anyway but I could be surprised....

If Norwegian all the way, talk to a rep before going to the kiosk, I doubt the kiosks are able to short check. But it could be a day of surprises...

I just called now to the customer service at Norwegian and they said too that there is no problem, I just declare my luggage to Oslo and declare it there again.

Many thanks for your all replies! Happy flying,

Emma

So not a SK question at all, but a DY question!

I also have had no problem in dropping the last segment when necessary: the usual comment has been an apology for not being able to refund the remaining ticket. My impression is that hidden-city ticketing is much less of a problem here than in the States, as most tickets tend to be priced segment by segment, at least DOM-INT tikets from the provinces, where they seem to add a fixed amount to the ex-Oslo fare if one travels from via Oslo, meaning that one doesn't save money when dropping a segment.

Actually when booking a through fare on DY they add a connecting fee: "Tillegg for gjennomgående billett 300 NOK"

I have never had a connection with them, but that is interesting. I am sure they'll be happy to collect the fee and not provide the service.... :)

I certainly doubt that they will refund that fee in the OP's situation!