2 legged flight - Take bags and Walk away in the first stop
Jan 9, 2009 | 4:37 pm
#46
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 31
Pedrogoncalves, I'm glad it helped. But, I can assure you that if your bag(s) are checked through to LIS, you will not have any contact, eye or otherwise, with them at LHR. You will arrive on AA at T-3; and if going onward you would transfer by coach to T-5. Your baggage will by transferred on luggage carts via the ramp.
For many reasons (including baggage not making the transfer in the past) I have successfully avoided transfers at LHR at any cost for several years. I think the chances are slim that you will be allowed to short check. If it is not allowed, and you don't fly to LIS, one of two things will happen: PPBM will indicate to BA that you are not on board and off-load your bags; or, there will be no PPBM and your bags will fly without you. In the first instance, I'm not sure how or where you would go to recover them. BA might return them to AA. Either could hold it as 'ransom' unless you paid the fare difference. If it went on to LIS, I assume it could be retrieved, since without PPBM, BA baggage claim might not know you didn't fly.
In the past I have done what you contemplate, but it was always originally planned. It is called a "hidden city" fare, in which a OW (or RT) fare to a point beyond with the connection at my desired destination was cheaper than the OW fare. But I would never do it unless I could short check my baggage. And I have found it best to maximize the connection time between flights (even to overnight) in order to have the best logical reason to short check. Otherwise I go carryon, or ship it via UPS or FedEx.
Which brings up another word of caution: which airline did the ticketing, how you paid for it, and if either FF program number is on the ticket, might affect how they react when you go to retrieve your baggage at LHR or LIS. When I plan to discard a part of any ticket I use, I do not use the airline FF number.
For many reasons (including baggage not making the transfer in the past) I have successfully avoided transfers at LHR at any cost for several years. I think the chances are slim that you will be allowed to short check. If it is not allowed, and you don't fly to LIS, one of two things will happen: PPBM will indicate to BA that you are not on board and off-load your bags; or, there will be no PPBM and your bags will fly without you. In the first instance, I'm not sure how or where you would go to recover them. BA might return them to AA. Either could hold it as 'ransom' unless you paid the fare difference. If it went on to LIS, I assume it could be retrieved, since without PPBM, BA baggage claim might not know you didn't fly.
In the past I have done what you contemplate, but it was always originally planned. It is called a "hidden city" fare, in which a OW (or RT) fare to a point beyond with the connection at my desired destination was cheaper than the OW fare. But I would never do it unless I could short check my baggage. And I have found it best to maximize the connection time between flights (even to overnight) in order to have the best logical reason to short check. Otherwise I go carryon, or ship it via UPS or FedEx.
Which brings up another word of caution: which airline did the ticketing, how you paid for it, and if either FF program number is on the ticket, might affect how they react when you go to retrieve your baggage at LHR or LIS. When I plan to discard a part of any ticket I use, I do not use the airline FF number.
I will think about the best `made up` excuse to convince the agent, and if it doesn`t work I will not definitely let my bags fly without me onboard.
I will try my luck and let you guys know in about 1 month. Thank you for everyone that answered to this topic.
Jan 9, 2009 | 4:48 pm
#47
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A lot of interesting answers have been posted.
But let me clarify some details:
1) As one poster said, this is definetely not stealing. I paid to AA the whole ticket (JFK-LIS). Then, in my AA confrmation email, I noticed (as expected) that I would fly with BA from LHR to LIS. During the booking process, it stated Operated by AA, it should be a codeshare, but the thing is I have a deal with AA, not with BA. My fare is not refundable and I pay a fee to make changes, and JFK-LHR is less expensive than JFK-LIS, I honestly didn`t understand why the call-center lady suggested such a high (weird) price.
But let me clarify some details:
1) As one poster said, this is definetely not stealing. I paid to AA the whole ticket (JFK-LIS). Then, in my AA confrmation email, I noticed (as expected) that I would fly with BA from LHR to LIS. During the booking process, it stated Operated by AA, it should be a codeshare, but the thing is I have a deal with AA, not with BA. My fare is not refundable and I pay a fee to make changes, and JFK-LHR is less expensive than JFK-LIS, I honestly didn`t understand why the call-center lady suggested such a high (weird) price.
However there are situations, where fares to the more remote destination are less than to the closer one. The agent isn't going to check what all of the available fares were to both locations at the time you booked your ticket.
The correct method is to reprice the ticket as it is at the time you notify them of the change.
You didn't buy a ticket to London and a ticket to Lisbon. You bought a ticket to Lisbon that just happens to connect in London, where younow actually want to go.
Jan 9, 2009 | 5:48 pm
#48
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 31
It might be that normally the fare to LHR is lower.
However there are situations, where fares to the more remote destination are less than to the closer one. The agent isn't going to check what all of the available fares were to both locations at the time you booked your ticket.
The correct method is to reprice the ticket as it is at the time you notify them of the change.
You didn't buy a ticket to London and a ticket to Lisbon. You bought a ticket to Lisbon that just happens to connect in London, where younow actually want to go.
However there are situations, where fares to the more remote destination are less than to the closer one. The agent isn't going to check what all of the available fares were to both locations at the time you booked your ticket.
The correct method is to reprice the ticket as it is at the time you notify them of the change.
You didn't buy a ticket to London and a ticket to Lisbon. You bought a ticket to Lisbon that just happens to connect in London, where younow actually want to go.
I just think is ridiculous to suggest something that you`re obviously smart enough to avoid (repricing at todays price) when I was asking her about the short checking possibilities.
In other words, worst case scenario I will never reprice a JFK-LHR for 1000$, when I can find flights LIS-LHR for like 81 USD (just checked). I will just go to LIS and get back in a few hours.
I mean everyone knows that tickets can be repriced. People call customer service to try to find other legal ways before repricing. I`m not against them at all, I know its their job and they need to be official on the phone, but they should know that customers were not born yesterday
.As I read in another thread, I can also try to take everything as carryon, and If they find it overluggage I`ll just try to gatecheck to LHR.
Jan 9, 2009 | 6:34 pm
#49
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 3,806
I think the chances are slim that you will be allowed to short check. If it is not allowed, and you don't fly to LIS, one of two things will happen: PPBM will indicate to BA that you are not on board and off-load your bags; or, there will be no PPBM and your bags will fly without you. In the first instance, I'm not sure how or where you would go to recover them. BA might return them to AA.
There is virtually no prospect (so slight that it can be ruled out) of the bags going on to LIS if the pax is not aboard the plane. If they are checked through to LIS and the pax no-shows, they will be offloaded by BA. Simple as that. The process of offloading will probably cause a delay to the departure and inconvenience to the other pax.
As they would have been originally checked in by AA (and will have an AA tracking reference), were they not immediately reclaimed by the pax in LHR T5 from BA, they probably would stay in T5 until AA told BA what to do with them.
Jan 10, 2009 | 6:37 pm
#50
Join Date: Jun 1999
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This is the best suggestion: just go ahead to Lisbon, give a big 'abrao' to your parents, and get a cheap ticket back to London. By the way, if you eventually plan to go on to Lisbon from London anyway at some point in the not too distant future, you may well be able to get a Lisbon/London/Lisbon round trip cheaper than a London/Lisbon one way. You'll also get more miles, and that's the whole point of FT in the first place.
Jan 10, 2009 | 8:22 pm
#51
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,176
So if your itinerary is ORD-LHR-LIS then the bag must be tagged that way.
So, no short check.
Jan 10, 2009 | 9:52 pm
#52
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Lol, yes I know.
I just think is ridiculous to suggest something that you`re obviously smart enough to avoid (repricing at todays price) when I was asking her about the short checking possibilities.
In other words, worst case scenario I will never reprice a JFK-LHR for 1000$, when I can find flights LIS-LHR for like 81 USD (just checked). I will just go to LIS and get back in a few hours.
I mean everyone knows that tickets can be repriced. People call customer service to try to find other legal ways before repricing. I`m not against them at all, I know its their job and they need to be official on the phone, but they should know that customers were not born yesterday.
As I read in another thread, I can also try to take everything as carryon, and If they find it overluggage I`ll just try to gatecheck to LHR.
I just think is ridiculous to suggest something that you`re obviously smart enough to avoid (repricing at todays price) when I was asking her about the short checking possibilities.
In other words, worst case scenario I will never reprice a JFK-LHR for 1000$, when I can find flights LIS-LHR for like 81 USD (just checked). I will just go to LIS and get back in a few hours.
I mean everyone knows that tickets can be repriced. People call customer service to try to find other legal ways before repricing. I`m not against them at all, I know its their job and they need to be official on the phone, but they should know that customers were not born yesterday
.As I read in another thread, I can also try to take everything as carryon, and If they find it overluggage I`ll just try to gatecheck to LHR.
However, if that works for you than go for it.
Jan 11, 2009 | 1:23 am
#53
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: London
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There must be exceptions to this? As previously noted, for example, if you have an overnight connection? Or what if you want access to your bag at LHR to transfer duty free purchased on departure from the USA? I assume that there must be some discretion at check in?
Jan 11, 2009 | 2:22 am
#54
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Jan 11, 2009 | 3:57 am
#55
Join Date: Jun 2007
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- overnight connection - it's your problem
- duty free - it's your problem (AFAIK, if I am wrong, please tell me how to smuggle Duty Free to connecting flights ;-))
- the only exception: airline's fault misconnection / overnight delay; I am pretty sure I read somwhere you can request access to your luggage then
Jan 12, 2009 | 6:13 am
#56
Join Date: Mar 2004
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Originally Posted by TamCaP;11052744[*
the only exception: airline's fault misconnection / overnight delay; I am pretty sure I read somwhere you can request access to your luggage then
Jan 12, 2009 | 9:19 am
#57
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Obviously the pax on that LHR-LIS flight will never know the reason, but if I ever found out that my flight had been delayed because of a shenanigan like this, I'd be pretty annoyed.
In my earlier post, I warned about intentionally abandoning the bag at LHR, hoping that PPBM would catch it and cause the bag to get offloaded and conveniently reunited with you right there. I was thinking this was an AA tech stop (same metal on to LIS) and they'd be pretty pissed off at disappearing pax - especially if there was a note in the record that the pax had been asking about short-checking in NYC to begin with.
Of course, this is an interline, and BA would never know what the pax discussed with AA in New York. But still...
You've found a cheap LIS-LON segment: seems like buying that is the least risky and most honest of all. Think of the $81 as a small bit of insurance against something going rather wonky during this excursion.
In my earlier post, I warned about intentionally abandoning the bag at LHR, hoping that PPBM would catch it and cause the bag to get offloaded and conveniently reunited with you right there. I was thinking this was an AA tech stop (same metal on to LIS) and they'd be pretty pissed off at disappearing pax - especially if there was a note in the record that the pax had been asking about short-checking in NYC to begin with.
Of course, this is an interline, and BA would never know what the pax discussed with AA in New York. But still...
You've found a cheap LIS-LON segment: seems like buying that is the least risky and most honest of all. Think of the $81 as a small bit of insurance against something going rather wonky during this excursion.
Jan 12, 2009 | 11:34 pm
#58
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Recently to save money from the outrageous one-way fares that exist between African countries, I deliberately chose an itinerary that required an overnight stay in Nairobi. That enabled me to check my bag thru just for the 1st segment on Kenya Airways, then I jumped ship, and took my already scheduled return trip that same evening on BA NBO-LHR.
African airlines are pretty sloppy about applying arbitrary rules, so it was no big deal to check luggage only part way.
African airlines are pretty sloppy about applying arbitrary rules, so it was no big deal to check luggage only part way.
Jan 13, 2009 | 7:32 am
#59
Join Date: Jul 2001
Posts: 4,066
If you do the "safest" route of going to LIS and then have a separate ticket to LON, be sure that you know the baggage weight rules of the airline that you take LIS-LON. If you have a heavy bag because of your long-term stays in the U.S. and U.K., the excess charges can be considerable; maybe you'll want to pass some of your belongings to your parents.
Jan 13, 2009 | 8:15 am
#60
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What if this is domestic flight?
I have a ticket for IND-DFW-SNA-ORD-IND.
Can I just check my luggage for SNA-ORD and then walk away?
If I don't have check luggage, is it easier?
If I do this, will I get into trouble with AA?
Thanks
I have a ticket for IND-DFW-SNA-ORD-IND.
Can I just check my luggage for SNA-ORD and then walk away?
If I don't have check luggage, is it easier?
If I do this, will I get into trouble with AA?
Thanks