Talay

I usually fly ex LHR to BKK but there is a deal open which is ARN-LHR-AUH-BKK return.

Obviously I need to get out to ARN (though I would ironically be starting in LHR !) but on the way back, it would make more sense for me to skip the final LHR-ARN leg and then my own ARN-LHR flight.

I know if I was flying with carry on luggage only I could simply not get on the last flight and walk out of LHR but what if I am flying with checked baggage ?

I can't short check baggage or I very much doubt it (but strange things can sometimes be negotiated in Bangkok) so if I have baggage checked through to ARN then what happens ?

Presumably my baggage would be offloaded at LHR and then what ? Would they hold it hostage or can I go get it later, the next day ?

Can I advise them that I am not flying to ARN so they can stop baggage being put on the ARN flight and thus delaying that ?

Just looking for real world options ?

Why not take the other routes direct from LHR ? The price is about half the ex LHR price Ł1100 / Ł2100.

The _Banking_Scot

Hi,

Which airlines are you flying with? This is a common topic on the BA forum.

If not booked can you make your return LHR-ARN flight leave a day after your BKK-LHR flight arrives. That way yuor bags will only be checked to LHR ( BA at least allows a 24 hr layover with bags- at LHR- any more and the bags need to be picked up at LHR)

Regards

TBS

MSPeconomist

lhrsfo

If you advise them you won't be flying to ARN they can and will reprice your ticket which will likely cost you massively more. They will almost certainly refuse to short check your bag as whatever explanation you give will show that you are participating in hidden city ticketing which airlines find very offensive. Either fly the itinerary as booked or go HBO. Be aware that if you put your FF number in and don't fly the last leg, and do this regularly, you stand the real risk that they will kick you out of the programme and strip you of your miles.

Talay

Etihad.

Return leg is BKK-AUH-LHR-ARN

Layover at LHR is 7.5 hours

I cannot push the LHR-ARN leg back to the following day

Talay

Massively. Departures from ARN are hugely discounted, less than 50% of the LHR-AUH-BKK return fare in business.

I was prepared for the return from ARN until I saw a few routings went through LHR and then you start to think why bother to go and fly straight back ?

Talay

Hmmmm, no-one is going to tell them anything until we're at check in at Bangkok coming back and even then we'd be saying we wanted to go to a hotel etc. not fail the last flight. 7.5 hour layover.

Not sure how many people have had their accounts deleted. More of an urban myth than a reality don't you think ? In any case, this would be the first time.

jrl767

ft101

What will you do if one of your BKK-AUH or AUH-LHR flights is delayed or cancelled or you're offloaded for any reason and they re-route you to ARN on flights going nowhere near LHR?

JamesKidd

Well, that's a risk that people have to accept when planning on skipping a leg.

dodgeflyer

The scenarios I see are these:

1) Try to book ARN-LHR-AUH-BKK-AUH-LHR
2) Book ARN-LHR-AUH-BKK-AUH-LHR // ARN build in departure following day to ARN) (or as long as possible connection)
3) Book ARN-BKK but at check-in tell them to short check to LHR only. Either they'll accept or try to change your ticket (then be prepared to fly)
4) Alternatively, when at LHR, tell them you won't fly last leg.

As I assume you're flying EY and either SK/BA, I don't think you'll have too big issues short checking.

LondonElite

Yes, this is always the risk with these hidden-city ideas.

pinniped

I totally understand why people are willing to fly a hidden-city itin. (The ethics of airline pricing and the ethics of skipping segments are covered in other threads.) There's always the reroute risk, but that's low and often negligible. But I never understand why people do this with checked bags. We get the same threads here often - can I short-check, what should I tell the counter agent, what's the minimum layover needed, etc.

If you're going to do it, just don't check a bag.

Since you're saving hundreds or thousands of dollars on the tickets, you can afford to do a load of laundry during your trip.

Now that the Internet has brought skiplagging into the mainstream lexicon, more and more counter agents know exactly what's going on when people ask to short-check. They know the end-points people book for hidden-city. They know the common airports where people hop off. They know you don't just "want something out of your bag." That's not to say that every airline cares, but for the ones that do you aren't fooling them. Anybody who has ever worked a counter for a Heathrow flight in particular has seen this dozens of times.

So don't check a bag. @:-)

Talay

Valid points but going for 3/4 weeks is hard with even 2 carry on luggage. So a checked bag is far better.

My questions are whether an airline would let a bag fly knowing the passenger was not flying. Not the same argument as delayed luggage.

My guess is that I either am able to short check, don't check (what to do with the luggage in that case ?) or simply fly out and back with 2 x carry on (presuming allowed or not concerned).

bitterproffit