Back to back ticketing
Oct 12, 2000 | 4:40 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Wellington, New Zealand
Posts: 234
Back to back ticketing
I am planning a trip BKK-GIG in Sept next year. I notice that if I asked for a NW reward (econ) it will cost me 90K miles. But if I do BKK-HNL (40K) + HNL-GIG (35K), it will save me 15K miles. Since I will be booking for 4, the total saving will be an impresive 60K.
But what bug me is the ' No Back to Back Ticketing' rule which I am not familiar with. Am I doing a B-T-T by spliting my trip into 2 as suggested above? What if I stop for a couple of days in HNL in both direction. Will NW knows that. If yes, what is the consequence?
But what bug me is the ' No Back to Back Ticketing' rule which I am not familiar with. Am I doing a B-T-T by spliting my trip into 2 as suggested above? What if I stop for a couple of days in HNL in both direction. Will NW knows that. If yes, what is the consequence?
Oct 12, 2000 | 5:33 pm
#2
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Manhattan, NY
Programs: USAir AA Hilton
Posts: 3,567
This isn't really a back to back ticket.. a back to back would be if you booked:
ATL to BOS - leave Friday, return Monday $250
BOS to ATL - leave Saturday, return Tuesday
$250
As opposed to:
ATL to BOS - leave Friday, return Saturday
$1000
So for $500, you fly OUT on the first leg of the first ticket and you fly BACK on the first leg of the second ticket. You never fly the last leg of either ticket... and you save $500.
The airlines all say you can't do this. I have, in fact done it, but I ultimately used all segments, and that's a key w/ the airlines.
I frequently have to change my travel plans. In some cases for schedule reasons, I end up w/ a ticket on another airline. On the first, non-refundable tickets, I just keep it, pay to change the return up say a month in advance and end up with two round trips, using two airlines - but not using them sequentially. I got no response from that practice and I've done it a number of times.
In your case, the key issues are that you intend to fly each leg of what you have purchased and that you don't have one ticket that exists to get around the sat night stay requirements while you take another side trip. That's actually 'nested' tickets, and there is a lot of debate as to it's permissibility or ethics (although lots do it for perfectly logical reasons).
I do this all the time for a variety of reasons.. for instance, if an airline is running fare specials from clt to atl and then a different fare special from atl to fll and i'm lucky enough to need to get from clt to fll, as far as I'm concerned I've hit the jackpot! I get a much cheaper fare and more segs to boot! (although segs isn't always what you're after on vacation, the cheaper fares usually compensate for the inconvenience).
Hope I haven't confused you even more.. bottom line is that what you have scheduled, IMHO, is perfectly ethical. I think the reduced point requirement must reflect the difference between non-stop and connections, but that's a guess. If you wanted a 24 hour layover in the second city they would MAKE you do just what you have booked.
Others may have more to offer, but I say go for it and have a good trip!
ATL to BOS - leave Friday, return Monday $250
BOS to ATL - leave Saturday, return Tuesday
$250
As opposed to:
ATL to BOS - leave Friday, return Saturday
$1000
So for $500, you fly OUT on the first leg of the first ticket and you fly BACK on the first leg of the second ticket. You never fly the last leg of either ticket... and you save $500.
The airlines all say you can't do this. I have, in fact done it, but I ultimately used all segments, and that's a key w/ the airlines.
I frequently have to change my travel plans. In some cases for schedule reasons, I end up w/ a ticket on another airline. On the first, non-refundable tickets, I just keep it, pay to change the return up say a month in advance and end up with two round trips, using two airlines - but not using them sequentially. I got no response from that practice and I've done it a number of times.
In your case, the key issues are that you intend to fly each leg of what you have purchased and that you don't have one ticket that exists to get around the sat night stay requirements while you take another side trip. That's actually 'nested' tickets, and there is a lot of debate as to it's permissibility or ethics (although lots do it for perfectly logical reasons).
I do this all the time for a variety of reasons.. for instance, if an airline is running fare specials from clt to atl and then a different fare special from atl to fll and i'm lucky enough to need to get from clt to fll, as far as I'm concerned I've hit the jackpot! I get a much cheaper fare and more segs to boot! (although segs isn't always what you're after on vacation, the cheaper fares usually compensate for the inconvenience).
Hope I haven't confused you even more.. bottom line is that what you have scheduled, IMHO, is perfectly ethical. I think the reduced point requirement must reflect the difference between non-stop and connections, but that's a guess. If you wanted a 24 hour layover in the second city they would MAKE you do just what you have booked.
Others may have more to offer, but I say go for it and have a good trip!
Oct 12, 2000 | 6:03 pm
#4
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: San Francisco Bay Area, CA
Posts: 232
I don't think what you are suggesting is a back to back ticket at all. Back to back is only of use if you are trying to avoid paying the high fares for no Sat stay. As svpii says, one leg of each ticket is 'thrown' away.
So you should go ahead and take advantage of the mileage saving (and thank you for bringing it to light!
)
So you should go ahead and take advantage of the mileage saving (and thank you for bringing it to light!
)