Question about missing first segment in ticket
 

Hello all,

Not too sure if this fits in the MR category, but I'd much appreciate if someone could help me out with this:

I'm going to book a CMB-BOM-JFK (return) flight, where the CMB-BOM-CMB sectors are on Sri Lankan airlines, and the BOM-JFK-BOM sectors are on Delta. I was wondering what would happen if I were to miss the first flight (CMB-BOM) but still be in time to make it for BOM-JFK. I know usually you have to inform the airline, but since this is different airlines, would it still be okay (even if I did inform the airline).

Basically, I need to fly out of BOM, but the ticket is much cheaper if booked out of CMB (even though it's the same flight, to JFK, plus the additional Sri Lankan flights). If you suggest that this is not advisable, I'll buy a separate BOM-CMB-BOM ticket, which would still turn out to be cheaper than buying BOM-JFK-BOM.

Also, at least in the return, can I get off at BOM? Or simply push my Sri Lankan return segment for a later date?



Cheers...
NN

You can't get on in BOM on the outbound, but you can get off in BOM on the return. So buy a one way BOM-CMB then fly CMB-BOM-JFK-BOM and book BOM-CMB for a later date. If you fly BOM-JFK regularly, you can use this segment to start your next trip

Cheers

thats a very good suggestion:)
but
exactly how much are you saving by doing those two extra flights??
is it heaps or just a little/

Thanks for the replies...

It's actually still cheaper to fly the extra two segments, as detailed below:

BOM-JFK-BOM on Delta alone is about $3450.
CMB-BOM-JFK-BOM-CMB with the two extra segments is about $2500.

So it's about 2/3rd the price. I do need to fly BOM-JFK-BOM often enough, so I'll use the return segment at a later date to fly from CMB again.

Tinkybelle, the main reason is that most premium fares from CMB are much cheaper than from anywhere in India (and the world in fact) so I could easily use the return later... In that sense I'm lucky enough to live close to CMB with relatively short and cheap flights from BOM, where the difference in premium fares being so substantial makes it all worth it.

Of course, it would mean adding the cost for the extra flight from BOM-CMB-BOM as well, but it still turns out to be cheaper, since I can pick up one of those for about $200. If I halve that, since I'll use the return segment for my next journey later in the year, I still save about $850...

If I'm reading the OP correctly... it's airline-101. It's called "Point Beyond", at least according to NW:

http://www.nwa.com/plan/comm10.html

Point Beyond Policy

Fares apply for travel only between the points for which they are published. Tickets may not be issued at fares published to and/or from a more distant point than the points being traveled. When a passenger enplanes at an intermediate point the Northwest agent can verify that the passenger actually flew on the previous flight. If Northwest finds that the passenger did not travel on the previous flight, Northwest reserves the right to deny transportation to the passenger unless the difference between the fare paid and the applicable fare for the actual itinerary is collected.

Join the club. At one time, DTW-BWI was $1000, but TOL-DTW-BWI was $450 (and for those that don't know, TOL is about 50 miles south of DTW). Drive 100 total miles to save $550. But it is sure tempting to just hop on the flight in DTW, right?

I'm sure back-to-back is going to come up sooner or later (with the SIN 6-day layover requirement), but that URL also explains that, too.

Steve B.

Ok I found Delta's Point Beyond policy as well



Ah well,

So I think that I'll get the BOM-CMB-BOM ticket as well anyway, and make that extra journey while going (leaving the return for another date so I can start a cycle of issuing tickets from CMB).

One other question then - I normally use Thomas Cook (in India) for all my travel. Can they book the ticket out of Sri Lanka, or do I have to find a Sri Lankan travel agent?

Cheers

As this isn't about a mileage run, but rather a more general ticketing/travel policy question, I'll move it to TravelBuzz. Please continue to follow it there.

Thanks,

Dave, a.k.a. dmfriedman
Moderator, Mileage Run

To the OP: You aren't using point beyond ticketing at all. You are merely flying to New York and having a mini holiday in Colombo along the way ;)

Consider checked luggage logistics
 

Checking luggage can often create challenges (or cause unwanted attention) on some point beyond planning, so think them through. For instance, if you skip Colombo-BOM, be prepared to explain why you want to check luggage in BOM for BOM-JFK. Likewise, if your return is JFK-BOM-Colombo, be prepared to explain why you want you checked luggage in BOM. A 21 hour layover might be a good excuse.

Not using the last leg of a returning ticket from a U.S. gateway city to another U.S. city is easy because the airline has to produce your checked luggage at the gateway city for customs inspection.

Also - some agents are usually very strict with regards to checking in luggage only to a midpoint. I don't think it's worth the risk for the OP; booking a stopover in BOM would be the easiest and not too costly. (Fare allows free stopovers IIRC.)

Cheers

Well when I checked up about stopping in BOM for my return, the fare increased quite a bit (even though I do have to make a stop anyway and even change airlines), but still less than if it were entirely ticketed in BOM. In this case, will I be able to change dates for the last sector only after the ticket is issued?

I'll take the outbound from CMB anyway to avoid the risk while going, by buying a separate BOM-CMB-BOM ticket, and start the travel cycle from CMB and leave both BOM-CMB from the main ticket and CMB-BOM from the side ticket for later...