Do the any of the airlines allow you to skip a connection but continue with the trip.

For example, lets say you have a trip starting at ABC which is a 50 minute flight connecting to DEF for another flight connecting to GHI. Now, lets say that you decide to skip the ABC flight and drive to DEF because of weather concerns. If you do that will you still be able to check-in at DEF and use the rest of your ticket?

Thanks!

Based on the weather angle, the airline might let you do this, but you'd better call and explain your plans beforehand. My educated guess is that they will say "no", unless circumstances are extreme and there's no chance of bad weather at DEF (in your example).

The short answer to your question: No. Your flights will be cancelled.

If you want a more detailed response, you are more than welcome to visit the most recent thread on this topic:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...ipped-leg.html

Welcome to FT!

I've had success with this only when getting the airline to reroute me ahead of time.

DEF would not have a weather delay.

Thanks for the link to the other thread. I missed it on my initial search. The answer isn't what I was hoping for but what I was expecting.

In this case what would you do if it looks like the initial flight out of ABC will be canceled? Call the airline for an itinerary change when jumping into the car to drive the 4 hours to DEF? That would be at least 5 - 6 hours before the flight out of ABC departed.

Can you just tell them to change the itinerary so that you are dropping ABC (both directions) from the trip? The fair is nonrefundable but there is a $100 fee for any changes.

My concern is that the flights are filled (no seats showing as available) so if they have to cancel a ticket to reticket isn't there a chance of losing those seats to someone else given the millions of people hitting the reservations systems all at once? And, if its a reticket I wonder if the fares would be more expensive.

As I said earlier, the best option is to call the carrier and plead your case. If you explain that you really need to get to your destination and don't want to risk having your first flight canceled, they may permit you to drive to your intermediate destination and let you pick up your trip from there. It never hurts to ask, and, if it saves them from having to re-book your trip after your initial flight gets canceled, they may be more than happy to accommodate you.

In that case what do they do to make sure your ticket isn't canceled when you don't show up for the first one. I fly just enough to know that what you get told on the phone doesn't always equate to what happens when you get to the airport. Come to think of it, I've even had tickets I booked online not work properly (showing up at the check-in desk with an e-ticket they can't find anywhere in the system...that's fun).