Mikity

Thanks...
You mean, change my booking to start from HNL?

Kacee

Yes, but the entire ticket will reprice, plus the applicable change fee. Likely to be an expensive change.

Mikity

One leg less is likely to be more expensive?

Well, it sounds like I might just have to bite the bullet...

cwerdna

I'm in a similar boat. United sucks!

I called them about this and got bad news.

I have flights
SFO > HND
NRT > ICN
ICN > SFO

I want to extend my stay in Japan. If I try moving NRT > ICN later so that my layover in ICN is short (1 night), I get hit with a $300 change fee + ticket difference, costing me over $850 extra. All 3 legs (w/o changes) only cost me $848.30 to begin with! I sure don't want to pay $850 more.

I asked them about skipping the NRT > ICN, finding another flight to ICN and whether that'd cancel ICN > SFO. They said yes, if I don't notify them.

I said, well, I can notify you now. Seems that's not good enough. I explained to them that if I skip NRT > ICN, they can sell that seat to someone else can get more $. That didn't sway them.

If I were to cancel NRT > ICN, I get hit w/a $300 change fee + another $156 "fare difference", so it costs me $456 to skip that and that doesn't include another $250-280 to fly NRT or HND > ICN later.

Ridiculous! Is there any other way around this? What if I show up at the NRT and check in then not get on the plane? I'd imagine they'd catch that as they wouldn't scan my boarding pass. Or, that they wouldn't let me scan my boarding pass then not board.

Kacee

These are more or less universal rules on how airfares work. You would have exactly the same issue on an AA or DL ticket. If you have a deep discount fare, and you want to change it prior to departure, the entire ticket reprices and you have to pay the applicable change fee. These are the rules you sign on to when you purchase that very cheap international ticket.

They will cancel the remainder of your itinerary.

cwerdna

Bummer. I haven't been flying much in the past few years esp. not multi-legged flights but sometimes fly Southwest. Southwest doesn't have change fees.

Kacee

It is definitely a trap for the infrequent flyer, since it is so counterintuitive (pay more to fly less).

They do not. However they also don't allow free or discounted standby. So if you want to change your flight day of departure, you have to pay up to the full fare.

Bonehead

Unless you're going to Australia sans Visa, apparently.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...oked-visa.html

DebitNM

We have business class award tickets CDG - FRA - ORD - DEN. We want to get off at ORD.

I am UA gold.

Can we check bags to ORD or MUST they be checked to DEN?

We would tell the ORD GA that we were leaving, so there count wouldn't be off.

I have read that people do this with carry on only, but we have 3 bags each, all carry on size but from what I have read, new rules says 2 carry ons. Will being gold or business allow us to carry on 3 each (the third are a backpack and a small tote).

I am writing this on phone, would have done a search if I had bigger computer, so forgive me for what has most likely been asked and answered several times. Am already traveling so no access to better device.

TIA

lhrsfo

At ORD you have to collect your bags after Immigration and before Customs. If you are flying on to DEN, you need to re-check them immediately after exiting Customs and before getting the transit to the UA domestic terminal. If you are leaving at ORD, you simply walk on straight and pick up your car or cab. There's no need to say or do anything - just walk out with your bags.

You could call up and cancel the DEN connection but, depending upon the type of ticket you are on, that could cost you money (change fees etc.) so most people won't bother. Neither you nor your bags will be shown as on board the DEN flight, so standby passengers will get your seat, if there are any, and the DEN flight will operate normally without you.

Often1

UA will not short-check your bags to ORD. It is expressly prohibited and is a red flag for hidden city fraud. So, don't even ask.

Your bags will be tagged to DEN, but you will collect them at ORD before Customs, schlep them through Customs and, if you were continuing on to DEN, would simply drop them (but no recheck necessary) after Customs.

If you wish to terminate at ORD, simply depart the airport. No need to say anything to UA. UA overbooks counting on no shows so your seat will likely be filled anyway, especially on that route.

Caution here is not to do this often and to understand that you would not be able to do this on a domestic connection as your bags would be checked to DEN and you would not have an intervening Customs inspection.

DebitNM

Thank you both.

sayonarajapan2014

My flight details is YYC-SFO-NRT. I wanted to cancel my return flight SFO-YYC. I called up UA and they said the same thing, they will need to charge me a change fee of $300 + new price of the ticket.

I am thinking of just skipping that last leg (SFO-YYC), but still unsure if I'll be able to pickup my baggage at SFO.

steppie

I am dropping my last segment on a lga-ord-mke and staying in Chicago, have one way ticket and only carry-on. Did this once, two years ago. Seems there is a discussion about notifying airline ( ear pain on take-off and landing) or just walking away. What happens if one just walks away? Would airlines page me at airport or in United Club?
Appreciate advice!

Kacee

If you're flying NRT-SFO-YYC, you will be required to pick up your bags at SFO in order to clear customs.

They offload you from the flight when you don't board by the 15 minute cut-off. Maybe they page you before doing that, but probably not.