fadeforward

Just to be clear, I don't want the miles for ORD-MLI, nor do I deserve them. I want to make sure the miles for the flown segments (MLI-ORD-SFO-ORD) post.

By "correct" you mean that I don't have to do anything but just miss the last seg, and I will still receive the miles for the first three segs?

I think that would be courteous, so that the last plane doesn't wait for me. But I don't know how to do it except to approach the GA at ORD prior to the last seg and tell him/her I would miss the flight. That's what I was planning to do.

Paubri

I would expect the flights to post. I've been sent via ground shuttle before LAX-ONT as the last segment of my itinerary and my previous segments posted without incident.

BenjaminNYC

All sorts of misinformation here. OP, they will post, for sure.

flyinbob

Correct. The miles FLOWN will post,the miles not flown won't.

fadeforward

Great, case closed. I will use OLCI for SFO-ORD-MLI, make sure to check bags only through ORD (if possible), tell the GA in ORD that I'll be missing the last leg, and expect the miles for MLI-ORD-SFO-ORD to post. I'll hold on to the BPs just in case.

milepig

I'm looking for confirmation here, but I'm not sure talking to the GA at ORD is the best plan. I skipped the last segment on purpose once when my Milwaukee/ORD outbound was xld and I started my journey at ORD instead, meaning my car was at ORD, ergo no need to fly back to Milwaukee. When I talked to the phone agent about the initial cancellation and beginning at ORD, I asked "what about the return" and she said "just get off the plane at ORD and keep walking".

I'd be worried that talking to someone might invoke penalties beyond just being a no-show.

karenkay

i agree with milepig (and others). just don't fly the last leg, don't call attention to it, and don't make a habit of it. you'll be fine.

BangkokTraveler

I agree with the others, alerting the gate agent you are not taking the last segment is not suggested. Technically, they could refare your reservation not in your favor. Not sure they would do this but then again I have never heard of anyone alerting UA to you missing the last segment.

I have done exactly what you are going to do, and I have always got the miles for segments flown.

fadeforward

Okay, I will take your advice.

Now I just have to cross my fingers that checking bags part way will work:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=692505

the_happiness_store

From threads that I have read, I know that just that missing the last segment is OK; but? ... is it really possible to check bags through to only ORD? - talk about tipping them off. In your favor you do have UA programmers who would never be able to account for the 'coincidence' of you missing the segment at the same time that your bags missed a segment.

fadeforward

I thought about that, but I guess I feel more safe because I can't imagine why United might care about me missing my last segment. Missing intermediate segments, I understand why that's a problem. Why A-B-C is cheaper than B-C, I get that. But missing the very last segment is akin to missing the return leg of a round trip flight, and all airlines concede by their price structure (one-ways are often cheaper than round-trips) that they don't mind if that happens.

erik123

If only that were the case.

tintin852

Since your ticket has a destination of MLI, unless ORD is a stop-over point (marked with an O on a traditional ticket), you have no chance of finding an agent who will check your bags to ORD. The "skipping the last segment" is fine as long as it is an occasional event, and you only have carry-ons. If you have checked bags, you bags will still be transferred to your destination airport.

If you are caught "cheating" the system, the airline can technically charge you the difference between what you paid (RT MLI-SFO) and the price of the open-jaw (MLI-SFO-ORD), which is normally half the price of a round-trip MLI-SFO and ORD-SFO.

Or, Mileage Plus can put a hold on your account and you may lose your part or all of your accumulated miles, since you are violating their published rules.

Lori_Q

Yeah. Don't try to check in bags only to an intermediate airport. Many years ago, I did that on the advice of an ill-informed manager. It ended up costing my project $600+ because United re-fared the ticket.

However, I've skipped the last segment a few times times since then, but only when I've had no checked bags. The miles for the segments flown have always posted.

Beas

If you can do without part of your luggage, just send it home to wait for you, and make the rest fit a carry-on. I wish I remembered to do that more often.