Standby for flight to "different" destination?
 

Do GA's have the "power" to re-route you?

If I'm flying DEN-ORD-DEN, and on the return I get to O'Hare, and walk up the gate for the ORD-COS flight, and say, "Any chance I could get on this flight?"

If they have room, would/could they let me on? (Note: DEN and COS are not co-terminals.)

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"What do you mean you didn't get miles for that?!"

Maybe if the flight is in an oversell situation... or just the right agent. I'd suggest you ask in the B RCC, not the C RCC. If given a "no", politely thank them and then go to the COS gate.

I believe gate agents can do essentially anything to board you from a ticket (although in some circumstances they may have to explain themselves later). I don't know what the trick is to getting your request granted.

Let us know how you make out. Too many of these stories end with the question, not the answer. :-)

Charles

NOPE, not post 9-11 your bag is going DEN-ORD and that means you are also. If they do let you re-route count on having to drive BACK to the airport to get you bag in a day or two.

I was going to post a similar question. I am flying SFO-SEA-YVR next week. I'll be arriving from HKG. I wonder what the chances are that they'll be willing to put me on the direct SFO-YVR either on UA or AC. [I won't have any checked bags]

They will let you do this if they have space however its unlikely the original poster will get their request. If it was a co-terminal it would be OK but these days changing the routing is going to cost you, unless you are REALLY lucky.

The only way I can see this happening is if you miss the return flight back to DEN (and it's UA's fault).. and there's a flight to COS that takes off sooner than the next DEN flight. I recall once missing a connecting flight (JFK-SFO) on AA and they put me on JFK-SJC with a taxi voucher.. but I guess those are considered co-terminals, eh?

In general, unless it benefits the airline in some way, you're probably not gonna get your request.

We tried this on our honeymoon. MIA-MSP-SEA Ticketed to SEA, but the plane was a MIA-MSP-YVR flight. We connected to a different plane in MSP. In MIA I asked if we could go to YVR an asked about loads.

They claimed it wasn't legal. That they were regulated and we'd have to pay the difference. But, the plane wasn't busy to YVR.

I asked at the gate, same answer. Then called the 800# -Nope. Asked the Flight attendants - sorry!

In MSP, asked at the gate. The agent said we couldn't board without a boarding pass that said YVR.

Called 800# again - still no!

Then, out of security. To first class check-in. We asked again. The lady says. "If it's your honeymoon, you've got a marriage certificate, right?"

Frantically searching, we find it. She sees that our story is true and prints out 2 boarding passes to YVR.

The gate agent just looked at us, smiled and welcomed us on.

So, it's probably not legal. BUT, if someone want to.... they can do just about anything.

(And that must be 5 years before I knew about FT)

When I've missed flights -- ORD-SDF for instance, UA has accomodated me on ORD-LEX for instance -- even though these are not considered co-terminals...

But usually that was UA's fault (or I arrived late) not because I just smiled and asked. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

THE UPDATE: Not even as much as a strange look from the GA. Handed over my boarding pass for the ORD-DEN flight leaving in 1 hour and said I wanted to get home earlier, any chance I could get on the flight to COS? No, I didn't check any bags.

A few keystrokes and 10 minutes later, I was seated in 5C on my way home. Voilà.

When you say "legal", really, we aren't dealing with laws here. We are dealing with your particular contract with the airline, which is governed by the t&c of the fare you were sold. The airline has merely accepted to modify the conditions of the contract pursuant to your offer. They are under no obligation to do so. Neither a crime has been committed nor a civil penalty is in order UNLESS the airline hasn't otherwise complied with the applicable international treaties and agreements (ie, the airline might have to cough up a few bucks out of its own pocket to cover add'l taxes etc.) Its all part of the cost of doing business. On the other hand, how often have you received a refund of PFCs (and now security charges per segment) when you were reaccomodated on a nonstop when ticketed on a connection? Probably never. Where did the $ go? Not to the airport where you never visited, I'm sure.

Congratulations! I didn't figure this one would happen.

As for the skipping a connection, I had an RCC agent really help me out one time. I was in the middle of 2 nested itineraries.

#1: IAH - LAX - IAH
#2: LAX - ORD - LHR - ORD - LAX

In ORD, on the way back, I decided I didn't really want to spend my extra day in L.A. and just wanted to get back home, and she was able to bridge the 2 itineraries and route me direct ORD-IAH, and I even got my upgrade as the domestic portion of an International C trip.

This was pre-9/11, and it had occurred to me to gather my luggage and not recheck them after customs, but certainly post-9/11 you need to have your luggage with you if you want to reroute.

Out of ORD, GA's do this all the time (without question) for HPN/LGA, which are NOT co-terminals.


[This message has been edited by UA*AA (edited 05-17-2002).]

While not on UA...

Walking around EWR after stepping off a redeye from LAX--in a hazy lack-of-sleep endorsed stupor--I noticed that there was a flight to DCA about 45 minutes before my connection to BWI. Anxious not to sit around EWR any longer than I needed to, I called my (now former) girlfriend to see if she could meet me at DCA instead of BWI, and it worked out perfectly for her.

I approached the GA for the DCA flight and was given an iffy "no." When I asked about co-terminals et al., she told me to check at the Continental sevice center next door. Since there was NO LINE, I gave it a shot.

Before I could spit out what I was asking, the gentleman behind the counter had a boarding pass to DCA printed out for me http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif (the load was light on that flight--and oddly enough my (junglejet) flight to BWI was overbooked.)

When I asked about my bags (figuring it wouldn't be a problem to switch them since we had just over an hour) he said, "oh, those are going to BWI you'll have to pick them up there." http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mad.gif

Grrrr... "you can't switch them" I begged(this was pre 9/11)

"No" he replied.

"Well then I want back on the BWI flight."

Pecking away at the computer, "I'm sorry sir that flight is overbooked and the computer has already given your seat to someone else. You can go standby, but I'd recommend taking the DCA flight since you are confirmed there. Check at DCA, maybe they can send your bags down."

Grrr...

Well my (former) girlfriend picked me up at DCA and then we went to get my bags at BWI. Having no plans for the rest of the day, we decided to head on up to PHL since we were already well on the way there and I had never been there before. We had cheesesteaks--I was looking forward to them so much, and was sadly disappointed http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif We saw Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell and then I slept all the way back to DC.

So, the moral of the story, don't standby for a different destination unless you really want to see Philadelphia http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif




[This message has been edited by the-ca-goat (edited 05-17-2002).]

No, the moral of the story is not to check luggage. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by JS (edited 05-17-2002).]