Can I do this itinerary?
Sep 21, 2009, 10:28 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 6
Can I do this itinerary?
Hi everybody,
I just joined FlyerTalk, and I'm fairly new to the frequent flyer scene, so please forgive me if this is a noob question.
Background:
What I want to do is this:
This would give me basically an extra 600 miles (times 2 for DEQM) which would give me 1P, AND it costs the same as the basic round trip.
What I don't know is if this violates any sort of Mileage Plus rules or fare rules. Plus, if my first flight into ORD gets delayed, would I be protected for the second flight (from ORD to CLE)? Has anyone done this sort of thing before?
A second option I was considering is booking a multi-city from DCA - CLE (on my normal departure date), then CLE - IAD (on my normal return date). There's no direct flights from DCA to CLE, so the website automatically finds a connection through ORD. This seems more "legit" to my uneducated mind, so I am tempted to do this, even though it would mean leaving and returning from two different airports.
Thanks in advance for the insight!
I just joined FlyerTalk, and I'm fairly new to the frequent flyer scene, so please forgive me if this is a noob question.
Background:
- With my current plans, I will fall about 800 EQM short of 1P this year.
- My plans include a roundtrip from IAD to CLE for Thanksgiving.
- When I go to United.com and do a basic roundtrip search, only direct flights show up.
What I want to do is this:
- I want to manually give myself a connection by booking a multi-city flight. On Nov 26 (early), fly IAD to ORD. Then (still on Nov 26) fly ORD to CLE.
- Same return as a normal roundtrip.
This would give me basically an extra 600 miles (times 2 for DEQM) which would give me 1P, AND it costs the same as the basic round trip.
What I don't know is if this violates any sort of Mileage Plus rules or fare rules. Plus, if my first flight into ORD gets delayed, would I be protected for the second flight (from ORD to CLE)? Has anyone done this sort of thing before?
A second option I was considering is booking a multi-city from DCA - CLE (on my normal departure date), then CLE - IAD (on my normal return date). There's no direct flights from DCA to CLE, so the website automatically finds a connection through ORD. This seems more "legit" to my uneducated mind, so I am tempted to do this, even though it would mean leaving and returning from two different airports.
Thanks in advance for the insight!
Sep 21, 2009, 10:47 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Pacific Northwest
Programs: UA Gold 1MM, AS 75k, AA Plat, Bonvoyed Gold, Honors Dia, Hyatt Explorer, IHG Plat, ...
Posts: 16,842
Welcome to FT, and congratulations on your upcoming 1P status 
You can book your multi-city from IAD. If united.com sells it to you (and there's no reason it shouldn't... it often offers me SFO-LAX-LAS in addition to SFO-LAS), you won't have problems getting credit and you will also be protected if your first leg of your trip is delayed.
You can book your multi-city from IAD. If united.com sells it to you (and there's no reason it shouldn't... it often offers me SFO-LAX-LAS in addition to SFO-LAS), you won't have problems getting credit and you will also be protected if your first leg of your trip is delayed.
Sep 21, 2009, 11:17 pm
#3
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 78
if your first leg of the trip is delayed, ask them to put you on a nonstop, and then call UA MP and ask for original routing credit.
Sep 21, 2009, 11:51 pm
#4
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,691
You can do it. Keep in mind, this is not a valid routing for IAD-CLE and will fare out as two seperate fares; IAD-ORD and ORD-CLE. This will probably be more expensive than say doing a mileage run. Some great fares exist from IAD to FL.
Sep 22, 2009, 12:06 am
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 14,884
A couple of things:
You mention you want to take a connection as it is the same price, but that may or may not be true (unless you've already checked out the connection options, and it is indeed the same, then I should just keep quiet). Note that lots of things can cause the price to shift a bit (including taxes if you choose a connecting airport over a nonstop), so you're connecting flight could be less, more or the same as the N/S.
While you will be protected on the next available flight should your first leg of a multi-leg journey be delayed, etc., note that if you are travelling at the peak thanksgiving period, the next available flight might be the next day, or even 2 days later. You can standby of course, and as a displaced passenger, you will be ahead of anyone who just wants to standby to get home earlier, but any other displaced passengers with status will be ahead of you on the list.
I'm not saying it will happen, but it wouldn't be unheard of for ORD to get snow by thanksgiving. But for me, personally, on Thanksgiving, I always try and do a N/S or the absolute least number of connections, especially these days when there really isn't much extra capacity in the system.
If you absolutely have to be home for thanksgiving, it might be better just to book the nonstop IAD-CLE, and do a quick 400 mile MR before DEQM ends, perhaps one of the same day return e-fares one weekend.
You mention you want to take a connection as it is the same price, but that may or may not be true (unless you've already checked out the connection options, and it is indeed the same, then I should just keep quiet). Note that lots of things can cause the price to shift a bit (including taxes if you choose a connecting airport over a nonstop), so you're connecting flight could be less, more or the same as the N/S.
While you will be protected on the next available flight should your first leg of a multi-leg journey be delayed, etc., note that if you are travelling at the peak thanksgiving period, the next available flight might be the next day, or even 2 days later. You can standby of course, and as a displaced passenger, you will be ahead of anyone who just wants to standby to get home earlier, but any other displaced passengers with status will be ahead of you on the list.
I'm not saying it will happen, but it wouldn't be unheard of for ORD to get snow by thanksgiving. But for me, personally, on Thanksgiving, I always try and do a N/S or the absolute least number of connections, especially these days when there really isn't much extra capacity in the system.
If you absolutely have to be home for thanksgiving, it might be better just to book the nonstop IAD-CLE, and do a quick 400 mile MR before DEQM ends, perhaps one of the same day return e-fares one weekend.
Sep 22, 2009, 12:32 am
#6
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: What I write is my opinion alone..don't read into it anything not written.
Posts: 9,686
You mention you want to take a connection as it is the same price, but that may or may not be true (unless you've already checked out the connection options, and it is indeed the same, then I should just keep quiet). Note that lots of things can cause the price to shift a bit (including taxes if you choose a connecting airport over a nonstop), so you're connecting flight could be less, more or the same as the N/S.
The price difference will be under $20 rt, so to make status or not, I think the answer is obvious, as to what to do.
Sep 22, 2009, 7:45 pm
#7
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Here today gone tomorrow
Programs: *G, ow Saph
Posts: 2,865
Simple answer to the original question: both ways are legit and neither will cause you trouble (from a ticketing point of view--as other posters mentioned, something could go wrong with the connection but that's regardless of how you bought it). If United.com will price it and sell it to you, you'll be "protected" if you book a connection and something goes wrong.
Welcome to FT!
Welcome to FT!
Sep 23, 2009, 5:16 pm
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 6
Wow thanks for all the replies!
I guess I just need to decide if it's worth risking a connection during Thanksgiving.
Thanks a lot for the insight!
I guess I just need to decide if it's worth risking a connection during Thanksgiving.
Thanks a lot for the insight!
Sep 23, 2009, 5:26 pm
#9
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Programs: AA PP, Hilton/MR Gold
Posts: 743
If you want to 'force' this to show up as a connection, just leave out of DCA instead.
Then you will undoubtably be routed DCA-ORD-XXX.
(That is likely why this is a valid routing and the price is the same in the first place).
Then you will undoubtably be routed DCA-ORD-XXX.
(That is likely why this is a valid routing and the price is the same in the first place).
Sep 23, 2009, 7:48 pm
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 6
Hey all,
I was just rereading some of the posts, and wanted to make sure I was clear on something:
The IAD - ORD - CLE routing doesn't show up automatically when I look for roundtrips between IAD and CLE. I have to manually go to "Multicity" and then enter IAD - ORD then ORD - CLE on the same day to get this routing.
Just wanted to make sure I was clear on that point...still OK?
Thanks a lot!
I was just rereading some of the posts, and wanted to make sure I was clear on something:
The IAD - ORD - CLE routing doesn't show up automatically when I look for roundtrips between IAD and CLE. I have to manually go to "Multicity" and then enter IAD - ORD then ORD - CLE on the same day to get this routing.
Just wanted to make sure I was clear on that point...still OK?
Thanks a lot!
Sep 23, 2009, 9:28 pm
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Houston
Programs: UA Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 12,693
Yes that's fine.
If you can get .bomb to book it, it's fine. Even if you can't get .bomb to book it, it's often fine.
If you can get .bomb to book it, it's fine. Even if you can't get .bomb to book it, it's often fine.