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Do I get a full refund in this situation?

 
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Old Sep 21, 2013, 7:01 pm
  #1  
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Do I get a full refund in this situation?

I'm flying MHT-PHL-GLA on non-refundable tickets. The flight I'm on from MHT is notorious for being delayed for hours (it's messed up some of my other trips). Let's say that I make it to PHL, but miss my connection to GLA. I don't want to take the GLA flight the next day. The chairmans agent said they would fly me back to MHT and give me a FULL refund. Does anyone have any insight?
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Old Sep 21, 2013, 8:10 pm
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Your situation is often referred to as a "trip in vain"; as long you return to your home airport on the next available flight, a full refund should be given.
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Old Sep 23, 2013, 6:14 am
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Yes that is the case... how tight is the connection?
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Old Sep 23, 2013, 7:12 am
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I've gotten a Trip in Vain refund when the outbound flight was so delayed that I was going to miss the event that was the whole purpose of the trip.
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Old Sep 23, 2013, 1:38 pm
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how tight is the connection?
1 hour, 20 minutes to go from F to A in PHL. Usually, I would have no issue with this connection, but this particular flight (US3988 MHT-PHL) routinely has 1-3 hour delays. Here's the printout from flightstats:

This flight has an average delay of 43 minutes with a standard deviation of 55.46 minutes. Statistically, when taking into consideration sample size, standard deviation, and mean, this flight has delay performance characteristics better than 4% of other flights.
I have personally experienced delays ranging from 30 min to 3 hours on this flight...
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Old Sep 23, 2013, 1:45 pm
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Originally Posted by tacostuff
I have personally experienced delays ranging from 30 min to 3 hours on this flight...
Why not just take an earlier MHT-PHL flight?
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Old Sep 23, 2013, 2:59 pm
  #7  
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Why go through the entire mess? This is a terrible connection. I would simply take the earlier MHT-PHL and be done with it.
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Old Sep 23, 2013, 3:09 pm
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Originally Posted by Often1
Why go through the entire mess? This is a terrible connection. I would simply take the earlier MHT-PHL and be done with it.
The only reason I can see is that the OP has had a change of heart/change of plans and no longer wants to go to GLA and is looking for an out.

Otherwise, given that on-time percentage, I certainly wouldn't put myself through all that stress. Not to mention checking luggage and/or traveling with others.
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Old Sep 23, 2013, 4:43 pm
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especially when you have to get over from F. Sounds risky to me...
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Old Sep 24, 2013, 4:38 am
  #10  
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I agree with everyone that this is a terrible connection and the earlier flight would be much better. Usually, I would take the earlier flight (and the 4 hour connection), but unfortunately my schedule won't allow this on that day. It's either take this risky flight, or don't go on the trip.

It seems like Option No. 1 is that before I even leave MHT, the flight is so delayed that I know I won't make the connection, and they will give me a full refund. Based on what people are saying here, Option No. 2 seems to be that I get to PHL and miss the connection. US will then return me to MHT and give me a full "trip in vain" refund. Does this sound about right?

I think I'm willing to risk it so long as the "trip in vain" refund is possible. I don't want to get into situation where they say that I flew MHT-PHL-MHT, thus I don't get a full refund.
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Old Sep 24, 2013, 5:49 am
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Originally Posted by tacostuff

I think I'm willing to risk it so long as the "trip in vain" refund is possible. I don't want to get into situation where they say that I flew MHT-PHL-MHT, thus I don't get a full refund.
I thought that a "trip in vain" refund would be given if you miss the event that's the whole purpose of the trip--not for only an extensive delay. Is the first criterion going to be met?
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Old Sep 24, 2013, 10:20 am
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Originally Posted by NYCommuter
I thought that a "trip in vain" refund would be given if you miss the event that's the whole purpose of the trip--not for only an extensive delay. Is the first criterion going to be met?
This is a short trip Thurs-Mon for leisure (what wrong with a weekend trip to Europe?). If I end up having to take the Friday night flight, the trip becomes too short (IMO) to justfiy taking it. So, no, there no "event" that I'm missing, but the whole purpose of the trip is to have 3 days in GLA and not 2.
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Old Sep 24, 2013, 4:04 pm
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Originally Posted by aztimm
The only reason I can see is that the OP has had a change of heart/change of plans and no longer wants to go to GLA and is looking for an out.
Quite the opposite...
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Old Sep 24, 2013, 6:13 pm
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Originally Posted by tacostuff
This is a short trip Thurs-Mon for leisure (what wrong with a weekend trip to Europe?). If I end up having to take the Friday night flight, the trip becomes too short (IMO) to justfiy taking it. So, no, there no "event" that I'm missing, but the whole purpose of the trip is to have 3 days in GLA and not 2.
I don't think that will work, but give it a shot. If you had an event on Friday evening that you were going for and couldn't make that event, then it would be a "trip in vain".

I have done Friday-Sunday trips to Europe before.
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Old Sep 24, 2013, 8:51 pm
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Originally Posted by NYCommuter
I don't think that will work, but give it a shot. If you had an event on Friday evening that you were going for and couldn't make that event, then it would be a "trip in vain".

I have done Friday-Sunday trips to Europe before.
I agree. Claiming this as a "trip in vain" is not certain.

Where does one draw the line, anyway? If you miss one night of a 21-night trip, can you dare claim a "trip in vain" because you had planned 21 nights, not 20? No way.

Will missing one night of a three-day trip qualify for "trip in vain"? Beats me. The fact that the OP is a CP is certainly a plus.

Last edited by tommyleo; Sep 24, 2013 at 9:01 pm
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