How would this work?

[Wilsonfamily4]

Our airport has been cancelling flights because of weather for the last two days. I am sure that in 10 days when we leave it will be all better BUT we got to thinking. Our flight leaves Portland, OR (PDX) and connects through San Francisco, CA (SFO). If PDX is still closed then could we possibly drive to San Fran (completely doable) and catch that fllight? Or will that part of our leg not work as we did not take the first part?

We don't fly very often so we don't know all the rules.

THANKS

 

[bavaria]

IF you airline has issued a travel waiver for PDX you can call and make the change. It is doubtful however that you would find space on flights as it is the busiest travel time of the year and flights are cancelled or delayed all across North America. If you don't call and don't fly the first segment your ticket will be cancelled.

I don't know if SFO is much better; a colleague has been delayed there for the past 24 hours or so.

Last night both PDX and SFO flights were being cancelled.

Edited to add: I see that you are talking about a flight 10 days from now; nobody can predict what will happen then. I would not plan to drive from PDX to SFO. Educate yourself about how to handle weather delays.

 

[Wilsonfamily4]

I have read all your threads which were helpful. I was more just thinking about if you could do that. I am sure they will clean up the mess in PDX in 10 days as that is quite a ways out but I was wondering. I did not want a "prediction" just if you could.

 

[bavaria]

Travel waivers are not that common; they only occur if there is anticipation of major delays for an extended period. Not all airlines offer them, and not all airlines offer them at the same time.

Otherwise you would be paying to change your ticket, and quite often at a much higher price than purchased.

Again, I would only consider this as a very extreme option. What if the weather ends up being bad at SFO? At least with a ticket from PDX you can go home and wait it out.

 

[stage manager]

To answer your question... not without talking to the airline.

Once your first flight is cancelled you are cancelled down the line to your destination and rebooked. If you appeared at SFO without talking to the airline, they may not be able to help you as you are a PDX passenger.

I've done this once, when I was scheduled to connect in Atlanta and a relative was in the hospital. I went to Atlanta since it was nearby. I called the airline from the hospital. They cancelled my Chattanooga to Atlanta flight and I continued my reservation from Atlanta. That was a rare case and took a lot of leg work.

What can be helpful to the airline in this situation is to offer them alternatives to fly you out of. If you call them because the flight is cancelled, tell them you can fly out of any Oregon city (or so it sounds if you are willing to drive to SFO). If they aren't cancelling out of Eugene or Medford for example, you could get a flight out of there instead.

The airline wants to get you out. Airports full of cranky passengers are not their line of work and something they try to avoid.

Good luck and nice thinking to preplan options IF the weather continues to be as nasty as you guys have had.

 

[Wilsonfamily4]

Thanks! That was very helpful. I am thinking positive now about PDX but really the weather is just so unpredictable. Supposed to continue to snow this week! We NEVER get snow so it is just strange to be dealing with this.

Again Thanks

To answer your question... not without talking to the airline.

Once your first flight is cancelled you are cancelled down the line to your destination and rebooked. If you appeared at SFO without talking to the airline, they may not be able to help you as you are a PDX passenger.

I've done this once, when I was scheduled to connect in Atlanta and a relative was in the hospital. I went to Atlanta since it was nearby. I called the airline from the hospital. They cancelled my Chattanooga to Atlanta flight and I continued my reservation from Atlanta. That was a rare case and took a lot of leg work.

What can be helpful to the airline in this situation is to offer them alternatives to fly you out of. If you call them because the flight is cancelled, tell them you can fly out of any Oregon city (or so it sounds if you are willing to drive to SFO). If they aren't cancelling out of Eugene or Medford for example, you could get a flight out of there instead.

The airline wants to get you out. Airports full of cranky passengers are not their line of work and something they try to avoid.

Good luck and nice thinking to preplan options IF the weather continues to be as nasty as you guys have had.