Am I Missing Something?

[bekkiz]

This just seems weird, but then again, airlines are weird.

I'm trying to book a very specific one way flight. The first leg is San Diego-SFO and the second is SFO-Seattle. It is $50 cheaper to book each leg separately than to book the thing as one ticket.

I won't have bags (it's just a day trip), and I can just print out the boarding passes for each flight before getting to the airport, so I won't need to get back through security, but is there something obvious that I'm missing that would prevent me from booking them apart?

 

[Jestocost]

If your first flight is delayed causing you to miss your second flight, you will be rebooked at no charge on a later flight (subject to availability) if you book the two on the same reservation.

If you book separately and the same thing happens, you will simply be a "no show" for your second flight and will be on your own to get another flight to Seattle. You would have no special status to get availability (not that you would have much anyway) and would have to pay current, sky-high fares.

In addition, if you had a return ticket booked that was tied to the SFO-Seattle flight, it likely would be canceled if you are counted as a no show for the outbound flight and you would have to buy a new return ticket too.

 

[uva185]

While that may be technically true if the OP missed her second segment she could invoke the Flat Tire Rule and most likely get on the next flight out (pending availability).

This is called end-on-end ticketing and is not against any airline rules.

Also just to note you can check in for a flight at the gate so even if you cannot do online check in you could check in for the second segment from the gate inside security.

If I were you I would go for it.

FWIW, even if you bad baggage you could have the baggage forwarded all the way to SEA even when you are on 2 tickets to get there. I have bought to tickets to travel to various places in Texas. Usually one ticket CAE-CLT-DFW on US Airways then another ticket DFW-LRD or AUS or SAT on AA. Never had any problems and I always was able to get my luggage automatically interlined between non-partner carriers without any difficulties.