Getting off the plane at the first stop - baggage

[cruisin5]

My son has a flight booked on AA - Albany-Charlotte, Charlotte-Charleston WV. When I booked the flight the arrival time at WV was 10:30, now it's 2 hour later which is causing issues with a shuttle. He will arrive at his destination at 7pm.

I hoped AA could tag his bags to CLT where he could get off and take a different shuttle and arrive at his destination at 2pm.

Called AA and they said Nope, No way. I'd have to pay $300 more or he could do it without checking any bags which isn't possible.

Has anyone had experience getting a carrier to agree to anything like this or are we out of luck?

(He's going to the Boy Scout National Jamboree to teach scuba!)

 

[Shanti]

My son has a flight booked on AA - Albany-Charlotte, Charlotte-Charleston WV. When I booked the flight the arrival time at WV was 10:30, now it's 2 hour later which is causing issues with a shuttle. He will arrive at his destination at 7pm.

I hoped AA could tag his bags to CLT where he could get off and take a different shuttle and arrive at his destination at 2pm.

Called AA and they said Nope, No way. I'd have to pay $300 more or he could do it without checking any bags which isn't possible.

Has anyone had experience getting a carrier to agree to anything like this or are we out of luck?

(He's going to the Boy Scout National Jamboree to teach scuba!)

They won't play ball. Airlines hate that kind of thing, because some savvy fliers use getting off mid-route as a method to save on flights. Airline pricing is complex, and sometimes, a route like Albany - Charlotte - Charleston can actually be less expensive than just Albany - Charlotte. So some fliers have found ways to game the system, and book the cheaper Albany - Charlotte - Charleston flight knowing all the time that Charlotte is their final destination. Airlines do everything they can to keep their routing & prices under wraps as much as possible to minimize this practice. They aren't going to give anyone getting off at Charlotte their checked bags to facilitate it. Even though that was not your intent. Interesting how these things work.

 

[bumbershoot]

They won't let him do that.

But are there other flights that day that would work? Because they changed the time so much they'll move him to another flight at no extra cost. Find a flight that works and call them back. If nothing works on that airline but another airline has something with schedule and cost that works, you can request a refund.

 

[cruisin5]

Thanks for the info, it helps to understand the policy.

There isn't anything that will get him earlier for less than $300 more so he'll get to enjoy the Charleston airport for 5 hours.

 

[bumbershoot]

Thanks for the info, it helps to understand the policy.

There isn't anything that will get him earlier for less than $300 more so he'll get to enjoy the Charleston airport for 5 hours.

When they change the flight time like that, they don't charge to move you. So (and I can't tell exactly what you've checked) if there is another flight on your airline, they will change it for him with no extra cost.

If you're meaning there are no other flights on your airline AND other airlines are more expensive, then yep, waiting around is the answer.

 

[supersnoop]

"I'd like to short-check my bags. I'll need access to them during my five-hour layover"

 

[debster812]

"I'd like to short-check my bags. I'll need access to them during my five-hour layover"

As long as the tickets were not booked as a round trip. Then you run the risk of your return flight being cancelled by the airline, because as other posters have stated, the airlines HATE it when people do this.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Ignore the pricing. Is there a better flight connection? If so call AA back and ask for it. They should not charge you since they made the 2 hour changed A random look at aa.com shows several better options.

Do not just get off in CLT and head for the shuttle! Don't try the "short check" idea above unless you only bought a one way ticket. Because if you don't fly the plane out of CLT the rest of the flights are cancelled.

 

[Kaytie]

It's called hidden city ticketing, it violates the contract between the airline and the passenger, and as stated above, the airline can and will cancel any return flight.

Per OrangeCountyCommuter's advice above - find the alternative flight or combination that works best for your son; call AA and tell them their flight change does not work for your plans or needs, and that you/he need to be changed to X flight. Be polite. Move up the ladder if necessary.

 

[cruisin5]

I had luck today calling AA to rebook the original Albany-Charleston to Newark-Charleston. They changed it to Albany-Charlotte! I told them when I booked it my intention was to end up in Charleston but because of their changes the arrival in Charleston was too late in the day and that clearly my intention was not to end up in Charlotte as the original flight went through DC but if you'll pretty please end the flight in Charlotte I'd be very happy.

He'll have a 4 hour shuttle bus ride but it will be a good opportunity to meet other kids.

It's only a one way flight, but good to know about "short checking" a bag.

Thank you!

 

[NotUrsula]

Just FYI for other readers, "Short-checking" does NOT work on r/t tickets, as when you fail to show up for the second flight of your outbound itinerary the airline will cancel your entire return ticket and NOT refund the cost.

Best option in a situation like this when for whatever reason you can't get a good flight is to ship the bag ahead. It won't be cheap, but usually will be cheaper than a flight ticket.