Question About Ding Fares...With 1 stop

[wee-haggis]

If a Ding fare comes out....(as an example...Austin to Fort Lauderdale).
If this flight stops at MCO and there is a plane change. Are you permitted to simply leave the flight at MCO without using the second leg portion?
And...the same in reverse...If the flight leaves Fort Lauderdale and goes back to Austin via MCO...Can you join the flight at MCO ?

 

[suevee]

Don't see how they could stop you on the first leg as they don't check tickets when you leave the plane. However, I do not think you could join mid-route.

 

[CRCrazy]

I've talked with a Southwest employee about this very situation.

Basically - although you could get off at MCO on the outgoing flight with no problem - your luggage will continue on to the end destination. Even if you were plannning to carry on your luggage - they do a check, so they will know that you got off, and did not reboard. This could affect your return ticket.

Also - on your return - you may not rejoin the flight at the midpoint - most of Southwest's business is ticketless travel - your fare money is in the computer - and your originating airport is where you may check in for that flight. If you tried to board the plane in Orlando, you would not have any funds available for that flight. Your funds would be in the originating airport.

 

[SB in KY]

As previously stated, they couldn't stop you from getting off early, but you could not check baggage and it would automatically cancel both legs of your return flight...so you could not board in Ft Lauderdale OR Orlando if you got off early.

My SIL lives in Cincinnati and she drives to Louisville to get on a flight that goes from here back to Concinnati where she changes planes and then flies onto Ft Meyers to her condo there....if she just flew on the same flight direct from Cincinnati it would be $240 more RT than if she drives here and flies back there to go to FL....I know it makes no sense whatsoever....but that's the way they make her play the game!!