Skipping connecting flight Q

[JAG107]

Delta just changed our itinerary next January, instead of a nonstop redeye from San Diego to MCO, we now have a layover at LAX. My question is, since we basically live right in between San Diego and Los Angeles, if we can just skip the first leg and get on the later flight at LAX? Sorry, I haven't bothered to contact Delta because it seems their website is not going to be nearly as helpful as those who may read this at the fabulous DIS!

 

[DLgal]

You can't do that. You have to fly the itinerary that your ticket indicates. Since Delta changed the flight after you booked, you can probably just change it to the LAX-MCO leg. They should do this for you with no change fees since they made the route change after you booked.

 

[DebbieB]

Delta just changed our itinerary next January, instead of a nonstop redeye from San Diego to MCO, we now have a layover at LAX. My question is, since we basically live right in between San Diego and Los Angeles, if we can just skip the first leg and get on the later flight at LAX? Sorry, I haven't bothered to contact Delta because it seems their website is not going to be nearly as helpful as those who may read this at the fabulous DIS!

If you don't get on the plane in San Diego, the remainder of your ticket will be cancelled (including return).

I agree with DLGal, call them and they will change it for you. I've found them to be very accommodating when there are schedule changes.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

You can't do that. You have to fly the itinerary that your ticket indicates.

Not necessarily. If the change was made on the return flight, making the flight MCO-LAX-SAN, OP could deplane at LAX and skip the last leg (assuming she didn't check luggage).

 

[sam_gordon]

Not necessarily. If the change was made on the return flight, making the flight MCO-LAX-SAN, OP could deplane at LAX and skip the last leg (assuming she didn't check luggage).

I thought airlines would charge an extra fee if you did that. Its an "empty city itinerary" or something like that.

Call Delta.

 

[JAG107]

Not necessarily. If the change was made on the return flight, making the flight MCO-LAX-SAN, OP could deplane at LAX and skip the last leg (assuming she didn't check luggage).

Return leg is direct MCO-SAN. This is what kinda bothered me, we booked a direct redeye from SAN to MCO redeye 1030pm-630am arrival in Orlando. Expedia called us and gave us the option of flying in at 7pm or doing an earlier flight, 735pm SAN to LAX, then to MCO arriving at 0530. We wanted to get in early so we took the early flight. Just wanting to see if we can save 3 hours of our time and fly straight out of LAX t oMCO.

 

[sam_gordon]

Not necessarily. If the change was made on the return flight, making the flight MCO-LAX-SAN, OP could deplane at LAX and skip the last leg (assuming she didn't check luggage).

I thought airlines would charge an extra fee if you did that. Its an "empty city itinerary" or something like that.

Call Delta.

 

[JAG107]

Well I guess this is great, I get penalized for leaving their short local flight 500lbs lighter, guess we'll have to bite the bullet and follow the itinerary. Thanks everybody!

 

[rebelbuddhist]

Well I guess this is great, I get penalized for leaving their short local flight 500lbs lighter, guess we'll have to bite the bullet and follow the itinerary. Thanks everybody!

If you made your reservations through Disney Travel call them and they will contact Delta. If you made them directly with Delta call them. Delta did the same to us changing our itinerary after we made and paid. They gave us a 50 minute lay over in Atlanta-- probably no way enough time for us to make a connection since we have mobility issues. Delta gladly changed our reservation without charge since they had made the first change.

 

[Alesia]

Well I guess this is great, I get penalized for leaving their short local flight 500lbs lighter, guess we'll have to bite the bullet and follow the itinerary. Thanks everybody!

Did you call Delta?

 

[JAG107]

Did you call Delta?

Not yet, I will call them later this week.

 

[kathie859]

Not yet, I will call them later this week.

They're open now. If this is causing you concern, call them and get rebooked.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

My question is, since we basically live right in between San Diego and Los Angeles, if we can just skip the first leg and get on the later flight at LAX?

As others have noted, Delta expects you to fly your entire ticketed itinerary. If you skip the first segment, your remaining segments are automatically cancelled.

If you skip for final segment, you're still violating the Conditions of Carriage that you technically "agreed" to when you bought your ticket. It's unlikely that Delta would come after you in any way, but people who make a habit of "hidden city" ticketing or "throwaway ticketing" can find themselves in trouble with the airline. In any case, any checked bags would be checked all the way to San Diego, the final city on the itinerary, even if you hoped to end your trip at LAX.

The real solution is to call Delta. Switching you from a nonstop to a connection was not your idea. Delta will work with you to come up with a new itinerary that meets your needs. If the LAX flights work for you, Delta will probably be willing to drop the San Diego segments form your itinerary so that you can legitimately begin and end your trip at LAX.

Also, even though your ticket is probably nonrefundable, Delta will refund your ticket at your request due to the substantial schedule change. Alaska Airlines operates nonstops between San Diego and Orlando and usually has competitive pricing. You could put an Alaska itinerary on hold and then cancel your Delta flight if that's better for you.

You didn't say if you purchased your ticket directly from Delta (phone or website) or through a travel agency (such as Expedia, Disney Travel, or a local agency). If you purchased directly, you can call Delta and work out a solution directly. If you bought from a travel agency, you need to work with that agency.

As always under such circumstances, it's best to keep everything friendly, to ask for a supervisor if the first Delta agent can't help, and, if you get nowhere on the first call, to excuse yourself politely and call back so that you'll get a different Delta agent.

 

[bumbershoot]

You didn't say if you purchased your ticket directly from Delta (phone or website) or through a travel agency (such as Expedia, Disney Travel, or a local agency). If you purchased directly, you can call Delta and work out a solution directly. If you bought from a travel agency, you need to work with that agency.

Alas, he did.

Expedia called us and gave us the option of flying in at 7pm or doing an earlier flight

I don't think Delta's going to be much help here.



OP I'm a little confused.

gave us the option of flying in at 7pm or doing an earlier flight, 735pm SAN to LAX, then to MCO arriving at 0530. We wanted to get in early so we took the early flight.

Are your pm and am designations correct there?

 

[MAH4546]

Delta doesn't fly SAN-MCO non-stop, so your original flight was an Alaska Airlines-operated codeshare. The flight was changed because Alaska will no longer operate that route as a redeye.

 

[seashoreCM]

Since the airline changed the schedule, you should hand pick alternate flights, including flights to, from, or through different airports, and then telephone and ask for them. There should be no upcharge; even the airline's or travel agent's mentioning an upcharge is admission that there was not nothing they could do, just that they did not want to do it.

To me, changing a non stop to a connecting itinerary is a major change.

If a travel agency such as Expedia is not gracious about fixing it for you, then that's more support for the adage, "look on Expedia, book directly with the airline".

Yes, escalate the matter to a supervisor if the reservationist on the phone is balky.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

As others have noted, Delta expects you to fly your entire ticketed itinerary. If you skip the first segment, your remaining segments are automatically cancelled.

If you skip for final segment, you're still violating the Conditions of Carriage that you technically "agreed" to when you bought your ticket. It's unlikely that Delta would come after you in any way, but people who make a habit of "hidden city" ticketing or "throwaway ticketing" can find themselves in trouble with the airline. In any case, any checked bags would be checked all the way to San Diego, the final city on the itinerary......

It is not a problem to skip the last leg of a flight (as I already noted, you can't do this if you have checked baggage unless you are arriving from an international flight transferring to a domestic flight). I would imagine you have to do this many times for an airline to even notice, and the OP was not proposing that.

 

[CPT Tripss]

The whole discussion of skipping the last flit is totally irrelevant in this situation. The OP wants to change the originating airport.


If OP has the confirmation number for the flight(s), he can work things out directly with the airline.

 

[NotUrsula]

The whole discussion of skipping the last flit is totally irrelevant in this situation. The OP wants to change the originating airport.

Well, yes, but you know how often novice flyers come here and lurk looking for advice. Knowing about the possibility of getting away with it on a final leg will probably help someone, so I'm going to add 2 cents to that part of the discussion: the usual punishment for ditching the final leg of an itinerary is forfeiture of frequent flier miles for the entire trip. If you make a habit of it, they will ban you from the program.

That said, yes, you can do it on the final leg of the entire itinerary with little problem if you go carryon-only.

 

[JAG107]

Delta says I must make all my connections. Thanks everybody for your input! Looks like I'll be taking the family on a wild goose chase in the air on our way to WDW.