Will SW make me board?

[Mickey527]

I have been watching for a good DING fare from Hartford to Orlando for months and the cheapest I saw has been $109 each way. Way too much for me.
I got a DING today for Hartford to Fort Myers for $49 each way. The flight goes from Hartford to Orlando and then we would switch planes and go on to Fort Myers.
I booked it and am planning on getting on the plane in Hartford and getting off in Orlando and not going on to Fort Myers.
On the way back home the plane does the same, on at Fort Myers, then layover with a switch of planes from 3:15 pm until 5:30 in Orlando and then on to Hartford. I am thinking we will go directly to Orlando and get on the plane there and skip the first part in Fort Myers.
Do you think SW will mark us as missing the plane if we don't board in Fort Myers? I know they can't do anything on the way down, but if they mark us as missing the first leg of the homeward flight can they refuse to board us in Orlando?
I was thinking I would call ahead and tell them something like traffic was bad and we will drive directly to Orlando because we couldn't get to Fort Myers by the 2:45 flight.
If something comes available directly from Hartford to Orlando I will change the flights but for right now I have something at least.
I always can go to Fort Myers and get a rental from there and home again but this would be so much easier.

 

[disneyag]

They could potentially cancel the remainder of your ticket. Also, do you have a plan for your luggage? With checked luggage, this might be difficult, too.

 

[LivingtheWDWdream]

If you have checked bags and you get off in Orlando your bags won't! They will continue on to Ft. Meyers and while southwest might be able to send them to you it could take DAYS to get them to Orlando.

Your best bet is to hope that the airfare goes down or look for a cheap rental car in Ft. Meyers to drive the 3ish hours to Orlando.

On your flight home if you haven't checked in for your flight in Ft. Meyers they will cancel your tickets and could very well fill those seats with Standby customers.

 

[CarolA]

If you do NOT get on in Fort Myers, you will not be joining the party in Orlando. It doesn't work that way. When you get to MCO you won't have a reservation. It was "cancelled" when you failed to board at Fort Myers.

On MOST airlines if you don't get on the plane in MCO to GO to Fort Myers the remainder of your ticket is cancelled. SW is strange so I am not going to guarntee that will happen, but I am not going to guarantee it won't either.

As others have pointed out, this only works with carry on.

It's called Hidden City Ticketing and somewhere in the hunderds of pages of fine print in the airline regs it's 'outlawed' by all airlines.

 

[riaesq]

There is a great deal of discussion on this topic on flyertalk. It would only work if you only did it on the last leg of your journey, with carry on luggage, dropping the final flight. And, in fact, if you did this repeatedly,you might be red-tagged for an escort to and forced to board the secondary ticketed flight- apparently, they are very aware of people doing this.

Strange and rather annoying to us budget travelers but that's the way it is.

 

[Mickey527]

Thanks for all the replies. I am going to try anyhow.
I will take the first flight down to Orlando and get off the flight and not change planes. I planned on only bringing carry on stuff so that won't be a problem with luggage going on to FT Myers.
On the way home we will be visiting some family in the Tampa and Fort Myers area so we will take the Ft Myers flight home. I just hate the 3 hour layover at Mco.
If DING does have something direct to Orlando I guess I will try and change. It might make the rental car easier but if not we will do the flight home from Ft Meyers.

 

[CarolA]

Book it as TWO tickets. Don't book one round trip.....

 

[riaesq]

Actually, if you booked two 1-way tickets, this should not be a problem!

BUT if you booked a round-trip, you might want to call SW after you arrive in WDW and tell them you missed your flight (or something) so they don't cancel your return ticket.

OR see if you can change your RT to 2 1-ways.

 

[Lewisc]

SW specifically permits hidden city ticketing. You won't have a problem if you don't take your connecting flight from Orlando to Fort Meyers.

Your return reservation will be cancelled if you don't board your first flight at Ft Meyers.