buying a ticket A - B - C and stopping at B

[Ausbt]

Thanks. My wife and I are flying, so what I think I'm going to do here is send my wife off home at our home port B (possibly with bag, we travel light) and I'll fly it out to C and back. Reasons: well, like many here I like to fly and this one is all in J. I'm pretty sure that domestic leg B-C will be worth 50 SC alone and the trip back 25. Also if VA did take a hard line with my wife's broken journey at least I should minimise the risk of losing my own points & SCs.

 

[JohnK]

Yes stupid of me - of course we will have our bags. Hmmm. Would it be possible that for not completing the journey VA would refuse to credit SCs and points I wonder?

I don't think VA will take that stance. Plans change.

I booked a Qantas flight I think from HKG-SYD-BNE. Some time after booking my plans changed and I decided to travel to BNE later and purchased another revenue ticket SYD-BNE.

I was checked through to BNE, collected luggage in SYD and went home. Received a call from gate if I was joining flight and said "No".

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I don't think VA will take that stance. Plans change.

I booked a Qantas flight I think from HKG-SYD-BNE. Some time after booking my plans changed and I decided to travel to BNE later and purchased another revenue ticket SYD-BNE.

I was checked through to BNE, collected luggage in SYD and went home. Received a call from gate if I was joining flight and said "No".

Airlines are only likely to take action if two things (a) the through fare is lower than terminating part way through the journey and (b) if the customer makes a habit of it.

If the fare is the same, little benefit for the airline to enforce. If a once off, also little benefit to the passenger to enforce.

 

[JohnK]

Airlines are only likely to take action if two things (a) the through fare is lower than terminating part way through the journey and (b) if the customer makes a habit of it.

We've read reports of USA airlines charging serial offenders for abusing hidden city ticketing.

Have there been any reports of say Qantas and Virgin doing the same? How many times can one get away with it and not be labelled a serial offender?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

We've read reports of USA airlines charging serial offenders for abusing hidden city ticketing.

Have there been any reports of say Qantas and Virgin doing the same? How many times can one get away with it and not be labelled a serial offender?

BA does it. Qatar sort of does it too by refusing to short check bags to Doha on through connections.

It all depends on the routing in Australia and whether the fare differential is there. In Australia it might not be the case that a MEL-SYD is more expensive than a MEL-SYD-BNE where you'd want to get off in SYD (which is what hidden city ticketing is all about).

It's in the terms and conditions. QF and VA have FF accounts they can look at for patterns. If they were potentially losing money they might take action. We saw on another thread QF suspended an account over of few points credit for returned items via a Qantas shopping opportunity.

Sure plans change. But that doesn't mean QF refunds your non-refundable fare just because you changed your plans. This type of hidden city ticketing is no different. Why would they waive the fare and any conditions just because a passenger changes their mind?

 

[JohnK]

Sure plans change. But that doesn't mean QF refunds your non-refundable fare just because you changed your plans. This type of hidden city ticketing is no different. Why would they waive the fare and any conditions just because a passenger changes their mind?

I don't want a refund for sectors not taken. Let's say I book BNE-SYD-BKK return for travel in January 2019 but when the time comes on return I decide to stay in SYD for the weekend and book a one-way to BNE. I may not feel well to travel. Family could be sick. I may have a doctors appointment. Every excuse valid.

I would love to see the airline try and charge me for an open jaw. It's not going to happen.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I don't want a refund for sectors not taken. Let's say I book BNE-SYD-BKK return for travel in January 2019 but when the time comes on return I decide to stay in SYD for the weekend and book a one-way to BNE. I may not feel well to travel. Family could be sick. I may have a doctors appointment. Every excuse valid.

I would love to see the airline try and charge me for an open jaw. It's not going to happen.

In the race to the bottom there's no reason why Qantas and other australian airlines won't follow the lead of their American and Euro colleagues.

As i explained, the main reason for the airline not following this up is because the difference in fare is likely to be zero. If the fare to the intermediate point is higher than the destination, as you haven't said if that applies in your case, the airlines may take issue with repeat offenders.

If you are sick every time (or more often than not) you come off a BKK-BNE-SYD flight and fail to catch the flight to SYD - and if the fare to BNE alone is higher than the through fare to SYD - the airline can take action. It may not be action to recover the difference in fare, but they could suspend FF privileges including your status.

That 'your plans change' is not necessarily a valid reason for what the airlines could consider a breach of contract if they are missing out on revenue.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

The OP (yes, old post) was only talking about saving $80. Could anyone really be that bothered by $80 on a once off?

 

[henleybeach]

I just booked a Turkish airlines flight for June this year from CPH-IST-BUH for $203 with a 16 hour layover with no intention to go there , as we need to be in Istanbul to catch our flight back to AUS . The direct flight from CPH-IST with Turkish was $445!
So I guess when we check in, in CPH we will say we only want our bags checked to Istanbul .

 

[Austman]

So I guess when we check in, in CPH we will say we only want our bags checked to Istanbul .

Good luck with that.

I know airlines that will not allow short-checks. They have even refused me with a J-class ticket and a ca 20 hour transit (for which airline provided a hotel and the checked luggage would have been useful). But the checked luggage had to be through checked.

HLO is the only way it will work unless at your transit stop you are required to re-check your luggage anyway.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I just booked a Turkish airlines flight for June this year from CPH-IST-BUH for $203 with a 16 hour layover with no intention to go there , as we need to be in Istanbul to catch our flight back to AUS . The direct flight from CPH-IST with Turkish was $445!
So I guess when we check in, in CPH we will say we only want our bags checked to Istanbul .

It appears TK might allow short-checking of bags. This article in onemileatatime is about a different issue, but I think mentions the pax were able to short check to IST: I'm Not Sure What To Make Of This Travel Horror Story - One Mile at a Time

It's a long thread and lots of discussion about short checking, I didn't read the whole thread.

 

[Austman]

You'd want to be 100% sure that the airline allows short-checks. It's commonly refused.

 

[henleybeach]

You'd want to be 100% sure that the airline allows short-checks. It's commonly refused.

I hope they do then ! We arrive at 1500 and the next flight is meant to depart the next day at 0700 so I was going to say only check it through to Istanbul as we are staying in a hotel for the night in the city ( which we are , just flying another airline the next day )

 

[Austman]

I hope they do then !

It's risky unless you can be sure. If your ticket allows a stop-over it might be possible. Or if the check-in agent/airline are OK with it.

If it's refused, they might ask for a fare recalculation.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

According to this thread on FT - short checking is allowed by TK in IST. At least in 2016. Checked baggage during overnight connection - FlyerTalk Forums

The argument might be that you don't want to leave your bags unattended in IST at the airport for 16 hours! (Fair enough.)

 

[Austman]

The argument might be that you don't want to leave your bags unattended in IST at the airport for 16 hours! (Fair enough.)

We used the exactly same augment and were refused. At check-in and at again arrivals baggage handling (but not TK or IST).

But if TK will do it then OK! Just have a plan B.

Let us know! It's good information.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

We used the exactly same augment and were refused. At check-in and at again arrivals baggage handling (but not TK or IST).

But if TK will do it then OK! Just have a plan B.

Let us know! It's good information.

Refusal to short check is not uncommon, but it is by no means common either. Some airlines specifically mention the refusal to short check (QR), others won't do it if the connection is too short, or if you are on a known candidate for hidden city tickets (ex EU fares on BA for example), or even if you can't satisfy visa requirements. But plenty of airlines will still allow it as a matter of course, especially overnight transits.

 

[Austman]

Just have a plan B.

I note that some "plan B"s can include through checking your luggage if short-checking is refused and then cancelling the last leg only at your transit stop. You then request your checked luggage. I'd allow a fair bit of time to make that happen.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I note that some "plan B"s can include through checking your luggage and then cancelling the last leg only at your transit stop. You then request your checked luggage. I'd allow a fair bit of time that to make that happen.

Which may, or course, see a recalculation of the fare to the full $455 in this case

If it was a genuine cancellation (illness), travel insurance could pick up the bill. Or the airline may waive the fee with a medical certificate.

 

[Austman]

Some airlines specifically mention the refusal to short check (QR), others won't do it if the connection is too short, or if you are on a known candidate for hidden city tickets (ex EU fares on BA for example), or even if you can't satisfy visa requirements

None of that has applied to the times I've had difficulty with short-checking.

But if TK will do it, then all should be good!