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Beating the system - travel question

Discussion in 'Anything goes' started by PaulS, Sep 13, 2009.

  1. PaulS

    PaulS Member

    I can fly to Indianapolis with a change in St. Louis for about $100 cheaper than I can fly non-stop to St. Louis. My destination is about two hours from St. Louis. Is there a reason I shouldn't book the flight to Indianapolis, get off in St. Louis, drive to and from destination, and pick up the return flight in St. Louis? Is there a risk to this plan that I'm not aware of?
     
  2. Dyno

    Dyno Well-Known Member

    When you don't board the St. Louis to Indianapolis leg, they will have you as a no show and likely cancel your return flight.
     
  3. PaulS

    PaulS Member

    Thanks. That would have been my first guess.
     
  4. YankeeFan

    YankeeFan Well-Known Member

    Yep.

    Used to work for an airline. They will most likely cancel your return trip.
     
  5. Boom_70

    Boom_70 Well-Known Member

    Exactly what will happen.
     
  6. bydesign77

    bydesign77 Active Member

    I work for an airline. Not only would we cxl the return but also no value the ticket. Meaning you would be screwed. Pay the money. Get the nonstop.
     
  7. Fredrick

    Fredrick Well-Known Member

    Has anybody used hotwire.com or priceline for hotels? Which is better? Any horror stories? Seems to me in this day and age of budgetary concerns you can get a 130 dollar room for 80.
     
  8. Mystery Meat II

    Mystery Meat II Well-Known Member

    I've never had a problem with them. If you're not picky about chain, go the name your own price route on Priceline. Usually I can snag a Marriott/Hilton/Hyatt-level room for 40-60 bucks that way. The big issues: your credit card is charged the second your rate is accepted, and there's no refunds, so if something comes up that keeps you from getting there, you have to eat the cost.
     
  9. YankeeFan

    YankeeFan Well-Known Member

    I'll only use it if I can pick an area (like "downtown" or something) and there are three or four star hotels listed.

    I'll look at hotwire first. This way I know what I can get a room for if I fail at priceline. Then I submit a lowball offer on priceline. More than half of the time, I get a great room for a steal of a price.

    If you're traveling with a wife or girlfriend, you can get around the problem of raising your bid by submitting a new bid using their name and credit card if your first gets turned down.

    This will let you try a real low bid the first time.

    Priceline tries to warn you that your bid is too low and is unlikely to be accepted before you bid. Don't believe them. Submit a low bid & see what happens.

    Worst case scenario is you take the price on hotwire.
     
  10. KJIM

    KJIM Well-Known Member

    As has been stated already, if you don't show for a leg of your flight, the rest of the itinerary gets canceled.

    But why would you? It's $100 v. a rental car (with all the fees that go along with it) and a total of four hours driving. That's not exactly a savings, especially if you're talking a few days.

    Were you aready getting a rental car? That'd make more sense, I guess.
     
  11. I had never thought it through this far with these sites. Quality post, here. Thanks.
     
  12. deskslave

    deskslave Active Member

    It's a nonstop either way. He wants to go to St. Louis. For reasons that make no damn sense (sorry, they don't), it's cheaper to add a flight to Indianapolis.
     
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