Quick air travel question

[finishthehat]

I want to get from, say, Dallas to New York.

It's $100 bucks cheaper to fly Dallas-Boston, with a connecting flight in New York.

So the plan would be to get the cheaper flight, get off the plane in NY and not continue on to Boston.

With all the 9/11 security crap, will that come back to bite me in the ass at all? Get my name on some kind of security list?

Thanks for any info............

 

[write then drink]

don't know about the security question but it's worth spending $100 extra to avoid changing planes at Logan and getting to NYC a few hours later

 

[Moderator1]

Your round trip will have you starting back in Boston.

 

[EStreetJoe]

I want to get from, say, Dallas to New York.

It's $100 bucks cheaper to fly Dallas-Boston, with a connecting flight in New York.

So the plan would be to get the cheaper flight, get off the plane in NY and not continue on to Boston.

With all the 9/11 security crap, will that come back to bite me in the ass at all? Get my name on some kind of security list?

Thanks for any info............

I don't know if you'd be added to any watch lists, but if you got off a Dallas-to-Boston flight during the changeover in NYC, it could raise some flags and might get you a visit from the police.

For instance if the flight attendants were paying attention and saw you walking off the plane with your carry-on bag and then not return, the flight could be delayed while all the stowed luggage is offloaded and checked to make sure you didn't leave a dangerous checked bag aboard. Or other security stuff could happen.

But I'm surprised its cheaper for the full Dallas-to-Boston flight than it is simply for Dallas-to-NYC leg of the flight before it continues on to Boston.

 

[finishthehat]

don't know about the security question but it's worth spending $100 extra to avoid changing planes at Logan and getting to NYC a few hours later

No, the idea is I wouldn't go to Boston at all. Instead of walking through JFK to the connecting flight to Boston, I'll just walk out the front door of JFK.

Moddy -- no round trip. Coming back from Baltimore.

 

[ThomsonONE]

The airlines are aware of this and do not allow it. If you do not board the NY - Boston flight, the airlines will send you a bill for the price difference that you saved by not buying a ticket direct to NY. If you don't pay it, they won't let you fly on their airline until you do. This is not considered a trivial thing by the airlines, they take this VERY seriously. Don't do it.

 

[OTD]

As long as you don't check bags, it shouldn't be a problem. If you miss a leg of a trip, it cancels the whole reservation. If you're leaving BWI on the same airline as you flew to Boston New York on, that would mess you up.

People do this a lot . . . airlines seldom do what ThomsonONE says, although they have tried in the past and technically have the right to do it.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

Don't do it... I did it once and it turned into a ****ing nightmare...

If you get brave and do it, swear to the airline that you missed the last leg and decided to drive the rest of the way. That's the only way you can get out of it. I still wouldn't do it...

 

[SixToe]

Try it and let us know how it works out.

 

[OTD]

Don't do it... I did it once and it turned into a ****ing nightmare...

If you get brave and do it, swear to the airline that you missed the last leg and decided to drive the rest of the way. That's the only way you can get out of it. I still wouldn't do it...

Tell them you missed the flight because you were stuck in the can because of your "wide stance"

 

[trifectarich]

I've done this before and no one has ever sent me a bill for any unflown segments. As far as the airline knows, you had a heart attack and were rushed to the ER.

Do it.

 

[finishthehat]

Don't do it... I did it once and it turned into a ****ing nightmare...

If you get brave and do it, swear to the airline that you missed the last leg and decided to drive the rest of the way. That's the only way you can get out of it. I still wouldn't do it...

I've done this before and no one has ever sent me a bill for any unflown segments. As far as the airline knows, you had a heart attack and were rushed to the ER.

Do it.

We have a consenus!!!!

FWIW, the Baltimore flight's on a different airline.

 

[Ace]

Don't do it... I did it once and it turned into a ****ing nightmare...

If you get brave and do it, swear to the airline that you missed the last leg and decided to drive the rest of the way. That's the only way you can get out of it. I still wouldn't do it...

I've done this before and no one has ever sent me a bill for any unflown segments. As far as the airline knows, you had a heart attack and were rushed to the ER.

Do it.

We have a consenus!!!!

FWIW, the Baltimore flight's on a different airline.

finito,

If you do go this foolhardy route, don't just disappear.

Come back to the connecting flight in a very revealing outfit so they kick you off the plane.

Or demand they hold up the flight while you run to get a yogurt-covered pretzel.

Let them be the bad guy. Got it?

 

[Angola!]

If you fly Southwest it doesn't matter. You just get a credit, though I would let them know you won't be making that leg of your journey. I did this recently on a flight and now I have $200 credit with Southwest.

 

[Captain_Kirk]

Well, there's some folks on this thread who have obviously done it, but I'd recommend against it. Pre 9-11, this occurred all the time. Post 9-11, the airlines and the government get a little ansy when there are people not where they are supposed to be in a secure area of an airport. My guess is your name will at least end up on a list that may or may not get looked at.

And it's only New York and Boston. Not like they'd have any special reason to be concerned about people's travelling habits.

 

[markvid]

I go back and forth on this.
Yesterday, I cashed in USAirways miles to get home early from St. Louis-Pittsburgh. (I'm glad I did, team got home 11 hours after I did).
Anyway, instead of using just 12,500 miles to do it, USAir said it had to be a round trip for 25,000, so she booked me from Pittsburgh-St. Louis this morning, which I didn't use. She said just skip that flight, and I have a year to use it, and can change even the destination.
I guess it depends on the airline as to the red flags.

 

[Armchair_QB]

This has nothing to do with 9-11 security measures but airlines can cancel your return if you no show for a leg of your flight and don't notify them. That shouldn't apply to you since you're using a different airline to return home though.

If you're worried about it just hang around the airport and walk up to the gate for the Boston flight about 10 minutes after it leaves. Make up some excuse as to why you missed the flight.

 

[Ace]

I go back and forth on this.
Yesterday, I cashed in USAirways miles to get home early from St. Louis-Pittsburgh. (I'm glad I did, team got home 11 hours after I did).
Anyway, instead of using just 12,500 miles to do it, USAir said it had to be a round trip for 25,000, so she booked me from Pittsburgh-St. Louis this morning, which I didn't use. She said just skip that flight, and I have a year to use it, and can change even the destination.
I guess it depends on the airline as to the red flags.

Yes, but airplanes count on people to never get on flights in the first place. They take a dimmer view on losing them halfway to their destination.

 

[BigDog]

If you're checking a bag, you have a problem. You won't be able to get the bag. That bad boy is headed to Boston.

If not, just tell the gate agent -- not an attendant, the gate agent -- when you get off the plane that your plans had to change because of an emergency, and if they'd like to give your seat to Boston to a stand-by passenger, feel free. They'll thank you profusely.

 

[KJIM]

Skip a leg and the rest of your ticket is canceled.

Yes, it's against the rules but unless you make a habit out of it airlines usually don't bother.