What Happens When I Don Register My Car Within 39 Days

At that place's a lot of misinformation out there nigh what happens when you skip a segment on a flying itinerary. In that location are a variety of reasons people may do this, and so in this post I wanted to expect at that from a few perspectives:

Why people intentionally skip segments on an itinerary
What happens to your ticket if you skip a flight on an itinerary
How to minimize the risk of skipping a flight on an itinerary
The potential consequences of skipping a flight on an itinerary

Note that this is non an endorsement of this exercise, but rather is intended to answer questions that I get all the time.

Why people intentionally skip segments on an itinerary

There are a variety of reasons people may want to skip segments on a flight itinerary, the about basic of which is known as throwaway ticketing.

Every bit we all know, airline pricing tin be completely irrational, and this is largely because of the pricing ability that airlines take in various markets.

Airlines know that they can charge more if they operate a flight nonstop than with a connection (since people value a nonstop), they know that certain cities can sustain higher prices than others (for example, there'south more finance coin in New York than Colombo, and airfare reflects that).

And then how does this play out? Accept for example this Los Angeles to New York to San Juan flying on Delta, which is ~$450 one-fashion in business concern form.

Meanwhile if you lot booked just that same Los Angeles to New York flight, y'all'd pay $200+ more.

If you lot were to book the San Juan itinerary with the intent of getting off in New York, you'd directly be violating Delta's rules, and I recollect anyone who booked that knows exactly what they're doing.

Just let me get to an surface area where people are more genuinely confused. For case, nosotros recently saw mistake fares from Vietnam to North America in Cathay Pacific first & concern class, routing via Hong Kong.

A lot of readers asked "and then could I fly from Vietnam to the US, and on the return become off in Hong Kong rather than going all the way dorsum to Vietnam?"

What happens to your ticket if you skip a flight on an itinerary

Every bit soon as you lot skip a segment on a flight itinerary the remainder of your ticket will exist invalid. At least that's how information technology's supposed to piece of work across the board.

If your unabridged itinerary is on 1 airline then that'southward almost certainly how it's going to be.

However, I've heard of instances where people have had a ticket on interline partners where a segment was skipped and they could still board a flight downwards the line. That's not how information technology'south supposed to exist, and it doesn't happen consistently, just I have heard of some instances of information technology happening, and I imagine that comes downwardly to some airline systems just not communicating well.

But assume that if you skip a segment on an itinerary, your itinerary will exist canceled. This isn't an outcome if you're booking a one-manner and skip the final segment, just for example, you couldn't book a roundtrip, skip the concluding segment of the outbound, and still look to take the return portion of the trip.

How to minimize the risk of skipping a flight on an itinerary

If you know you're planning on skipping a segment on an itinerary, make sure you don't check bags, or at to the lowest degree make sure you are able to check your bags through to the destination you intend to wing to.

Nigh airlines accept a policy confronting brusque checking bags, significant if you were flying from Los Angeles to Hong Kong to Hanoi, you're typically not allowed to pick upward your bags in Hong Kong. The exception is if you have a long layover, in which case you may be able to practice so.

Also brand sure you lot don't have to gate cheque your bag, because it would be rough to observe that bag will exist sent to your concluding destination if you take no intent of really flight there.

Furthermore, keep in mind that you'll all the same need to run into the travel requirements for the destination yous're booked to travel to.

In other words, if yous accept a ticket from the US to Vietnam via Hong Kong booked, wait that y'all'll need a Vietnamese visa in lodge to board your Hong Kong bound flying in the The states. Saying "oh, I don't intend to fly there" isn't an acceptable reply.

Lastly, if you lot're going to do this, make sure you don't end up making indistinguishable bookings on one airline that are scheduled to depart around the same fourth dimension.

Using the aforementioned US to Vietnam via Hong Kong instance, you're not going to want to be booked on a flight from Hong Kong to Hanoi that leaves around the same time as a flight yous booked on that same airline to somewhere else, as those might exist marked as indistinguishable bookings.

My one other tip involves using your frequent flyer number for your itinerary, and then stay tuned for that.

The potential consequences of skipping a flight on an itinerary

Let me get-go by maxim that I'k not a lawyer, so I'm only sharing my take every bit someone who (commonly) has some mutual sense and is pretty familiar with airline rules. Also keep in heed that different countries have unlike laws.

So, what are the potential consequences of skipping a segment on an itinerary?

It'south non illegal

Skipping a segment on an itinerary isn't illegal in whatever state that I know of. I think this is worth clarifying because in the airline industry "illegal" is often used in a way that has nothing to do with laws.

For example, an "illegal connection" is one where there isn't plenty time to connect, per the airline rules. If you find yourself having an illegal connection, you don't demand to expect the constabulary to encounter the flight. 😉

Using any throwaway ticketing techniques would at most exist a contract dispute, then there's nothing inherently illegal hither 1 way or another, as far every bit I know. And as I'll explain below, in some countries information technology's actually completely legal and supported by court cases.

It (typically) violates the airline contract of carriage

While non illegal, intentionally skipping segments on an itinerary does nearly always violates airlines' contracts of carriage.

For case, here's what American'south contract of wagon says regarding this:

Reservations made to exploit or circumvent fare and ticket rules are strictly prohibited.

Examples include (but are non limited to):

Purchase a ticket without intending to fly all flights to proceeds lower fares (hidden cities)

Buy a ticket without intent to travel, including to gain access to our airport lounges or other facilities

Combine ii or more roundtrip excursion fares end-to-end to circumvent minimum stay requirements (back-to-back ticketing)

Volume a ticket in someone's name without the person's consent (which is illegal)

Concur reservations for reasons including securing upgrades, blocking seats or obtaining lower fares

If we detect show that you lot or your agent are using an exploitive practice, we reserve the right to:

Abolish any unused part of the ticket

Refuse to let the passenger wing and check bags

Non refund an otherwise refundable ticket

Charge you lot for what the ticket would take cost if you hadn't booked it fraudulently.

How an airline could try to punish you

So if you practise decide to skip a segment, how could an airline punish yous?

They could punish you in regards to your frequent flyer account, since that'south something that'southward 100% inside their control, as they ain the program and the miles
An airline could endeavor to sue you, but the effort required would exist extreme, and information technology's questionable if they'd win; this all depends on the country also, considering in Spain a courtroom actually ruled that airlines couldn't punish passengers for throwaway ticketing

Ane of import affair to keep in mind is that the airline would take to testify intent here. In other words, they'd accept to prove that you were trying to "exploit or circumvent fare and ticket rules."

There are plenty of other situations where someone may be skipping a segment. Peradventure they accidentally fell asleep in the terminal and missed their flight, perhaps they became sick and couldn't fly, maybe they had a genuine alter in plans, etc.

So it'south all nearly intent, and that's non something that's necessarily like shooting fish in a barrel to prove in court, unless someone makes a habit of it.

My take on all of this

This mail service isn't at all an endorsement of any throwaway ticketing techniques, but rather is intended to address the endless number of questions I've received near this, in particular following the recent Cathay Pacific fare.

If yous are going to engage in some sort of throwaway ticketing (which near airlines prohibit, but several courts accept ruled is permissible), my general communication is:

Make sure yous're not checking numberless, and make sure your carry-ons are within the size limits and that you board early on, then that you're not forced to gate bank check them to your final destination
Like everything in life, moderation is key; if you do this once with an airline, chances are they won't intendance, while if you do this constantly, they will likely accept note
If yous are going to exercise this, I'd recommend doing it with a dissimilar airline than the one yous're crediting the miles to, since the near probable punishment from the airline would involve your frequent flyer account; that risk isn't there if y'all're crediting miles to another frequent flyer program, for example

Anyhow, that'southward my full general take, and hopefully that answers some of the virtually mutual questions I get on the topic.

If you lot have any other questions or firsthand experiences to share, I'd love to hear them!