Kinda Related to my Carnival Cruise but really a flight question. Need Advice.

Howdy,

Hey need some advice from all of you savy airline folks, I have a dilema that just came up trying to look for a solution here that is reasonably priced. Soooo, going on a Carnival Cruise June 17 - June 24, Dream out of New Orleans. Booked cruise about 8 months ago, bought trip insurance and kept an eye on flights as they are a bit pricey to MSY (New Orleans Airport) from Sacramento Area where we live. Finally hit the jackpot and for my family of 5 found great price on United Airlines for our travel dates (Fly Wed 6/13 return Monday 6/25) for approx. $1835 ($367 pp), normally prices were about $2500 - $2800, so I booked them just three weeks ago. Been watching the prices via Kayak's Airfare alert for 6 Months and our patience paid off...Yeah us!

Then lo and behold it happens, yesterday found out that my work has a mandatory training starting on Monday 6/25 the day we fly back. I already have the day off for Annual Vacation but this training is very important and I really need it for my job so I'm really trying to figure a way to go if at all possible while minimizing impact on our vacation.

So I sat down and looked at the following options and called the travel company for options and pricing as well and this is what I found, FYI we are flying on United Airlines:

Transfer just my portion of the return flight home from MSY to SMF to Sunday June 6/24. This will cost $200 change fee, plus cost of the one way fare $247, total $447.00. No refund on the original booked flight of $365, so total cost $812.

Cancel just me and rebook my portion of entire trip, $400 cancellation fee and then new fare which is about $434 right now, so total cost $834.

Cancel all of our flights and rebook under a new booking number with all of us flying back on Sunday afternoon when ship docks....... uhhh, no, way to expensive j$1000 in cancel fee's plus new airfare

Here is the unknown that I don't know and the travel specialist couldn't/didn't want to answer.... What if I just don't show up on Monday Morning with my family, the four of them fly home monday on our ticket thats already booked. I found a one way flight on southwest from MSY SMF late sunday evening for $174. So essentially fly home for a cost less then United's Cancellation Fee. My fear is that if I'm not there they will make us pay something on Monday for the family to fly home. Sure I would eat the cost of the portion of return flight on United approx. $185 and add cost of the southwest ticket I'm looking at an out of pocket expense of $174 if this plan works. Which is a price I can live with and am fortunate enough we can absorb.

We don't fly much so not sure of the rules etc... how it is it handled when a portion of the party just doesn't show up. I don't want to call United and ask and have them flag our reservation so Your sage advice is needed

The no-show option would be on your return flight right?

It's not illegal but is frowned upon by the airlines.

If you were or are a frequent flier with airline status then the "could" ding you as a frequent flier. But since you're just an occasional flier, there would be no consequence.

However, what does work say?

They offering to pay for any additional fees or costs since they are the reason behind the changes?

If not, go with your no-show plan. If the family member are asked any questions when they check in, just tell them to say you dropped them off and are returning the rental car. You'll be in later to check in.

Then, remember all of this the next time the company needs a favor like working late to meet a deadline or working over the holidays.

That sounds like a great solution. You’re wife could alert the desk agent at the gate desk that you’re not going to make the flight. Your fare will be forfeited and United will fill your seat with someone on the waitlist. Just make sure your seat assignment is the seat you’d want another passenger in.

The no-show option would be on your return flight right?

 

It's not illegal but is frowned upon by the airlines.

 

If you were or are a frequent flier with airline status then the "could" ding you as a frequent flier. But since you're just an occasional flier, there would be no consequence.

 

However, what does work say?

They offering to pay for any additional fees or costs since they are the reason behind the changes?

 

 

 

 

If not, go with your no-show plan. If the family member are asked any questions when they check in, just tell them to say you dropped them off and are returning the rental car. You'll be in later to check in.

Then, remember all of this the next time the company needs a favor like working late to meet a deadline or working over the holidays.

 

 

Note: is any of this covered by travel insurance that could allow you to be reimbursed? Call your insurance provider.

Why would you have to lie about not making a flight??? United sells the seat twice they couldn’t care less if you don’t make a scheduled flight.

You can be a no show for a flight it happens all the time. The only time you will have issues is if you didn't take the starting leg of a roundtrip ticket.

WHOA!!

Lots that doesn't sound right here. So let's take it step by step.

First question - who is this "travel company/specialist"? Are they the cruiseline, an OTA, a consolidator/bucket shop? All that matters.

Second question - what is the fare basis and fare rules for your ticket? Without that info in your possession, you are at the mercy of someone else's knowledge.

Third - just consider that your current ticket for yourself is a sunk cost. Do you know what the residual value of the MSY-SMF portion of the ticket is?

Fourth - Your cancel and start over with UA scenario sounds very wrong. I highly doubt that UA would charge you $400 AND ding you for a completely new ticket. You could just buy the brand new ticket and not bother with the $400. So the advice from the "travel specialist" sounds as though he's an order taker that doesn't know airline tickets and pricing.

From the info you have provided, I wonder why you aren't just talking to UA directly. What do they say about making a change of only your ticket from Monday to Sunday?

If the costs on UA are higher than for WN, do the following: Contact UA to have them separate your ticket from the reservation of the other passengers. Now you have a different locator and record that is not tied to the rest of your party. (And personally, I always go with separate locators for myself and Mrs FT - only if you are getting benefits from a combined itinerary is it worth it, IMO). Buy your WN ticket and fly on Sunday. Now you are a no-show on UA, but the reservation for the rest of the party is unaffected.

Still, there are many unanswered questions and I am suspicious of the numbers and info from your "specialist".

WHOA!!

 

 

 

Lots that doesn't sound right here. So let's take it step by step.

 

 

 

First question - who is this "travel company/specialist"? Are they the cruiseline, an OTA, a consolidator/bucket shop? All that matters.

 

 

 

Second question - what is the fare basis and fare rules for your ticket? Without that info in your possession, you are at the mercy of someone else's knowledge.

 

 

 

Third - just consider that your current ticket for yourself is a sunk cost. Do you know what the residual value of the MSY-SMF portion of the ticket is?

 

 

 

Fourth - Your cancel and start over with UA scenario sounds very wrong. I highly doubt that UA would charge you $400 AND ding you for a completely new ticket. You could just buy the brand new ticket and not bother with the $400. So the advice from the "travel specialist" sounds as though he's an order taker that doesn't know airline tickets and pricing.

 

 

 

From the info you have provided, I wonder why you aren't just talking to UA directly. What do they say about making a change of only your ticket from Monday to Sunday?

 

 

 

If the costs on UA are higher than for WN, do the following: Contact UA to have them separate your ticket from the reservation of the other passengers. Now you have a different locator and record that is not tied to the rest of your party. (And personally, I always go with separate locators for myself and Mrs FT - only if you are getting benefits from a combined itinerary is it worth it, IMO). Buy your WN ticket and fly on Sunday. Now you are a no-show on UA, but the reservation for the rest of the party is unaffected.

 

 

 

Still, there are many unanswered questions and I am suspicious of the numbers and info from your "specialist".

Thanks we booked our flight through Chase travel my credit card company as we used a small portion of our "points" to purchase the ticket so we have to go through that travel agency for any changes we were told

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I'm with flyer talker, you should only have to pay a change fee and any difference in the cost of the ticket. You should not have to lose the original ticket and then purchase an entirely new ticket. We had to change our tickets last December when our cruise was altered. Not only flight times but days and airports changed as well. Change fee and slight increase in fare cost, that's what it cost us. Granted it was AA and not UA but I doubt there would be much difference between the two concerning these fare rules.

Agree, split the reservation so yours is separate from the rest of the family. Then, purchase your return on Southwest and just no show for your return ticket on UA. People miss flights every day.

This explains everything really well: http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/posting

Happy Flights

Agree with everyone saying to purchase the flight on Southwest and no show for your United return flight.

DO NOT tell United you won't be taking your return until AFTER you fly the outbound, or they will make you exchange your ticket from a RT to one way. Better yet, dont tell them at all and your family can let them know at check in that you won't be going.

I manage a travel agency, and we do this all the time for our customers as it is often less expensive than paying the change fee.

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Awesome info thanks

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I am also with "

The advise you were getting sounded weird until you said it was a credit card travel agency.

My experience is with RBC Avion and AMEX Canada. Generally I have found the paid tickets booked through the credit card rewards program can sometimes have some unique rules since the credit card company and airlines sometimes make some special deals. The credit card company also has change fees they charge that are different than the airlines change fees.

I would buy the Southwest ticket and just not check in and show up for the return ticket. If all the tickets are on the same reservation on some airlines when the first person checks in it lets them check everyone in the party. Usually it give you a choice.

Don't waste your time telling United, no one will care, after check in closes for the first flight you miss and your not checked in the rest of your ticket will be cancelled. The other passangers should be fine. If you are worried about them do as "flyer talker" suggests and move yourself onto a different locator.