You buy a two-leg flight (especially with a layover, and maybe a horrible red-eye for the 2nd leg -- the airline sells the two leg trip cheaper than the straight simple flight) but you only want to use the first leg.

A decade ago, when one-way trips were frequently more expensive (airlines had done that to themselves! it was a policy!) than the round-trip, the simplest version of this trick was to buy r/t and toss the return ticket.

I've no sympathy for United at all. As is well known, United break guitars.

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[QUOTE=Batalov;391259]You buy a two-leg flight (especially with a layover, and maybe a horrible red-eye for the 2nd leg -- the airline sells the two leg trip cheaper than the straight simple flight) but you only want to use the first leg.[/QUOTE]We haven't flown since 1995 and that wasn't even on an airline. In fact, we have never even purchased a ticket. (Uncle Sam always footed the bill.)

Now that we really think about it, we have jumped out of more aircraft than we have landed in!

Anyways, thanks for the explanation. The Warden flies a lot so we will pass the tip to her.

[QUOTE=Batalov;391252]Aw crap, the kid re-discovered the trick that I've been occasionally using for years... :rolleyes:

Note: obviously you can never use the reverse trick - if you don't show up for the first (or any) leg of travel, you are done; the trip is cancelled.[/QUOTE]

Not sure if this loophole still exists but our company sometimes employs out of Province Contractors who worked 1 week on site / 1 week remote.

I recall in the 1990's flights with Saturday layovers were cheaper than without...thinking if you stayed a weekend you would spend money there and help the local economy.

So they would book overlapping round-trip tickets and split them for use, for example:
Book tickets as follows.
Depart Dec 1; Return Dec 12.
Depart Dec 8; Return Dec 19.
Depart Dec 15; Return Dec 26

And use them as follows without having to stay the weekend:
Depart Dec 8; Return Dec 12.
Depart Dec 15; Return Dec 19
etc.

There was a similar 'hack' that I have used in the past. A ticket to a small airport is sometimes much cheaper than the flight to the layover airport.

You buy a ticket to the small airport that has a layover at the stop you want. Don't bring anything but a carry on and get off at the layover and don't board the plane to the very small airport. Can be significantly cheaper.

I would say that petrw1's company's trick, splitting a round trip between different people, is legitimate and quite clever. It's up to the airline to get wise to that one and do something about it if they think they're being tricked out of revenue.

But the rest of you don't impress me so much. Causing airlines to run flights with empty seats is not the best way to combat the global climate crisis. Just saying.:smile:

[QUOTE=Brian-E;391318]I would say that petrw1's company's trick, splitting a round trip between different people, is legitimate and quite clever. It's up to the airline to get wise to that one and do something about it if they think they're being tricked out of revenue.[/QUOTE]I have also done this in the past when I could find the right route. But I stopped doing it after I was once changed to a direct flight instead. I was bumped to a later flight that arrived at a similar time at the final destination. That was a lesson learned the hard way.

I find the USA airports to be very haphazard in the way people take their flights. There always seem to be people waiting on standby, or from some other flights that were cancelled or delayed or something. I don't see that in any other places.

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[QUOTE=Xyzzy;391337][url]http://i.imgur.com/7QLE8kJ.gif[/url][/QUOTE]
A great miracle happened there.