Can I check in at a connecting flight and miss the first flight?
Flights
birdkid asked:
I’m flying from Berlin to Chicago with a layover in London. Is it possible for me to just check in @ the London airport and miss my 1st flight from Berlin to London? I will already be in the UK and don’t want to fly back to Berlin just to catch a flight right back there for a layover.
Erik
I’m flying from Berlin to Chicago with a layover in London. Is it possible for me to just check in @ the London airport and miss my 1st flight from Berlin to London? I will already be in the UK and don’t want to fly back to Berlin just to catch a flight right back there for a layover.
Erik
March 15th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
I don’t think you can do this as the reservation you have was probably booked at the same time and if you miss your first flight the airline might cancel your reservation for the second as well. You might want to contact your airline and let them know ahead of time to avoid this happening.
March 15th, 2009 at 2:34 pm
No, you cannot. The airline will cancel your itinerary when you don’t check in for your first flight. The airline assumes that you’re not flying at all when you fail to check-in, so they don’t hold a reservation on any continuing or return flights.
Depending on the rules for your fare, it may be possible to change your ticket to depart from London. However, you will probably have to pay a change fee and any change in fare. My advice is to call the airline and ask “how much would it cost if I make this change?” Then, you can decide whether you prefer to fly from London to Berlin.
March 16th, 2009 at 12:11 am
It seems to me you should be able to do this. You paid for tickets for both flights, so I don’t think they can penalize you for not using one of them. Nevertheless, you should call the airline to be sure. The fact that it’s an international flight could complicate things.
March 18th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
The airline will cancel the rest of your itinerary if you simply fail to appear for the first flight.
Call the airline and ask if you can miss the first segment and start your trip in London. There may be a fee for changing the ticket, and they may say NO, but it’s worth asking.
March 21st, 2009 at 5:55 pm
Call the airline and ask. There are so many possible combinations and permutations that you will not get a sensible answer here. If you call the airline they will have all your ticketing details in front of them and they can advise whether it is possible and what the cost (if any) might be.