Comments on: What’s the deal with those silly multi-stop flights? http://www.elliott.org/blog/whats-the-deal-with-those-silly-multi-stop-flights/ Consumer advocate Christopher Elliott's site. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:25:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Multi Stop Flights http://www.elliott.org/blog/whats-the-deal-with-those-silly-multi-stop-flights/comment-page-1/#comment-47037 Multi Stop Flights Fri, 03 Sep 2010 12:07:18 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/blog/whats-the-deal-with-those-silly-multi-stop-flights/#comment-47037 This article is great 4 me as I fly so much I am always trying to save money but you give a good point is it really worth it when you have to fly for longer Callum This article is great 4 me as I fly so much I am always trying to save money but you give a good point is it really worth it when you have to fly for longer

Callum

]]> By: Joe http://www.elliott.org/blog/whats-the-deal-with-those-silly-multi-stop-flights/comment-page-1/#comment-4282 Joe Mon, 08 Oct 2007 10:28:16 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/blog/whats-the-deal-with-those-silly-multi-stop-flights/#comment-4282 I'll go one better. Why do travel sites like Travelocity, Expedia and Orbitz keep trying to sell me itins on multiple airlines? I'm not talking code shares or commuter carriers, I mean like United from Chicago to Newark then Continental from Newark to London. And the connection time was something like 30 minutes, too. My personal favorite, from many years ago, involved taking United from Chicago to Cincinnati, then Delta from Cincinnati to Philadelphia, and on the return taking Northwest from Philadelphia to Detroit, then American from Detroit to Chicago. Is it really that hard to add the option to keep the displayed itins to one airline, without having to limit our searches to one airline at a time? If something went wrong on the above mentioned trip to Philadelphia, who would be responsible? Where would I go to get it straightened out? This has become less of a problem as of late, but it still shows up often enough to drive me away. I’ll go one better. Why do travel sites like Travelocity, Expedia and Orbitz keep trying to sell me itins on multiple airlines? I’m not talking code shares or commuter carriers, I mean like United from Chicago to Newark then Continental from Newark to London. And the connection time was something like 30 minutes, too. My personal favorite, from many years ago, involved taking United from Chicago to Cincinnati, then Delta from Cincinnati to Philadelphia, and on the return taking Northwest from Philadelphia to Detroit, then American from Detroit to Chicago. Is it really that hard to add the option to keep the displayed itins to one airline, without having to limit our searches to one airline at a time? If something went wrong on the above mentioned trip to Philadelphia, who would be responsible? Where would I go to get it straightened out?

This has become less of a problem as of late, but it still shows up often enough to drive me away.

]]> By: Logan http://www.elliott.org/blog/whats-the-deal-with-those-silly-multi-stop-flights/comment-page-1/#comment-3660 Logan Wed, 26 Sep 2007 02:21:13 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/blog/whats-the-deal-with-those-silly-multi-stop-flights/#comment-3660 Did this on US air through Orbitz this summer. Flew SDF-DCA-CLT-PBI, except that I missed my CLT-PBI connection due to a DCA ground hold. So I had to fly home to FLL. The cost for me and my sister? $220. Did this on US air through Orbitz this summer. Flew SDF-DCA-CLT-PBI, except that I missed my CLT-PBI connection due to a DCA ground hold. So I had to fly home to FLL. The cost for me and my sister? $220.

]]> By: Joe F. http://www.elliott.org/blog/whats-the-deal-with-those-silly-multi-stop-flights/comment-page-1/#comment-3635 Joe F. Tue, 25 Sep 2007 18:47:59 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/blog/whats-the-deal-with-those-silly-multi-stop-flights/#comment-3635 That was me with the original post - and how about this one - Hartford - Savannah, GA = about 700nm. BDL-PHL-CLT-SAV - sure - it was USAir through 2 hubs and 9 hours. I fly my own airplane and can ALWAYS beat any connection on that route and I'm flying 1/3 the speed. But I'm going nonstop. The cross county ones [where I would fly] are very interesting - I saw one [BDL-IAH-DAL-LAS-LAX] that was $100 cheaper roundtrip that the BDL-ORD-LAX one. And you changed airlines in Dallas and had a 67 minute connecton from Continental to American - think you'd make that connection? As for the comment about multi-leg routing counting toward segment credit for elite status - not at all true. There is not a single carrier that gives you segment credit for multi-stop routings toward a destination any longer. A segment is a continuous routing on a itinerary from one point to another with less than a 6-12 hour layover at any intermediate segment. Or any portion of an itinerary in the same cardinal direction within a 24 hour period. They have the fine print down to a science. Now, that being said, I HAVE seen some itineraries on Expedia and Travelocity which have you fly from Hartford to Savannah with a 9-10 hour layover at a hub - OVERNIGHT. Go ahead, run the fare finder and you'll pick them right up. BDL-CLT lv BDL 9.30pm arrive CLT 11.15, connect at CLT @ 6.30am for Savannah, arriving at 8am. How aboout that one. I bet they do not sell alot of those tickets to anyone paying attention, unless they need a quick night time stop over to visit someone in the hub city. That was me with the original post – and how about this one – Hartford – Savannah, GA = about 700nm. BDL-PHL-CLT-SAV – sure – it was USAir through 2 hubs and 9 hours. I fly my own airplane and can ALWAYS beat any connection on that route and I’m flying 1/3 the speed. But I’m going nonstop. The cross county ones [where I would fly] are very interesting – I saw one [BDL-IAH-DAL-LAS-LAX] that was $100 cheaper roundtrip that the BDL-ORD-LAX one. And you changed airlines in Dallas and had a 67 minute connecton from Continental to American – think you’d make that connection?

As for the comment about multi-leg routing counting toward segment credit for elite status – not at all true. There is not a single carrier that gives you segment credit for multi-stop routings toward a destination any longer. A segment is a continuous routing on a itinerary from one point to another with less than a 6-12 hour layover at any intermediate segment. Or any portion of an itinerary in the same cardinal direction within a 24 hour period. They have the fine print down to a science.

Now, that being said, I HAVE seen some itineraries on Expedia and Travelocity which have you fly from Hartford to Savannah with a 9-10 hour layover at a hub – OVERNIGHT. Go ahead, run the fare finder and you’ll pick them right up.

BDL-CLT lv BDL 9.30pm arrive CLT 11.15, connect at CLT @ 6.30am for Savannah, arriving at 8am. How aboout that one. I bet they do not sell alot of those tickets to anyone paying attention, unless they need a quick night time stop over to visit someone in the hub city.

]]> By: Ed http://www.elliott.org/blog/whats-the-deal-with-those-silly-multi-stop-flights/comment-page-1/#comment-3614 Ed Tue, 25 Sep 2007 16:23:31 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/blog/whats-the-deal-with-those-silly-multi-stop-flights/#comment-3614 I've booked multi-legged trips many, many times (just recently round trip to and from hawaii and the east coast where the return flight was 5 legs!) and have never had a problem with checked luggage or missed flights. the trick is that I make sure that I have at a minimum 45 minutes between flights and that I avoid multiple airlines. In fact, sometimes I look forward to layovers in order to "visit" a city I wouldn't otherwise think of visiting. The last trip to Hawaii, I purposefully selected an 8 hour layover in San Francisco just so I could visit for the day and get a feel for if this is some place I would like to vacation at some day in the future. I've been flying for over 45 years (I was almost born in an airplane) and have logged over a million miles in the air and I have to say, other than a nasty flight on Pakistan airlines (lavatory overflowing into the aisles) I have had no problems (knock on wood) of anykind when it comes to flying...And I don't mind multi-leg trips...I like airports and as a kid would "hand out" at Dulles airport just for the heck of it! Ed web/gadget guru I’ve booked multi-legged trips many, many times (just recently round trip to and from hawaii and the east coast where the return flight was 5 legs!) and have never had a problem with checked luggage or missed flights. the trick is that I make sure that I have at a minimum 45 minutes between flights and that I avoid multiple airlines. In fact, sometimes I look forward to layovers in order to “visit” a city I wouldn’t otherwise think of visiting. The last trip to Hawaii, I purposefully selected an 8 hour layover in San Francisco just so I could visit for the day and get a feel for if this is some place I would like to vacation at some day in the future.
I’ve been flying for over 45 years (I was almost born in an airplane) and have logged over a million miles in the air and I have to say, other than a nasty flight on Pakistan airlines (lavatory overflowing into the aisles) I have had no problems (knock on wood) of anykind when it comes to flying…And I don’t mind multi-leg trips…I like airports and as a kid would “hand out” at Dulles airport just for the heck of it!
Ed
web/gadget guru

]]> By: Tim http://www.elliott.org/blog/whats-the-deal-with-those-silly-multi-stop-flights/comment-page-1/#comment-3602 Tim Tue, 25 Sep 2007 14:06:08 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/blog/whats-the-deal-with-those-silly-multi-stop-flights/#comment-3602 Some people purposefully choose multi-segment flights to speed up achieving higher service levels in frequent flier plans, or to earn miles. if you can take a 6-leg flight to vegas for that bachelor party, and 6-legs back, and that puts you halfway to preferred status, then why not? as long as it's not a time sensitive trip, and you're not checking luggage... Some people purposefully choose multi-segment flights to speed up achieving higher service levels in frequent flier plans, or to earn miles. if you can take a 6-leg flight to vegas for that bachelor party, and 6-legs back, and that puts you halfway to preferred status, then why not? as long as it’s not a time sensitive trip, and you’re not checking luggage…

]]> By: Peter http://www.elliott.org/blog/whats-the-deal-with-those-silly-multi-stop-flights/comment-page-1/#comment-3589 Peter Tue, 25 Sep 2007 11:05:33 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/blog/whats-the-deal-with-those-silly-multi-stop-flights/#comment-3589 They also do it because usually one of those segments goes through a hub - actually winds up saving the carrier money if they do, since they can squeeze more people on smaller jets. (Think CO and all of their Embreairs out of IAH and EWR They also do it because usually one of those segments goes through a hub – actually winds up saving the carrier money if they do, since they can squeeze more people on smaller jets. (Think CO and all of their Embreairs out of IAH and EWR

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