Longer Route - Far Lower Fare - Options?

In researching fares for a CID-MSP trip I need to take 2/11-15, the
roundtrips are all rediculous - well over $500 each. I was looking at
alternatives and noticed a CID-MCI roundtrip that went through MSP for
$276. I was fired up at my good fortune until a colleague told me
that if you skip the second leg of a booked trip, the airlines cancel
the entire rest of your itinerary. Can anyone confirm this? If it's
true are there any workarounds for this? It's patently absurd that
CID-MSP is $550 while CID-MSP-MCI is $276. Suggestions anyone?

Rick

It also seems that cancelling the return leg(s) would amount to theft
by the airline. If I've paid for the ticket, all legs of it should
belong to me, presumably to take or leave as I see fit. If the
airlines do indeed do this, is there any legal ground to stand on as
far as ownership of those remaining legs? Has anyone ever challenged
this practice in court?

The name for this is "hidden city" fares and from what I've read airlines
will cancel the remainder of your booking if you "miss" the second
(outbound) leg. Potential ways around this possibility is to book 2 one-way
fares, don't use your frequent flier number, and of course, don't check
luggage.

"Rick" wrote in message
...
Has anyone ever challenged this practice in court?

On p. 59 of
http://books.google.com/books?id=hbM...bV cE#PPA1,M1
published in 2000, the answer is no.

TEP wrote:

"Rick" wrote in message
...

Has anyone ever challenged this practice in court?


On p. 59 of
http://books.google.com/books?id=hbM...bV cE#PPA1,M1
published in 2000, the answer is no.



Why not just link to page 59, instead of PPA1 (page 1?)
http://books.google.com/books?id=hbM...V cE#PPA59,M1

I don't see anywhere on that page where it is claimed this was never
challenged in court.
In any case, it is 2008, so even if the book had claimed such, it could
be outdated.

In article ,
Rick wrote:

If I've paid for the ticket, all legs of it should
belong to me, presumably to take or leave as I see fit.

This is pretty much how full-fare tickets work (not quite, but
close enough). You can also get a discount by giving up some of
this flexibility. Apparently, this is the kind of ticket you found.

If the airlines do indeed do this, is there any legal ground to stand on as
far as ownership of those remaining legs? Has anyone ever challenged
this practice in court?

Why would anyone challenge this practice in court? You can buy a
full-fare ticket and the legs are yours to take or leave as you see
fit, or you can voluntarily give up your right to not take some of
the legs in exchange for a fare discount. What's not to like here?

VS wrote:
In article ,
Rick wrote:


If I've paid for the ticket, all legs of it should
belong to me, presumably to take or leave as I see fit.


This is pretty much how full-fare tickets work (not quite, but
close enough). You can also get a discount by giving up some of
this flexibility. Apparently, this is the kind of ticket you found.


If the airlines do indeed do this, is there any legal ground to stand on as
far as ownership of those remaining legs? Has anyone ever challenged
this practice in court?


Why would anyone challenge this practice in court? You can buy a
full-fare ticket and the legs are yours to take or leave as you see
fit, or you can voluntarily give up your right to not take some of
the legs in exchange for a fare discount. What's not to like here?


I guess this is the same kind of person that buys 12 and under ticket
when their kid is 14. It's that believe that as long as I am not caught,
then I am perfectly ok.