Air Canada - skip leg?

[RickT]

Hope I have the terminology correct.  Been looking at flights to Australia and have noticed flights via Air Canada (via YVR) are significantly cheaper if using LAX as the departure city.  It still makes financial sense to fly into LAX and spend a day and the. Connect into Sydney but it would save a lot of time if on the return flight I got off in YVR rather than continuing onto LAX.  
 

Given today’s baggage/customs process I believe I would be unable to short check my luggage to YVR nor would I have an opportunity to otherwise pick up my luggage. 
 

Just wondering if anyone has YVR experience.  Difference in airfare (even with a stop in LAX is $1,200-$1,500 cdn). 
 

TIA

[256Contrast]

More experienced fliers will most likely have better answers.

I'm pretty sure airlines frown very heavily on this. Legal? I don't know. Can they cause you problems? Yes, especially if you are a very frequent flier.

 

Now, have you checked into using a FedEx or DHL type company to ship your luggage back to your house? Then you wouldn't have to worry about checked luggage.

[RickT]

Frowned upon yes, illegal no.  Have done it a few times over the years but generally when doing carry on only.  Given the suitcase and having to deal with customs and immigration I believe it will be pretty difficult.  
 

And yes, I’ve looked into having my bag shipped but the price is pretty astronomical.  Still searching for other options to deal with this. 

[em-sk]

9 hours ago, RickT said:

Frowned upon yes, illegal no.  Have done it a few times over the years but generally when doing carry on only.  Given the suitcase and having to deal with customs and immigration I believe it will be pretty difficult.  
 

And yes, I’ve looked into having my bag shipped but the price is pretty astronomical.  Still searching for other options to deal with this. 

 

Yes, you can short check your bags to Vancouver and not have them tagged to fo onto LAX.   If the flight from YVR to LAX is the not the last leg on your ticket you should expect all subsequent legs to be cancelled. 

 

The one tricky thing about short checking a bag is you may not be able to do it at an automated kiosk.  You probably need a human to do it.  The airlines are not doing a great job of training their front line people to deal with these "special cases".  The check in agent may need to ask ask someone for some help if they don't regularly do it.

 

Yes, your basically manipulating the fare rules.  If you do it very infrequently and if asked by the airline you say, "well my plans changes" nothing will come of it.   If your doing it regularly the airline concludes your regularly trying to game the system, then yes they may decide not to sell you any tickets in the future.  

[RickT]

@em-sk

Thanks for the info.  This isn’t something I would do on a regular basis and am only considering because it’s so frustrating to see such a difference in fares if my departure gateway is LAX (I realize AC is just trying to compete with US Airlines that can fly to Sydney direct from LAX). 
 

One of the reasons to short check is to spend a day or two in Vancouver to rest and visit family and friends.  We can also get a direct flight home from Vancouver where we’d need to connect if flying from LAX.  
 

Appreciate the info.  

[Globaliser]

1 hour ago, RickT said:

One of the reasons to short check is to spend a day or two in Vancouver to rest and visit family and friends.  We can also get a direct flight home from Vancouver where we’d need to connect if flying from LAX.

 

If your ticket includes a stopover (ie your Vancouver --> Los Angeles flight is booked for a day or more after you arrive in Vancouver), then you'll have no option but to check your bags only as far as Vancouver.

[6rugrats]

The airline I work for will not short check bags. You absolutely do not get to choose your bag routing on a kiosk.  Your bag will be tagged to its final destination.  This is partially to prevent people from hidden city ticketing, which is a violation of your ticket contract.  For my airline, your bags are checked through, and they do not come out to the carousel at your connecting city, even if you have an overnight stay.

Many of the agents I work with will always submit a fraud report when they suspect a pax of skiplagging.

Edited May 30, 2023 by 6rugrats

[Fairgarth]

On 5/29/2023 at 9:56 AM, RickT said:

Been looking at flights to Australia and have noticed flights via Air Canada (via YVR) are significantly cheaper if using LAX as the departure city.  It still makes financial sense to fly into LAX and spend a day and the. Connect into Sydney but it would save a lot of time if on the return flight I got off in YVR rather than continuing onto LAX.  

 

Sorry, I don't begin to understand the question.  Let me make some assumptions.  If you are starting in Halifax, then your outbound could be YHZ - YYZ - YVR - LAX - SYD for example.  But on the return flight you have SYD - YVR - LAX - YYZ - YHZ.   If you have already made it to YVR coming home, why on earth would you proceed on to LAX if your destination is Halifax?

[RickT]

@Globaliser Looked at stopping overnight in Vancouver however fare increases significantly.  Good idea but unfortunately doesn’t work 🙁

 

@Fairgarth Flight from YHZ to SYD on Air Canada is approx $3,600 (cdn) return depending on dates.  Flights from LAX to SYD (via YVR) on Air Canada are approx $1,400 (cdn) with flights from YHZ to LAX approx $640.  Basically saving $1,500 by routing through LAX.  Savings would be reduced by hotel/meals in LAX but well worth it (not including the fact that breaking up such a long flight isn’t a bad idea). Simply trying to avoid the last leg from YVR to LAX and instead book a direct YVR to YHZ flight. 

[SnowshoeCat]

Have you tried searching "multi-city" instead of "round trip"? For instance, trip 1: YHZ-SYD, trip 2: SYD-YVR ( then rest up in YVR), then trip 3: YVR-YHZ. I've done that returning from Europe, spending a night at a stateside airport hotel, then continue home on the short hop the next morning. The price difference, if any, was minimal.

Edited May 31, 2023 by SnowshoeCat

[RickT]

@SnowshoeCat Trying a few things but it seems AC adjusts to Canadian pricing anytime  Canadian city is input as a routing point.  
 

Qantas just announced a sale so it might simply be best if I fly YHZ-LAX on one ticket and the LAX-SYD on Qantas.  Lots of time and still weighing the options.