<p>SCUAlum is right. The airlines are on to this. You asked what might happen, we’re telling you. We’re not defending the practice, just telling you like it is. The odds are not in your favor and there is a significant chance you’d get caught, leaving you out that money and having to buy a one-way “fresh” on the spot. Additionally, since you’re talking Southwest, you’d be at Midway Airport and not even be able to “shop around” to other airlines like you would at O’Hare. </p>
<p>I fly Chicago / Phila frequently on business. If Balto doesn’t work, you might consider Newark for your return leg. Just a thought.</p>
<p>I’m an NU alum myself so as a favor to an NU parent, worst that happens, call me and you can crash at my place :-).</p>
<p>When you check in online for your outbound flight you will print e tickets for the 2 legs, Phil-StL and StL -Chicago. Southwest will know you ditched your flight when they page your name in StL if you do not appear 20 minutes before takeoff. This is to find you as well they need to release your seat for a standby passenger. People have been ditching SWA second legs for decades. It wasn’t a big problem until after 9/11. Best case scenario-you board for your return flight home and no problemo. Worst: the computer cancels your outbound flight and you need to buy one last minute. Is it really worth 20 bucks for all this hubbub?</p>
<p>I have emailed Southwest and simply asked their policy. If they reply, I will keep you posted.</p>
<p>It’s funny how the airlines can overbook at will, yet consumers cannot shop around for the best price at will. I have paid for my ticket and I should be able to use my ticket as I see fit. </p>
<p>As I said, no decisions yet, but very interesting to say the least.</p>
<p>Yes, you should be able to use it as you see fit. We’re not defending the practice, and we too all think it’s silly that the “longer” flight is cheaper than the first-leg-only. My business partner and I run into this often when traveling on business. Nonetheless, it is what it is. I don’t know why you’re apparently ticked at us – you asked for advice and we’re telling you the risks! Heck, I HOPE you’re able to pull it off! I just wouldn’t feel right not warning you that you run a significant risk of having the back-end flights cancelled.</p>
<p>All right I admit it … this is all my fault. I mean all we were trying to do was save a little money. Our non-profit periodically sent four to a (required) meeting in Charleston. Price for a Hartford to Charleston flight connecting in Atlanta: $1800. Price for Hartford to Atlanta: $450. Price for Hartford to Tampa connecting in Atlanta: $185. So we’d book to Tampa, get off in Atlanta and rent a car for the drive to Charleston. We figured the six grand we saved on each trip was better spent on our clients. But look what’s happened. I’M SO SORRY.</p>
<p>kliebo - I just checked Expedia. The cheapest “same day” flight from Chicago/Midway to Philadelphia is $234. So if you lose the return, that’s your additional cost. By skipping the MDW to STL leg you save $20. That makes your Risk<em>Cost to Risk</em>Savings ratio what, almost twelve to one? Sure you might “slip through.” I’m just saying …</p>
<p>Welcome to the wacky world of airline pricing. The length of the flight really has nothing to do with the pricing… it’s purely a supply and demand game. How many seats are available and how badly to people want those seats. </p>
<p>Furthermore, some airlines like to play games with roundtrip prices rather than pricing a roundtrip as two separate flights. The classic one there is the old ‘Saturday night stay’… namely assuming that if you’re not staying over a Saturday night on your round trip then you must be a business traveler and will be willing to pay more for the ticket. </p>
<p>However, there are often easy (and perfectly legit) ways to manipulate the booking system to get much lower prices. With some airlines it’s a game and there are lots of $$$ that can be saved if you know how to counteract their tricks. </p>
<p>For example, I recently saved several hundred bucks on two rountrips during the week by booking the tickets in a ‘piggybacking’ fashion. (e.g. rather than booking two round trips Mon-Fri on two consecutive weeks I booked one ticket Mon - Fri two weeks away and the other Fri - following Monday in the reverse direction… because this incorporated sat night stays into the trips the prices were about 40% less, but that ‘stay’ was at home). I flew on all the flights as booked, but simply managed to outsmart their pricing engine and save a bunch of $$$ simply by booking the flights in a different order.</p>
<p>It sounds like from the OP that the ticket has not been purchased yet. If this is correct, just buy them separately, it will not change the price under the Southwest one-way only system.</p>