What happens if I schedule a flight lets say to Frankfurt with a connection in Amsterdam. I don't check any luggage, and I stay in Amsterdam with my carryon bag. My departure flight is from Frankfurt a few days latter and I get there by train. Do they cancel my departure ticket out of spite or anything?

Sorry if I sound a little confused....but how does that save you money?

I want to go to Amsterdam. A flight to Amsterdam from the U.S. for me is about $900. A flight to Frankfurt is about $600. Basically, I have found what looks like a good deal to Frankfurt, but not Amsterdam. I don't know much about Frankfurt but it can't be all that bad. It probally definitely worth a day or two of my time, at the beginning or end of my trip.

Frankfurt has several FKKs nearby that are quite popular on this board. The FKKs alone might be a good reason to land in Frankfurt.

I think it may vary by airline, but I don't think so.

My only experience with this situation was with Southwest - I was to travel home one weekend but stayed at the business site instead.

I flew home the following Friday on my regularly scheduled ticket home, despite missing that "in-between" trip back.

Granted, this is assuming you do depart from Fr. as you are scheduled to, which is how I read your message. If you were to tr to get on board in Ams you,d probably have no luck.

But is the time and train fare worth that difference? never booked a train between the two, so don't know...

The train ticket would cost $150 US. That would be a lot of trouble, plus a boring train ride to save $150.

Don't you think it would be a rather nice train ride?

you should be able to get a train one-way for €50 2nd class if you book a few days in advance, but you'll end up queueing at Centraal Station for around an hour at the moment. At non-vacatoin times the line is not so long.

The general deal with cheap returns is that the first travel leg must be flown or you can't take the return leg. Now you have a stop-over and will have flown the bigger part of the journey, but not the full journey, so theoretically they could legally refuse to take you back.

Why don't you call the airline (KLM?) and ask, you could always talk about potential famly problems, your brother may be in Amsterdam and you may meet up with him but it's not yet cetain... blah blah...

You found a deal that takes you to Frankfurt via Amsterdam which is cheaper than just Amsterdam?
There's nothing to stop you getting off in Amsterdam, but they will almost definitely cancel the return leg.

Exactly. It is $350US cheaper to continue to Frankfurt than to go straight to Amsterdam.

Thanks for all the posts. I won't be trying it if it is possible for them to cancel my return flight.

I might just fly in and out of Frankfurt, or maybe I won't go at all. Thanks again. I wasn't planning to go until November, but didn't want to miss out on a deal. There is no way I am paying $950, but $600 is a bargain right now as far as I can tell.

If it is $350 cheaper that flying in to Amsterdam, then I would consider flying into Frankfurt and taking an ICE train to Amsterdam. The fare has to be a heck of lot less than $ 350, and you get to see Frankfurt if you so desire. One thing I do know is that the ICE trains leave right out of the Frankfurt airport, so you'll have no hassle about getting to a train - and riding those trains is a great experience.

I think what your saying is Phantom cities. Book a flight XXX-YYY-ZZZ, but only use the XXX-YYY portion?

If not apologies; if you are; most airlines have become smart to this idea recently and as such if your found to be doing it, some will hit you with a penalty fare or/and cancel your return flight completely regardless.

Good idea back in the day; but no so anymore :( Shame really with the £$€ mess as it is.

Why don't you check out flying into one and returning from the other? That might get the fare down and avoid a round trip train ride.

--CC Lady

That is a good idea. I'm actually finding cheaper flights to Amsterdam now.

The space from the last week of August (25th-ish) to the first-second week of September has always been a cheaper transatlantic period. Check it out.

bubblesinthepark is right, although what you suggest would have been fine years ago, the airlines got wise to this practice and, depending on the airline, may very well cancel your return trip.

I used to do this to get around their fare structure (it's so ridiculously stupid how the airlines set their fares) until one time on Continental- they told me if I wasn't on the flights as booked the return portion would be canceled. I was like, "what do you care, if anything I'm giving you an empty seat to sell for that leg??" but they're simply bastards... what are you gonna do? You could feign ignorance and say you missed your connecting flight etc. and try dealing with customer service, but you'd be taking a chance.

Good luck-

I noticed that flying into Amsterdam and departing out of Dusseldorf or Frankfurt is knocking a couple hundred dollars off the price of the flights I am looking at.