[Balin] Grumblers blasted overboard

[Balin]

By saving money while planning a trip, Leif wound up making a small profit. How?
Leif = H/A/M

[WiZ]

Did this happen in modern times?

Is Leif planning his own trip? For someone else? If his own, will he be going with someone else? Relevant the destination, length or manner of the trip?

Does he save money by reducing the costs for the trip? Are the costs he saved directly related to the trip? Does he save before the trip is taken?

Does he profit by selling something? Does someone give him money? Is there a mistake or error made?

[KayleeArafinwiel]

Leif Eriksson? Vikings relevant?

[invisiblemimsy]

Method of transport relevant? Aeroplane, ship, boat, helicopter, car, bus, bicycle, horse, shanks's pony? Mountaineering or exploration relevant? Blasted = explosives, guns, bombs, thrown, sworn at? Overboard = side of a ship? Grumblers = people who complain, disagree, other people, not people at all?

Did he do something as simple as get a discount on his ticket/transport then sell it on for more?

[Balin]

Did this happen in modern times? Yes

Is Leif planning his own trip? Yes For someone else? No If his own, will he be going with someone else? No Relevant the destination, length or manner of the trip? Yes to all

Does he save money by reducing the costs for the trip? Yes Are the costs he saved directly related to the trip? Yes Does he save before the trip is taken? Yes

Does he profit by selling something? No Does someone give him money? Yes Is there a mistake or error made? Yope

Leif Eriksson? No Vikings relevant? No

Method of transport relevant? Yes Aeroplane, ship, boat, helicopter, car, bus, bicycle, horse, shanks's pony? Airplane Mountaineering or exploration relevant? No
Blasted = explosives, guns, bombs, thrown, sworn at? No (title has a tangential relevance but can be ignored) Overboard = side of a ship? See previous Grumblers = people who complain, disagree, other people, not people at all? See previous

Did he do something as simple as get a discount on his ticket/transport then sell it on for more? No

[GalFisk]

Tickets relevant? Delays? Compensation? Insurance?

[Balin]

Tickets relevant? Yes Delays? No Compensation? Yes Insurance? No

[irishelk]

Does he save money by: buying a cheaper seat (e.g. economy vs. business)? Using a different airline? Using a different booking service/website? Making a stopover? Or otherwise changing his route? Packing light so he doesn't check any bags?

Does the airline give him money? A fellow passenger? Does he sue anyone? Is he getting a refund of some kind?

[GalFisk]

Does he buy a lower quality service? Was a service relevantly failed to be performed?

[Balin]

Does the airline give him money? Yes A fellow passenger? No Does he sue anyone? No Is he getting a refund of some kind? In a sense - see previous set of answers

Does he save money by: buying a cheaper seat (e.g. economy vs. business)? No Using a different airline? No Using a different booking service/website? No Making a stopover? Yes Or otherwise changing his route? Yes Packing light so he doesn't check any bags? No

Does he buy a lower quality service? No Was a service relevantly failed to be performed? No

[irishelk]

So he saved money by taking a flight that included a stop, rather than a direct flight? Does he arrive at the destination he intended? Does he arrive at a different airport?

He saves the money before taking the trip, but does he make the profit before departing? Does he make money during the stop? After he lands? Does something happen during the stop that the airline must compensate him for? Or does something happen in-flight?

[Balin]

So he saved money by taking a flight that included a stop, rather than a direct flight? Yes, and one other thing Does he arrive at the destination he intended? Yes, beware potential FA Does he arrive at a different airport? No, also beware potential FA

He saves the money before taking the trip, but does he make the profit before departing? No Does he make money during the stop? Yes After he lands? After he lands at the stopover location Does something happen during the stop that the airline must compensate him for? Yes Or does something happen in-flight? No

[Balin]

HINT:
To save money, Leif's trip included a stopover, but also a different destination than his intended one.

[invisiblemimsy]

Did he use more than one airline? Is it cheaper to go by splitting the journey than by going direct? Might one leg of a journey be cheaper than another leg? Did he do this in the airport rather than do it when he books? Do the prices go down just before or during the journey? Did he simply discover during the stopover that he could swap tickets with the airline? Or with another passenger? Did the other passenger compensate him for the swap? Did he complain about something? Was the flight to the original destination delayed? Was the flight to the stopover delayed? Did he miss his connection?

[dukhsan]

Does this involve the trick people have found where they select their real destination as the stopover - which can sometimes be cheaper than going direct - and simply not get on the decoy second flight (perhaps being compensated for 'missing' the second one?)

[Balin]

Does this involve the trick people have found where they select their real destination as the stopover - which can sometimes be cheaper than going direct - and simply not get on the decoy second flight (perhaps being compensated for 'missing' the second one?) Yes.

****SPOILER****

(As recounted by someone on Reddit:)

A few years ago I was flying from Detroit to Charlotte. Prices were higher than I would have liked, so I checked a couple of other nearby destinations. Found that a flight to Greensboro (two hours away by car) was much cheaper, yet somehow still connected through Charlotte (Detroit -> Charlotte -> Greensboro).
So I said screw it, bought a one-way, and carried on my bag, with plans to abandon the flight in Charlotte.
All went well. As I was walking through Charlotte airport, I passed the Greensboro gate and heard the agent asking for volunteers (the flight was oversold).
So with a heavy heart and Oscar-winning sympathy for the gate agent's predicament, I agreed to give up my Greensboro ticket for an extra $200 in vouchers. Then I skated out of the airport feeling as though I'd beat the unfathomable system for once.

[invisiblemimsy]

Excellent! I must try that sometime...