I am planning to go to Italy in the Spring and want to visit Venice and Rome. Delta has a roundtrip ticket to Venice that has a change of plane in Rome on the way to Venice but a direct flight back from Venice on the return trip. If I get off in Rome will I be penalized?

Well I suggest you ask the airline because only they can answer this question with any authority. Anything you hear here will be speculation only. Pick up the telephone, dial the number and ask Delta. OK?

I've heard of people scheduling flights like that on purpose. I don't think you're technically supposed to do that, and Delta will probably tell you that you can't. I don't think they'd penalize you, but don't quote me on that. I've just heard of that being done.

Generally, if you do not use one segment of a multi-segment ticket, the airline voids the remainder of the ticket. But you may be able to get an "open jaw" ticket --home to Rome, Venice to home-- for about the same price as round tip between home and either city. It wouldn't hurt to inquire.

Ilene,<BR>I would not run the risk of getting off the plane. I think the difference in price for an open-jaw would more than make up the headache of finding out that Delta cancelled your return flight. In my experience with Delta to Italy, open jaw flights were not more expensive than round-trip.

Definitely call the airline, because you might have a economy ticket that you can’t make changes on without paying a heavy penalty. I went to Belfast, Ireland this year. My flight was from Houston-London-Belfast. I needed to go to London for a few days and I thought that I could change my Belfast-London part to arrive in London a few days earlier. I was informed that if I was a no-show on the Belfast-London end on the date originally scheduled, then I would be considered a no-show on the Houston flight. I ended up having to buy an extra ticket from Belfast to London to Belfast.