Booking return flights when only going one way

lairdolossiehall

I have booked a return flight from the UK to New York for my daughter but she is already in the USA and will only use the return part of the flight to get back to the UK. Should we just check in as usual but she doesn't turn up for the flight? We did this because a one way ticket was twice the price of a return!!

newbie1980

i think you have to use both ways or they will cancel the return

i may be wrong but seen on here a few times people have mentioned this

stevie11

From what I understand it is the outward journey that is the important one, miss that and I believe the rest of the flights can be void.

I would definitely check this out to avoid disappointment.

Good luck

peachyprice

If she doesn't turn up for the outbound flight the inbound will be automatically cancelled. Even if you check in in online they will know she was a no show for the actual flight.

I hope you haven't bought it yet, it could turn out to be an expensive mistake!

Edit: Ooops, Just seen you already have. Maybe you should contact the airline, hopefully they'll cancel it if you've just bought it, or perhaps they'll let you use the return leg for a fee.

*j*

It's a bit late, but by booking her a New York-UK-NewYork return it would have been OK to abandon the return sector.

k3lvc

lairdolossiehall wrote: »

I have booked a return flight from the UK to New York for my daughter but she is already in the USA and will only use the return part of the flight to get back to the UK. Should we just check in as usual but she doesn't turn up for the flight? We did this because a one way ticket was twice the price of a return!!

Others have already given you the answer but the T&C's that you agreed to when you bought the ticket would have told you the same

steve1500

You must use each leg in the order it was issued or everything else is cancelled.


So if you booked Manchester to Heathrow then LHR to New York then return NYC to LHR and missed the Manchester to LHR leg, the whole ticket would be cancelled

Caz3121

lairdolossiehall wrote: »

Should we just check in as usual but she doesn't turn up for the flight?

no point in doing this..when she does not board the flight, she will be offloaded from the system and flagged as a no-show and remaining sectors of the ticket will be cancelled.
If you have just booked direct with the airline, many offer a free cancellation within the first 24 hours from booking. If booked through an agent or longer ago, you will likely only get the taxes back.
What a shame you did not read the fare rules or ask before booking.

PeacefulWaters

For future reference, redeeming Avios for a one way BA fare is the way to go.

Alternatively, Norweigan and Icelandair would have been more sensibly priced options for one way flights. Or the business class service that uses Luton who's name escapes me.

I have a horrible feeling you've wasted a lot of money here.

leylandsunaddict

What you're proposing to do breaches the airlines conditions of contract, and will result in her flight from the USA being automatically cancelled when she no-shows for the first leg. You need to speak to the airline and see if they can change it, but it will be repriced accordingly as a one way ticket, and will likely be more expensive now than when you booked.

Not all UK airlines offer 24 hr free cancellation, but the US airlines do. That only works if you booked direct with the airline though. Apart from that you can cancel and claim the taxes back.