Airline won't let me use flight I paid for

Amyh789

Hi,
Not sure if anyone can help me but hope so!
I live in Australia and planned to come home to England for Christmas so booked a return flight 21st December - 5th Jan. Circumstances changed so I came home a few weeks early. Called last minute.com to let them know I won't be on bound flight to uk but will still use return flight. Apparently that's not allowed as it counts as a "no show", even though I told them in advance!
The flight is all paid for and I'm not asking for any refund for flight im I'm not using, I just won't be on the outbound flight. Still want to use the return flight back to Australia.
They're telling me I have to buy a whole new flight. Is there anything I can do?
Thanks,
Amy

unforeseen

What do the Australian regulations/laws say? They are the ones that count, not UK ones.

If you were UK based then http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/news/court-rules-airlines-must-refund-return-miss-flight-cancelled/ might have had some bearing.

eDicky

If one sector of a flight itinerary is not taken by the passenger, any airline will automatically cancel all subsequent sectors. So unfortunately you cannot use the return sector of your ticket if you have not traveled on the outbound sector.

Try asking if there is any refund available according to the terms of your ticket, that might be put towards the cost of a new ticket.

Westin

Away from some of the low cost type airlines, it is quite common that that if you do not use one flight sector of a ticket, all subsequent sectors are automatically cancelled. If you look over your paperwork and the fare rules on your e-ticket you will probably will see this information. This won’t be a lastminute.com rule but an airline one. At least you found out in advance rather than when you showed up at checkin for your ‘return’ flight.

This link gives further explanation
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g41707-c225736/Newton:Massachusetts:Why.You.Cant.Skip.Flights.On.One.Ticket.html

Caz3121

Amyh789 wrote: »

I came home a few weeks early.

did you not consider changing your original outbound flight rather than buy a whole new one-way ticket?

You don't mention the airline but most will include reference this in the conditions of carriage
e.g. BA https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/legal/british-airways/general-conditions-of-carriage
3c) Using flight coupons in the right sequence and changes in itinerary
3c1) Your ticket is valid only for the transportation shown on it from the place of departure through any agreed stopping places to the final place of destination......
3c2) Your ticket is no longer valid if you do not use all the coupons in the sequence provided in the ticket.........
other airlines will have similar

steve1500

Caz3121 wrote: »

did you not consider changing your original outbound flight rather than buy a whole new one-way ticket?
..
3c2) Your ticket is no longer valid if you do not use all the coupons in the sequence provided in the ticket.........

But hasn't this court ruling made this no longer valid?

OK only county court but there appears to be nothing about appealing it to a higher court

Are they a bit worried after Jet 2 & Bott & Co? - Better just to keep quiet

leylandsunaddict

steve1500 wrote: »

But hasn't this court ruling made this no longer valid?

OK only county court but there appears to be nothing about appealing it to a higher court

Are they a bit worried after Jet 2 & Bott & Co? - Better just to keep quiet

A county court ruling has no affect on anything apart from the actual case they ruled on.

Caz3121

my understanding of the case also was that the "return" ticket paid for was the same price as purchasing the flights as 2 x one-ways and, had they purchased the tickets in this way they could have easily skipped the first flight with no impact on the return (like Easyjet, Ryanair) so it could not be stated that this was throwaway ticketing to get a one-way ticket for less than the cost of a return
In the case of the OP they had 2 options for this not to happen...
1) change the date on the original ticket and used that for the outbound (too late for that now)
2) ask if it is possible to reprice the ticket as a one-way and pay the change fee difference in fare (assuming this is allowed) - this should be compared to the cost of buying a new ticket as it will not necessarily be cheaper

It is also worth checking how much the taxes would be that you would get back on the unused ticket (although your 'agent' may take a big slice of them as service charge/admin fee)

unforeseen

Don't forget that the OP is dealing with this from an Australian POV, not UK so talk of court results in the UK is immaterial and any tax refunds is as per Aussie law.

Voyager2002

unforeseen wrote: »

Don't forget that the OP is dealing with this from an Australian POV, not UK so talk of court results in the UK is immaterial and any tax refunds is as per Aussie law.

Yes, although this relates to a ticket for a flight departing from the UK so the applicable departure tax is a UK tax.

unforeseen

Voyager2002 wrote: »

Yes, although this relates to a ticket for a flight departing from the UK so the applicable departure tax is a UK tax.

With the attendant problems of trying to claim it from the other side of the world. OP probably needs to get familiar with Aussie small claims procedures.