Do I face any penalty if I don't take the last leg of my return flight?

I am traveling to Europe and on the way back I have a long wait in NYC before flying to Philadelphia. It would be more convenient for me to take a train from NYC home to Pennsylvania then wait for an early morning flight from NYC to Philadelphia and then again train from Philadelphia home. Is there any penalty if I just skip the last leg of my final destination? Thank you :)

Best Answer

Do you have checked luggage? You face the risk of it carrying on to Philly without you.

Also some airlines get antsy about this, especially given you'll be checked in, and can sometimes make it hard for you to travel with them again.

Another option would be to go to the service desk on arrival and ask if there's an earlier flight available, meaning you don't run the issues of losing your flight, and can still get back earlier than the long wait would have required.

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Is there a penalty for not using a return flight?

In theory yes you could be charged the fare difference (not a fine) as you purchased a one way ticket in essence. But in practice it is very very rare that an airline will do that. Many people miss a flight so that is not unusual. If one does this with the same airline often, then it could be a potential issue.

Can I buy a return ticket and not use the return?

Do not return to the airport for the return flight when its day arrives. This process is valid for using a round-trip ticket to fly to a destination but not return; many airlines automatically cancel the return portion of a round-trip ticket if you are not on the departing flight.

Can I cancel one leg of a flight?

It's easy enough: if you can't take the first leg (or any leg but the last), you need to contact airline and ask them change the reservation. They will charge you for it, and you may find that it's cheaper to just let the ticket lapse and buy a new ticket. It's hard to tell upfront, so you need to call and ask.

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