Missing a flight - a way around the penalty?
I booked and paid for a round trip non-stop ticket from Brussels to NY and back for my daughter's wedding. Since then, I found out that I actually have to get there earlier than originally planned.
I figured that's not such a big problem, I'll get a one way to the states and come back on my original ticket. Only I was just informed that if I don't take the first flight, they'll cancel my return.
So I looked into a way around this. They can cancel my first flight for me, for an additional charge, and leave my return flight as is.
The cost of the round trip ticket was $513 USD. To make the change of cancelling the first leg, they will charge me an additional $2,406.60 USD.
This is absolutely absurd, abusive and dishonest. They already have my money. If I don't occupy that seat, there is no additional cost to them.
Anyone know of a good way around this?
Best Answer
There is (generally speaking) no way around this. In your situation you have four options:
Cancel the original ticket and book a new one. This may be useless if the original fare doesn't allow refunds. However it would free up a seat for some other traveler who might need a last-minute ticket.
Book a new one-way ticket and alter the original reservation. You've already found out this is prohibitively expensive, since one-way fares can often be more expensive than round-trip fares. The reasons for this are discussed here.
Alter the date of the original Brussels->NY flight so that you can get there earlier.
Ignore the original reservation and get a brand new return ticket.
The airlines are following a certain contract to which you've agreed when booking the ticket. It may or may not be absurd, but that's just how modern airlines operate.
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Do you get penalized for missing a flight?
Can I get charged for missing a flight? Most airlines only charge a fee for missing a flight if the passenger seems to have a habit of doing it purposely, commonly known as skiplagging, in which a passenger books a ticket with no intention of taking the secondary legs of a trip in order to secure a cheaper fare.What happens if you miss a one way flight?
Assuming you've booked two one-way tickets, the return flight will still be intact. Just keep in mind that many airlines will cancel the entire itinerary if you miss the first flight. For that reason, I always book two one-ways, even if it means paying a little extra.How much is a missed flight fee?
A fee of $200 or more plus the difference in fare applies on most airlines. If you missed your connecting flight due to bad weather, most often you'll be put on the next available flight so there's no need to panic.Can you get in trouble for skipping a flight?
While skipping a flight to save money doesn't break any laws, you may be breaking an airline's contract of carriage. It's pretty rare, but an airline may cancel your frequent flyer account. So, if you're aiming to get elite status on an airline, you may want to avoid hidden city ticketing.Airline Refunds - Flight Cancelled? Know Your Rights!
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