Not flying the first leg of the journey – Company cancels the second-leg ticket
I've a friend that booked a round-trip journey. He booked A-to-B and B-to-A.
Somehow he needed to be earlier at location B, so he took a train and did not take the flight from A to B.
When he went to the airport to take the "back home" flight (B-to-A), he was informed that his ticket was canceled because he did not take the A-to-B flight. They canceled the ticket and sold it to someone else.
Is this normal? The company said it was their right to do so, and he could not get the flight back.
The company was Iberia.
Best Answer
This is normal. Most airlines, if you tell them about your change in itinerary, will tell you that they won't cancel your remaining flights and it's all taken care of. However, I have always had the remainder of my flights cancelled no matter what they say, so keep that in mind.
Pictures about "Not flying the first leg of the journey – Company cancels the second-leg ticket"
Can I skip the first leg of my flight and start my journey from the second airport?
Can I skip the first leg of my flight? No, you cannot skip the first leg of any itinerary. As stated above, after you've skipped a flight, all remaining flight legs on your itinerary will be canceled by the airline. It may seem silly, but this is a common mistake many infrequent travelers make.What happens if you miss the first leg of a connecting flight?
If you skip the first leg on a ticket you will be classified as a no-show and all sub-subsequent flights are cancelled. So the answer is: no you cannot skip the first leg. If you are willing to pay then contact the airline and change your ticket or just use the money you are willing to pay for a hotel at the airport.Can you cancel the second leg of a round trip flight?
It is a rule on all airlines that you must fly ALL legs of your round trip ticket in order. If you skip the first leg the 2nd one will be canceled! This will happen on all airlines. Your choices are to either buy a completely new ticket, fly as booked, or pay the change fees.A New Pilot Makes His First Ever Flight With Passengers! | EasyJet: Inside The Cockpit | ITV
More answers regarding not flying the first leg of the journey – Company cancels the second-leg ticket
Answer 2
Most important is that you contact the airline. If A-B wasn't taken, there should be a way to confirm why and that you'll take B-A anyway. Some airlines are strict and try to charge more for everything while others are easy and nice. Check the fine print when you buy the ticket.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Olga Lioncat, Andrea Piacquadio, Olga Lioncat, Rachel Claire