Airline policy with a non used ticket?

[hsmamato2]

Anyone know if there's a policy with airlines regarding use of a ticket? My ds may have the chance to come home with Gramma on a different day, we'd already bought a r/t ticket, would we be in trouble if he doesn't use the trip back portion? we're on airtran- she just mentioned it, and i didn't know if we'd be ok-

 

[seashoreCM]

Normally if you don't use the return ticket the airline has the right to, after the fact, charge you the one way fare if that fare is higher.

Is Grandma driving DS home? If not, there will be a change fee for using the ticket later.

But if DS already as backup transportation, I doubt if the airline can dishonor the ticket as-is when DS shows up late and also charge the one way fare if the ticket is ultimately discarded.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[CarolA]

The airline has the "right" to charge you. I have NEVER actually seen this done in normal practice. I have read reports where they do it for "routine abusers" That would be buiness travelers who do this weekly and are easy to track. I wouldn't worry about it in your case, but realize the ticket is gone, no real future value. (Also this ONLY works on the return portion. If you don't show up for the FIRST segment ticketed the entire ticket is cancelled, you can't show up 5 days later and try to use the return...except on SW)

I used just half of a DL ticket a few months ago. (I had to buy a SW ticket to get me where I needed to go) No biggie and nothing happened. However, I did not get credit to use the "unused" portion in the future.

 

[bicker]

Actually, the most common tack airlines have taken in cases like this is to go after the travel agent -- they basically charge-back the travel agent for the difference between the roundtrip fare and one-way fare, and let the travel agent figure out how to get the money out of their customer. I don't remember reading of a case where they've pursued action against a violator of the throwaway ticketing rule when the airline sold the ticket to that person themselves.

 

[Kies99]

No problem. Done it a few times and never had an issue.

My parents are retired in Florida and I've flown down, rented a truck and hauled furniture and stuff back to Pittsburgh. I've done both a roundtrip ticket where I just didn't use the return, as well as used frequent flier miles to get a roundtrip and didn't use the return. I've never been charged or contacted in regards to the unused portion.