can you buy a round trip and....

[KaitlinsMom]

just use the return portion? Going out to visit and bringing someone back with me - It is turning out to be cheaper to buy round trip than one way -

Would the return be cancelled if I didn't use the outbound?


Karen

 

[cigar95]

If you book a round trip and *don't* take the outbound leg, airlines will generally automatically cancel the return leg.

In your situation, if you already *know* that your companion won't use the first leg, you could book the reservation with that leg as the first leg, and then pick a random date a week later as the return.

One thing to remember, though, is that this is "officially" not permitted by the airlines, though they rarely enforce it. However, if you decide to take this strategy, please don't book it through a travel agent, as TA's *are* known to be penalized by airlines for practices like this.

 

[KaitlinsMom]

Thanks - Problem being that I am getting one of those "last minute specials", so to make the "return" my "outbound" is not possible - Unless of course I want to pay 400% more! But I will keep checking to see if I can find a better deal - thank you so much for the info - It's probably a risk not worth taking!

 

[Lewisc]

Your friend's outbound ticket will be the same as your return. Your friend will have a flight from Orlando to your destination (your return flight). Book a return flight for your friend a few months from now.

 

[Dopey & Grumpy]

My sister did the same thing when visiting us. We picked up my mother 2 weeks prior to my sister and nephew flying down. She booked a round trip ticket for all three of them and had no problem with my mother only flying back with them. This was on Continental. They didn't question her when she checked in as to where the third passenger was and didn't cancel my mother's return flight. This was over the Memorial Day week-end so maybe we were fortunate that they didn't bump my mother for the return home.

 

[NotUrsula]

Originally posted by Dopey & Grumpy
My sister did the same thing when visiting us. We picked up my mother 2 weeks prior to my sister and nephew flying down. She booked a round trip ticket for all three of them and had no problem with my mother only flying back with them. This was on Continental. They didn't question her when she checked in as to where the third passenger was and didn't cancel my mother's return flight. This was over the Memorial Day week-end so maybe we were fortunate that they didn't bump my mother for the return home.

You sure were fortunate, incredibly so. Most airline's yield systems are set to automatically cancel the entire itinerary of any no-show.

We had a situation last Nov. on AA where, because we missed the luggage check-in deadline (literally by 30 seconds, I might add; they had changed it that morning from 1 hr to 1.5 hours) we were barred from boarding the plane. The tickets were no-change, non-refundable, and they were only offering standbys on full flights. DH wanted to just go buy a one-way on SWA for the outbound leg, but AA told us that they were going to cancel our entire itinerary since we were missing the flight out, even though we were standing right in front of the counter. Eventually, I was finally able to sweet-talk the AA station supervisor into letting us purchase new tickets for the next outbound flight at the bargain price of $340 each, cash. (Over twice what the original RT had cost us. That flight was nearly empty, BTW, but it had not been "eligible" for standby on our original tickets, because the routing was different.)

 

[Dopey & Grumpy]

Originally posted by NotUrsula
You sure were fortunate, incredibly so. Most airline's yield systems are set to automatically cancel the entire itinerary of any no-show.

I guess we were fortunate. Probably not going to try that again. I'd hate for them to lose their money plus have to book another flight to get home.