Round trip question

[Lthouseprincess]

ok, we are thinking of doing the repo cruise. Airfare to Paris one way is $1200, but round trip it is about $550. Can you purchase round trip and only fly 1 way. I know in the US people do that a lot but what about overseas?

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

ok, we are thinking of doing the repo cruise. Airfare to Paris one way is $1200, but round trip it is about $550. Can you purchase round trip and only fly 1 way. I know in the US people do that a lot but what about overseas?

When you buy an airline ticket, you have a contract under your airline company's Conditions of Carriage. There are all sorts of rules that the airline and you are agreeing to. Typically, one of those rules is that "throwaway ticketing" — in which you buy a roundtrip ticket but actually only use it for one-way travel — is prohibited. The airline can charge you for the difference between the discounted roundtrip fare that you paid and the higher one-way fare, and the airline can even lock your frequent flyer account. People may "do that a lot," but they're violating the Conditions of Carriage. Supposedly, the airlines have computer programs that look for passengers with patterns of repeat violations, but they don't after occasional occurrences. Still, anyone who tries to save money through "throwaway ticketing" is taking a chance.

A better bet might be to see what kind of one-way airfare Disney Cruise Line will offer.

 

[Lthouseprincess]

Thanks! I was not sure of any rules and wanted to be sure before I did it. I really do not want to break any rules! that is why I love these boards!

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

What you could do is buy the cheaper RT ticket and use it to to get to Paris. Once there, call the airline and tell them your travel plans have changed and you won't be using the return ticket at this time. They should give you a credit for the unused amount of your ticket, which you can use another time.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

What you could do is buy the cheaper RT ticket and use it to to get to Paris. Once there, call the airline and tell them your travel plans have changed and you won't be using the return ticket at this time. They should give you a credit for the unused amount of your ticket, which you can use another time.

When one-way is $1200, but a roundtrip it is $550, there is no "unused amount of your ticket." The airline may let you reschedule your return flight for a $200 fee (typical change fee for discounted flights between US and Europe) and any difference in fare, but that's not the goal here.

In fact, the airline can say, "Dear Passenger, You now owe us an additional $650 because you violated your end of the Conditions of Carriage."

I think the prohibition on "throwaway ticketing" is a stupid, stupid, stupid rule. A 12-pack of Coke is sometimes cheaper than a 6-pack of Coke, but the CocaCola Company won't go after you if you dirink only 6 cans from the 12-pack and throw the rest away. If there are any airlines with Conditions of Carriage that don't include the prohibition on "throwaway ticketing," I'm not aware of them.

 

[Lewisc]

Airlines are much more likely to go after your TA or to forfeit some or all of your frequent flyer miles than to actually send you a bill. Despite the terms of their contract and carriage trying to actually sue you for extra $$$ because you only used part of the service probably wouldn't be that productive.

Don't use a TA and don't use an airline that you accumulate ff miles with. I agree with the suggestion of canceling your return flight and asking for a credit that you can use when you reschedule your flight. The chance of the airline billing you in a year when your credit expires is very small.

Horace--SW doesn't penalize customers for practices like hidden city, back to back and throwaway ticketing. Obviously it won't help the OP since SW doesn't fly to Europe.