will i have to pay full balance if i cancel flight?

[Mount Mayday]

I've left it and left it until the eleventh hour but I need to pay balance of our flights by the end of this week.
We are flying into Miami at the end of July (then driving up to Orlando for 3 week duration)
My son has now decided he doesn't want to come (hence why I've left it until the eleventh hour) I popped into the travel agents a few months ago to enquire about cancelling his seat and she said because it was flight only I would still have to pay the full balance rather than a cancellation cost. Her advice was to try and offer the ticket to another family member (get them to cover the cost of the ticket) and pay an amendment fee of £50. We have tried to sell on the ticket to immediate family but to no avail.
Does anyone know if this is correct? Otherwise today I am going to have to pay for a seat on an aircraft that I no longer need.

 

[chmurf]

what do the T&Cs say ? (who did you book with ?)

flight only are supposed to be paid in full at time of booking (or full amount due) but it will depend on your TA's T&Cs

 

[General Panic]

It is unusual these days just paying a deposit for a US flight only. Even the likes of Thomson and Thomas Cooks usually take full payment at time of booking now.
The Travel agent maybe covering your costs in order to get the booking , just taking a deposit when the full amount was actually due and they would pay out themselves until you paid up. In that case they would right enough expect you to pay up the full cost now.

If it is a scheduled flight like British airways , if you cancel you should be entitled to an amount of unused airport tax back , not a great deal these days but better than nothing.

It really does as Chmurf says depend on the T&C the agent advised at time of booking.

I'm a Travel Agent myself and i can't think off hand any airline that would just take a deposit for just a flight only booking....a package holiday would be different but not just a flight only...

 

[Sean91]

It is unusual these days just paying a deposit for a US flight only. Even the likes of Thomson and Thomas Cooks usually take full payment at time of booking now.
The Travel agent maybe covering your costs in order to get the booking , just taking a deposit when the full amount was actually due and they would pay out themselves until you paid up. In that case they would right enough expect you to pay up the full cost now.

If it is a scheduled flight like British airways , if you cancel you should be entitled to an amount of unused airport tax back , not a great deal these days but better than nothing.

It really does as Chmurf says depend on the T&C the agent advised at time of booking.

I'm a Travel Agent myself and i can't think off hand any airline that would just take a deposit for just a flight only booking....a package holiday would be different but not just a flight only...

Any chance it could be a flydrive?

 

[Mount Mayday]

We have booked with TC and flight only. The manager of the branch did the booking and at the time took 150 pp to secure the flights. We booked way back in may last year and there were 13 (now 12) travelling so I think for that reason and at her discretion let us secure flights with deposit only. Any way went in yesterday and we had to pay for the seat regardless of him NOT travelling (very bitter pill) but it's done.
My next question is... The lady who we dealt with yesterday told us not to claim back the money for the extra legroom because this way we will effectively keep the empty seat??? Does anyone know if this is the case? My son who isn't travelling is 7ft but my husband is over 6.5 with a few other tallies travelling with us. We are also travelling with baby of 12 months so the empty seat situation seems quite appealing at the mo.

 

[chmurf]

he lady who we dealt with yesterday told us not to claim back the money for the extra legroom because this way we will effectively keep the empty seat??? Does anyone know if this is the case? My son who isn't travelling is 7ft but my husband is over 6.5 with a few other tallies travelling with us. We are also travelling with baby of 12 months so the empty seat situation seems quite appealing at the mo.

I don't see why it would change anything

If a pax does not check in and board a plane, they forfeit their seat (and all subsequent segments). No matter how much they paid for the seat, no matter the options, extras or whatever, that seat becomes vacant.

no matter what you do, the airline will sell that seat to another passenger, or use it for a standby passenger (one who missed a connection,

the only chance you have for that seat to remain vacant, is that no passenger is on standby at the airport, or the plane is not full. But since airlines always oversell their planes, the likelyhood of this happening nears absolute zero

not claiming the extra leg room seat (which is likely to be non refundable anyway) means you also won't claim the taxes (which you should be entitled to) ... small amount, but better in your pocket than in the TA's ...

 

[Mount Mayday]

We thought it was too good to be true. We put all these things to the TA yesterday but she kept telling us that the seat would remain empty. I will get back onto them tomorrow and claim back the extra leg room cost. Thankyou

 

[misspickle]

I've left it and left it until the eleventh hour but I need to pay balance of our flights by the end of this week.
We are flying into Miami at the end of July (then driving up to Orlando for 3 week duration)

I cancelled my mums flight seat this week and she has only lost her deposit but we have 8 months left.