EasyJet/Ryanair/Eurostar like the Ferry Companies ?

[Danglar]

I was wondering if anybody knows whether the airlines - but perhaps more likely Eurostar - apply the same policy as the Ferry companies when one purchases a return ticket and only uses one part of the journey.
Does one forfeit the right to the return journey if one fails to travel on the outward leg?
Does one get charged for the full standard fare if one fails to use any part of the legs?
Any experiences worth reporting and sharing on this subject ?
Thanks

[Clarkkent]

I do not recall ever being able to buy a "return" ticket on the low-cost airlines. I don't think they exist. Even though I make my bookings at the same time, I buy two seperate one-way tickets - each at the price appropriate for the loading on that flight at the time of the booking.

Whether or not I turn up is of little consequence for the airline - it has my money.

[Jill3<P>Jill3<P><P><a target=_blank href="http:www.france-on-line.info" target=_blank>www.france-on-line.info<A><P><P> <P><P> <P>]

My daughter works for bmibaby and if you don't turn up for your flight they are not bothered because you have paid for your flight and they will resell to anyone waiting on standby. With all the low cost airlines you book your flights as out and back at 2 seperate prices, you can even make 2 seperate bookings.

If you fly with BA or Air France etc they usually offer the best prices as a return journey and you would probably find that if you did not check in on the outward leg they would assume you would not be returning.

Just as a matter of interest if you only want to go one way why don't you just book the journey you want? Why pay for a leg you are not using?

Jill3

[Mr.HaricotAndrew M<br>Toulouse]

...because a leisure return with Eurostar can cost as little as £59, but the cheapest single ticket that they do is £149.

This is why it can seem a good ides to book a return.

I will let you know what happens when the return portion is not used as I fear that it will happen shortly.

I booked it with the intention of travelling, however, plans have changed.

[Danglar]

Thank you Andrew for bring this topic back.

Keep us posted.

regards

[Richardbk]

[quote]I was wondering if anybody knows whether the airlines - but perhaps more likely Eurostar - apply the same policy as the Ferry companies when one purchases a return ticket and only uses one part of the...[/quote]

for airline they don't care.

- in any case they overbook - by as much as 20% for some airlines

- if you don't fly your ticket is paid for and can be sold again

-  if they don't resell the ticket they have in any case saved several tens of kilos of fuel.

 

regs

 

Richard

[Tom]

If people don't show up for flights, does the airline get to keep the airport taxes etc? I was wondering if that is how they are able to make some money out of the flights for £1 deals.

When the flights are so cheap probably lots of people make a speculative booking, but in the end decide not to go. If you had paid more for your fare you wouldn't want to waste it.

[Dave&Olive]

how do you get home when eg if you go to bmibaby web site they have cancelled flights for the last 3 days from bordeaux because of fog but will give you a refund ......just food for thought......

[Richardbk]

This is a good point. Many of the low cost airlines are using small airports that have no precision landing equipment - and some even don't have it fitted on their aircraft ! hence if the weather is bad they will have to cancel or divert and since the latter is very expensive they choose simply to cancel.

Since a many of the airports in the south west of France suffer fog in the winter months this is something to think about if you are relying on a regular service.

 

regs

 

Richard

 

 

 

[bixy]

I seem to remember some time back that on the Shuttle if you booked a day return, say, and didn't use the return part because in actual fact all you really wanted was a single and this was the cheapest way to do it, then somewhere in the small print Eurotunnel had the right to charge the full cost of a single to your credit card. Has anyone had this happen to them or has anyone recently got away with this ploy?

Patrick

[Baz]

Patrick,
Your point has been discussed many times in relation to both Eurotunnel and most Ferry companies. As one has agreed to their T&C when purchasing a return ticket and then using it as a single to reduce costs, an illegal offensive has been committed. As it is almost impossible to pay fares other than by a credit or debit one can be sure with the sophisticated computer systems now in place, that one will almost be certain to be debited with the full single fare some time after your travel date.

Baz

[shortway]

Indeed some 3-4 years ago there was a massive abuse of cheap evening tickets used as singles revealed. "Nasty letters" were mailed to those doing it indicating that this was a warning letter and that in the case of recurrent abuse the full standard return trip had to be paid. Since then Eurotunnel started to sell singles and make returns amendable against payment, which may have facilitated the life of those changing their return trip. It is my understanding that there is also a computer detection programme introduced since that time identifying those that use cheap trips as singles for long trips.

Colleagues use for Eurostar the double ticket system, so one buys on the continent an "allez-retour", use the "allez" as "return" and the way around.