Weadles

I'm having a terrible time finding decent connections that don't cost a fortune or take forever between Nice and Barcelona.

What are the chances that my credit card will be charged for the unused second half of a roundtrip ticket between the two cities once I complete my trip?

Anonymous

100 percent.

Patrick

You're saying you're planning to just use the first half of a round trip ticket and throw the other half away? The chances of them coming back at you are ZILCH, ZERO, NIL, NONE.

The chances of them doing that are about the same as their delaying the flight when you don't show up, coming to your home or hotel, kidnapping you with rope, handcuffs, and gag in mouth, and drag you screaming to the plane to MAKE you take the flight you signed up for.
Is that clear enough?

happytourist

Just call the day before and tell them that you will not be able to use the return ticket.

Anonymous

Patrick, s/he's not asking about retaliation, she asked if her credit card would be charged for the flight if s/he doesn't take it.

Weadles

I didn't word the question correctly. What I meant to say is what are the chances that my credit card will be charged the much higher price for a ONE WAY trip if I don't use the second half of a roundtrip ticket?

LoveItaly

Weadles, now that I understand your question - in my experience knowing travelers that have done that - no you will not be charged for a one way ticket. However, the people I have known that have not taken the return flight have called 24 hours ahead of time to the airlines and advised them that they could not take the flight due to illness etc.

No doubt someone else on this board can give you even better advise.

kybourbon

What is your travel date and what do you consider a fortune? Have you tried going to alernate airports such as Girona?

Gardyloo

I know it's counter-intuitive, but you might look at Easyjet's morning flight from Nice to London Stansted, connecting to their early afternoon flight to BCN. Depending on the day, you can probably swing both flights for under US$100-$150. Decent shopping at STN while you're there. www.easyjet.com

justretired

I don't know the answer, but I can clarify the question. Often a round-trip ticket (in the US: with a Saturday stayover) is substantially cheaper than a one-way ticket, so you can save money by buying the round-trip, and not using the second half.

Years ago, for trips in the US NOT involving a Saturday stay-over (very expensive), my company used to buy two round-trips. As an example, they'd buy a Monday trip Boston to Houston, returning in a week, and a Wednesday trip Houston to Boston, returning in a week. Then they'd throw away both return tickets. This was called "Back-to-backs".

Eventually the airlines started billing them after the trip for the Monday - Wednesday round trip that had actually been the effect of what they had done. The company then continued to do the same thing, being careful to book the two round trips on different airlines, so the airlines couldn't detect it.

Eventually, the airlines started sharing information, and even that stopped working. But my understanding at the time was that while the airlines would go after businesses and travel agents who wrote back-to-backs, they wouldn't go after individuals.

But that was years ago; my information is out of date, and I really can't answer the current question.

- Larry

rkkwan

Buy the roundtrip. Throw away the return ticket. Do not call the airline. End of story & nothing to worry.

Boots

I have had the experience rkkwan just talked about. I don't think travel agents are supposed to sell you round-trip tickets when you intend to use only the first leg, but mine did. I flew from Copenhagen to Paris and had no intention of returning. Nothing happened. Boots

hopscotch

Rkkwan has it short and right.

On one of my trips I bought a round trip from Amsterdam to Los Angeles. On the eastbound back to Amsterdam I had a change of planes in O'Hare. That was close to where I wanted to be, as I had planned. I got off and drove home.

Traveler863

I've personally done it on numerous occasions....buy the roundtrip, fly the 1st half and blow off the rest. I've never had an airline come after me. Now these experiences are with US carriers not AF or IB or whoever you are flying with from NCE to BCE. Its very unlikely they'll take the time to figure all that out, you'll just be a no show and that will be that.

xyz123

Back when there were travel agents who actually sold airline tickets (remember when airlines paid commissions to them) airlines routinely sent out threats against 2 what they considered violations of the tariff rules.

1. Back to back ticketing which was described above; although I legally don't think they have a case. Who is to say when one round trip begins and the other ends.

2. Hidden city tickets. You know for example New York - St. Louis might be more expensive than New York - Los Angeles so you buy a ticket New York - Los Angeles with a stop over in St. Louis, get the lower fare and get off the plane in St. Louis. You couldn't, of course, check baggage.

They had the leverage that they could issue debit notices to the travel agents and to the best of my knowledge some actually did.

Never did they mention buying a round trip ticket and using only 1/2 of it.

After all, people get sick.
People change plans.

I don't think they could ever prove that you intended to beat their sick asinine fare rules (can you imagine the gall of charging more for a one way trip than a round trip)....

I don't think there is any way they can charge your credit card in that situation (just like I think the threats about back to back ticketing were illegal on their part anyway)...

The same thing happens on Eurostar. You can get a return ticket for as little as £59 yet the cheapest one way is well over £100...

Who the hell do they think they're kidding.

So don't worry about it, they won't charge your credit card in this case.

Patrick

Anonymous, I thought you were joking about the 100% chances. Weadles is asking about buying a round trip ticket and paying for it, but then being charged some unknown amount more by her credit card because if she HAD bought a one way ticket it would have been that much more. I stand by my clear and firm answer I already gave. There is no chance in hell they'll come back and charge you a different price for the ticket you already bought. Essentially you didn't show up for the return flight you paid for-- big deal. What if you had gotten sick, overslept and missed your flight, or even died and couldn't make the return? Do you honestly think they'd hunt you up and charge you for missing the flight?

But for what it's worth, I wouldn't call the day before and tell them you're not taking it, as that's telling them you WERE taking advantage of the situation, and if anything they will insist on rebooking you for a different return time and probably charging you for a change in flight. Just don't show up!!

xyz123

Patrick...

The airlines have always claimed that it is important to protect their tariff rules as they are intended to maximize their revenue and they reserved the right to charge for any violation.

As I pointed out, their main concerns for years were back to back ticketing and hidden cities although technically buying a return ticket intending only to use one part is a violation of the tariff rules and they claim legally they could do it.

I do know of several travel agencies that received debit notices for these activities and saw all sorts of correspondance from the airlines to travel agents threatening them if they carried out such practices.

They also have the leverage of frequent flyer miles also.

Now the question is whether they would. The reality is they probably won't do it as this not a vast problem to them as was back to back ticketing carried out by many businesses.

So I would agree with you, the chances are practically 0 that they would charge somebody's credit card and I would certainly not hesitate to do it.

But do be aware, it is conceivable (albeit not likely) that if this became a problem, airlines would try to pull this garbage on their customers because you are technically violating their tariff rules.

highledge

I hav donw this in the US and in Europe. Never a problem. Last year my husband had to leave Italy a day earlier than the rest of us. I checked in at the airport without him- but on the same reservation. I think I mumbled something about his checking in later or may have said he had to stay in Italy an extra day and was going to buy another ticket. Any way, we didn;t have a problem.

P_M

Last year a friend of mine needed a one-way ticket from Ireland to Austin. She found it would be much cheaper to buy the RT and not use the return portion. Nothing happened when she didn't use the other portion. I have known other people who did this and nothing happened to them either.

ira

Hi weadles,

You have already paid for an RT ticket. They have your money.

If you want to be courteous, call and let them know that you will not be able to return due to personal reasons. You needn't say anything more.