When small print makes a big difference
We?ve grown accustomed to jumping on and off flights at a moment?s notice, but what if an airline won?t let you on a flight you?ve already paid for? Yahoo! Finance investigates.
Yahoo! Finance's Esther Shaw takes a look to see who's at fault if an airline tells you that you can't board a flight you've booked and paid for.
The problem:
I bought a return flight to Edinburgh with British Airways a few weeks ago, but then had to fly up to Scotland a day before I?d originally planned to because of a work commitment.
I booked a new single flight to Edinburgh last minute with easyJet to keep costs down and assumed I?d be able to use the return flight from my original ticket.
However, when I turned up at the airport on the Sunday to use the return portion of my ticket, BA tried to charge me ?200.
This seems absolutely disgraceful as I had already bought a ticket for that flight, and paid for it in full.
I was so unhappy I refused to give BA any more money and got the train instead.
I also complained to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) who said they were unable to do anything as technically, it?s in the small print.
But how can it be acceptable for an airline to steal your return flight if you don?t ? or can?t ? take the outgoing journey?
Jane
What we did about it
We contacted British Airways to see what they had to say on the matter.
A spokesman for BA explained that there are essentially two types of ticket that are sold by the airline: non-flexible and fully flexible.
He says: ?Non-flexible tickets are the lower priced and must be used in the order of the routing. This is clearly laid out in the terms and conditions when making your purchase. The customer has to tick a box confirming that they have read and understood these terms before proceeding to payment.?
By contrast, he adds that a fully flexible ticket can be changed or refunded if requested.
?We are sorry that we were unable to offer the customer the change to the booking that they requested,? he said. ?We always try to offer customers as much flexibility as possible, as we appreciate that plans sometimes change.
?This is why we offer flexible tickets where customers can receive a full refund if they no longer wish to travel.
?In this case, the fare that the customer was quoted, and subsequently paid, was based on the routing London to Edinburgh, Edinburgh to London, and so the tickets need to be used in that order.?
Tips
While you have had a very frustrating experience, the fact that this policy is laid out in the terms and conditions you signed up to means there is, I?m afraid, nothing more we can do in this case.
As BA points out, scheduled and charter airlines have a policy that if you book a return journey and do not use the outbound flight, they essentially cancel the entire trip.
However, there are several steps that you ? and other travellers ? can take to avoid this happening again.
? Think carefully before purchasing any flight ticket and if you think there is a chance your travel plans may change, opt for a flexible ticket, rather than a non-flexible ticket, as these can be changed or refunded.
? Make sure you read the terms and conditions carefully before ticking any box ? so you know exactly what you are signing up to.
? Consider buying two single one-way tickets, rather than a return flight. However, note that an airline might not allow you to purchase a single ticket from a country where your debit or credit card is not registered. The key is to check this prior to booking.
? Look at paying for a flight change to your outbound flight. The cost will usually include the fare difference and an admin fee ? so do your sums to work out if this is cost-effective.
? If you need to make a complaint about an airline, contact the Civil Aviation Authority at (The UK Civil Aviation Authority). Click on ?Passengers? and ?Resolving Travel Problems.? You will also find advice there on making complaints.
LINK: Are airlines stealing your flights? - Yahoo! Finance UK
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