View Full Version : How you experienced this before?
Sable Knight
12th Aug 2013, 17:02
Last Friday I was due to travel with my wife and infant son from Aberdeen to Birmingham and then return two days. Due to a family emergency we had to travel to London instead and then onwards to Birmingham.
When trying to check in on the Sunday flight back to Aberdeen we were told that since you did not fly the inbound sector the ticket was automatically cancelled!
They were unable to find my find my booking on the system and we were told we will need to purchase a new ticket!
Has anyone ever encountered this situation before? Am I wrong in feeling that I have been ripped off or this normal practice? Is this practice only limited to flymaybe or are others at it also?
Thanks in advance for your replies
Here (http://www.flybe.com/flightInfo/conditions.htm) are flybe's conditions of carriage. Have a look at Article 3.4 and in particular at 3.4.2 which deals with force maejure.
This is a longstanding rule of network and other non-LCC airlines. Won't argue the merits (or not) of these provisions - as they have been debated to death on this forum.
If you ever have to change your journey, call the airline and explain - they will protect your onward bookings. If you no-show they will not.
Edited to add: I would write to BE c/o their refunds department and explain to them in detail what happened. Explain that you were not trying to circumvent their tariff rules. If you have any documentation of your force majure that would help. They may take pity on you and refund you some or all of the extra fare you paid. If you've got any status with BE that would help but I would try.
edi_local
12th Aug 2013, 19:06
That is the standard for any airline I have traveled or worked with, so you were not being ripped off. That includes low cost and legacy carriers alike.
Pretty sure it's the same over here. Too many people realized that buying a flight from America to Canadian Airport A to Canadian Airport B was cheaper than buying the same flight just from Canadian Airport A to Canadian Airport B.
Hipennine
13th Aug 2013, 08:35
"That is the standard for any airline I have traveled or worked with, so you were not being ripped off. That includes low cost and legacy carriers alike."
Except that most LCC's with flights to and from UK sell 2 single tickets, not returns.
PAXboy
13th Aug 2013, 10:04
Sorry, Sable Knight, but it's an old clause that airlines have kept going to make more money. Although they tend to catch people only the once. :ouch:
darkroomsource
13th Aug 2013, 10:19
It's not that old of a clause.
It used to be that when I was living in Los Angeles and working in San Jose, I could buy round trip tickets for less than one-way. And I could by round trip in one direction for less than the other one. ie. I could get two round trips from SJ to LA for less than one from LA to SJ, so I'd get a RT from SJ to LA with the return on the the date I wanted to go from LA to SJ, then the other FT from SJ to LA would be on the date I wanted to return. We could also get a RT from LA to Atlanta for less than LA to Chicago, even though it stopped in Chicago, so we'd by LA to Atlanta. And many other combinations.
It went on like this for several years, and then one day the airline announced that they would cancel any "continuation" or "return" if any leg was skipped.
This "clause" went into effect in about 1994 or 1995 at that airline, and then spread like wildfire throughout the industry.
t1grm
13th Aug 2013, 10:51
That is the standard for any airline I have traveled or worked with, so you were not being ripped off. That includes low cost and legacy carriers alike.
Actually it's more legacy than lo cos. Certainly Easyjet do not link segments. I often buy six or more segments on one booking reference. I can no show for any one without loosing the others.
DRS that may have been the case for US domestic, depending on the airline(s). But for International sequential and complete use provisions have been in place since the beginning. Otherwise it would never have been possible to travel via a higher rated point at the direct fare.
peakcrew
13th Aug 2013, 19:43
@Sable Knight.
As others seem to have picked up on, it will depend on who you booked with. I have discovered before that low-cost airlines sell two one-way tickets. A couple of times I've had to abandon a ticket for one leg due to change of plans (had to fly to a different airport, but returned from the one that would have been the arrival airport, if you see what I mean) without difficulty. I can't remember which airlines they would have been, but Easyjet and the lamented BMIBaby are the ones I was using most. However, I have noticed that flag carriers will charge an absolute fortune if you want to travel one way, with the prices for a single being significantly more than the price of a return (both ways). How they get away with it I don't know, but I'm guessing that you used one of these airborne robber companies, in which case you will just have to throw yourself on their mercy and hope they will be reasonable after the event.
Wannabe Flyer
14th Aug 2013, 04:23
Skip a leg and all onwards are cancelled for as long as I can remember across countries and carriers (that is if the PNR is same and linked).
Call the airline and explain prior to traveling and they will make the change for a small fee....
From FlyBe's CoC: 3.4.2 Should you wish to change any aspect of your transportation you must contact us in advance. The fare for your new transportation will be calculated and you will be given the option of accepting the new price or maintaining your original transportation as ticketed. Should you be required to change any aspect of your transportation due to Force Majeure, you must contact us as soon as practicable and we will use reasonable efforts to transport you to your next Stopover or final destination, without recalculation of your fare.
3.4.3 Should you change your transportation without our agreement, we will assess the correct price for your actual travel. You will have to pay any difference between the price you have paid and the total price applicable for your revised transportation. We will refund you the difference if the new price is lower, but otherwise your unused Coupons have no value.
Emphasis added
Moral of the story - Never no-show, always contact the airline. You might also be helping another passenger who would like your seat.
peakcrew
14th Aug 2013, 14:49
ExxB said:
From FlyBe's CoC
You keep referring to FlyBe's conditions. I can see nothing from Sable Knight that refers to the airline he flew on, so why are you quoting from this particular airline?
edi_local
14th Aug 2013, 14:59
The OP refers to ABZ-BHX, which is a route only operated by BE.
Also, the OP refers to "flymaybe" which can only really mean FlyBE.
peakcrew
14th Aug 2013, 15:10
edi_local said:
The OP refers to ABZ-BHX, which is a route only operated by BE.
Wow - the information some people have at their fingertips is really amazing. I'm not being sarcastic - I'm in awe! :D
Also, the OP refers to "flymaybe" which can only really mean FlyBE.
OK, I didn't get that at all until it was pointed out. I'd read the OP several times and it went completely over my head. I'll add it to my list of alternative airline names! (I've never flown with FlyBE, so they I'm not at all familiar with them.)
Edi-local
Chapeau, thanks.
peakcrew
14th Aug 2013, 19:01
Thank you too, ExXB - I've just re-read my post and, in retrospect, it sounds snarky, which I didn't intend. I really was confused by your references when I couldn't see how you got there.
As I say, any day in which you learn something new is not wasted, and today is not wasted because of you. :ok:
paulc
22nd Aug 2013, 11:28
Had something similar happen to a friend recently - flying from UK to USA via Chicago. Waiting to board the 2nd flight only to be told it was cancelled (no reason given) There were no other flights to that destination that day but they could get him to within 40 miles of destination which they did.
A week later checking in at original destination - return booking had vanished but luckly the gate agent was able to resurrect it and all was well.
As it was the airlines decision to cancel the original connecting flight then surely they should have ensured that the return journey was still in the system particurly for an international passenger.