Flight Ticket

buntosanya · Post by **buntosanya** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 2:10 pm

Please i will like to know if it is okay to purchase a return ticket. I just got a promo return ticket with British airways which happens to be cheaper than what one way ticket is going for now.

John, it is a post of yours which i read just now that prompted this question of mine.

Post by **John** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 2:26 pm

Hi, if someone with an employment visa or settlement visa asked if a single ticket was OK and I replied "yes", well I would stick with that.

However if you are now asking whether it is OK to buy a return ticket, well yes that is also OK. It will not be a problem when you first get to the UK using your new long-term UK visa.

I know that it is often the case that a return ticket is no more expensive than a single one. So especially if the return ticket can be "open", well why not get a return ticket.

Getting a long-term visa does not trap you in the UK forever. You are allowed to leave on occasion, especially to have a holiday back in the country from whence you came.

buntosanya · Post by **buntosanya** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 3:28 pm

Thank you for your response John.

This ticket is not in any way open. It is one month return ticket, and i don't have plans of coming back till another 6 months.

buntosanya · Post by **buntosanya** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 3:34 pm

Sorry i forgot to add that i don't have intention of using the same ticket when i have to travel back home.

Post by **John** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 3:43 pm

If that is the case then that is an issue with the airline ... it is nothing to do with any visa issue.

buntosanya · Post by **buntosanya** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 3:55 pm

What you mean is that the airline might frown on that?

Post by **John** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 4:40 pm

You need to check that out with the airline, that is, check their terms and conditions. If you are buying a special offer then you need to check out its terms. You may find that if you fail to use the return ticket that the airline has the right to ask you for more money.

Which begs the question, if you are moving country, how would they locate you? The answer is ... if you tried to use the same airline again in the future. After all, an airline ticket has got to be in your passport name.

So, as said above, check the terms and conditions of the special offer ... especially if you might use that airline again in the future.

buntosanya · Post by **buntosanya** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 6:03 pm

Thank you very much, I will do that.

bash_h · Post by **bash_h** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 6:07 pm

following on from John's reply, if you are paying by debit/credit card, you may find they charge you a premium if you decide not to use the return portion.

however if you are paying cash, i dont think you'll have much to worry about

buntosanya · Post by **buntosanya** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 6:16 pm

Bash thank you for that contributon. It is well appreciated.

Post by **JAJ** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 12:10 am

John wrote:You need to check that out with the airline, that is, check their terms and conditions. If you are buying a special offer then you need to check out its terms. You may find that if you fail to use the return ticket that the airline has the right to ask you for more money.

Would such a clause in terms and conditions be legal/enforceable under the law?

Post by **John** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 7:34 am

Good question ... but I suspect well beyond the capability of this Board to answer. Law? Which law? That is, which country's law?

If the UK's law, would the Unfair Contract Terms Act come into play? I suspect not.

lemess · Post by **lemess** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 7:38 am

The bottom line is that it is obviously more profitable for the airline if you pay for a return ticket and only travel one way ( allowing it to sell the seat to someone else). so it would make no sense for any airline to object to you throwing away the return leg of a discounted ticket. I've done it many times myself. The airline has nothing to gain by you travelling on a subsidised portion of the journey - it is far better that it avoids the associated costs of carrying a discounted passenger and is able to sell the same seat at a more advantageous fare elsewhere.

You may ask why airlines offer discounted return tickets which are cheaper than one way tickets at all ? Simple - most tickets issued are return tickets and there is far more demand for them compared to one ways and the market is much more competitive. In that cut throat environment, this is simply a way of the airlines competing by trying to attract the tourist and leisure traveller sector.

You will find that this differential usually applies for economy class seats. In business and other premium classes, the cost of a return fare is pretty much equal to 2 one way tickets.

I wouldn't worry about it.

buntosanya · Post by **buntosanya** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 10:54 am

Thank you all for your contributions.

stedman · Post by **stedman** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 1:55 pm

The airlines don't care! I have bought many return tickets on offer and only used one part of it - so I fully agree with lemess' post. In fact that's why they insist the return date is fixed - if they really wanted you to use the return portion they'd make it flexible.

I have even bought a return ticket and not used any of it (was dead cheap though) and have used the same airline later on, uneventfully. That's what they want and that's why they make these tickets so inflexible (cf easyjet, ryanair etc)

Papafaith · Post by **Papafaith** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 8:18 pm

It does not matter, Bunto. My family came in with a cheap return ticket since Oct last year. It is still in my box (exoired) No one has called us for more fees. If it is cheaper go for it.

philgeorge999 · Post by **philgeorge999** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 9:26 pm

The only thing you can't do is buy a return ticket and only travel on the return portion. If you don't turn up for the outward journey they cancel the ticket.

stedman wrote:The airlines don't care! I have bought many return tickets on offer and only used one part of it - so I fully agree with lemess' post. In fact that's why they insist the return date is fixed - if they really wanted you to use the return portion they'd make it flexible.

I have even bought a return ticket and not used any of it (was dead cheap though) and have used the same airline later on, uneventfully. That's what they want and that's why they make these tickets so inflexible (cf easyjet, ryanair etc)

buntosanya · Post by **buntosanya** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 9:46 pm

Papafaith and Phil thanks for your contributions.

davidm · Post by **davidm** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 10:22 pm

John wrote:Good question ... but I suspect well beyond the capability of this Board to answer. Law? Which law? That is, which country's law?

If the UK's law, would the Unfair Contract Terms Act come into play? I suspect not.

There is nothing illegal in buying a return ticket and not using the return leg. I have often bought a nonflexible ticket and used the outward part of it and bought another return ticket to come back when my plans change. It is often cheaper than a fully flexible ticket.
There is nothing airlines can do as you are buying a ticket they are offering to the public. They have warned you that the ticket has restrictions and you will lose your money if your plans change, and you are not asking your money back, so they don't care.

Immigrationboards.com: Immigration, work visa and work permit discussion board

Flight Ticket

Flight Ticket