When making the permanent move from UK to Aus, what are the legalities of purchasing a return ticket and only using the outbound part and later cancelling, or even simply not-showing for the return?

For example, on a certain date I'm looking at a one-way ticket costing over 1000GBP and a return (outbound on exactly same flight) under 750, so assuming cancellation or no-show penalty isn't more than the difference, then why shouldn't I just buy the return?

Cheers,
Chrisall

Nothing stopping you

Go for it

As my learned friend Amazulu said,nothing stopping you at all,i've booked a return to Perth but might not use the return part unless the job turns to shit

Always buy a return, you never know when you may need it! Make it a long return and then you can choose to use it for a holiday or a return or contact the airline and tell them your circumstances have changed - you can apply to have the tax portion of your ticket refunded. I've done it and my son has also done it - our circumstances really did change!

Well obviously you are not obliged to show up for your flight. How weird that the one way is more than the return, I would have expected it to be more than half, possibly even three quarters, but not more than!

Technically, and according to the terms & conditions the airline is probably entitled to ask you to make up the fare difference based on the actual sectors flown, although it would be very unlikely to happen in this case.

Air fares are of course bonkers and seemingly bereft of logic sometimes...e.g. A-B-C can be cheaper than A-B. In that case people might buy A-B-C and not fly B-C as B is their actual intended destination...this is called hidden city ticketing and is against the T&Cs. The airline may eventually catch up with you if you do it often, and help them out by including your frequent flyer number each time. Otherwise, it's unlikely anything will happen.

Worry not unless yer missus is having a baby

Phew!

Where will you be working?

Sent you a PM,don't want that mad dorothy finding out and stalking me

surely you aren't scared of her?!

The only thing he needs to be scared of is me.

I have faced death many a time,stared pure evil in the eyes,walked past a pub without going in,but i would NEVER EVER mess with a maple syrup slurping moose munching canuck