NSBlake

Sorry - the thread title should be USA to UK flight..............DOH!

We are returning to the UK for good in June. (All prices include tax & fees by the way)

Now if I choose a one way ticket the economy price is $1376 and $500 to upgrade to Premium Economy (same cost as if we just bought Premium Ecomony one way tickets)

If I ask for a return price it's $1336 and only $300 to upgrade the outbound.

Is there anything stopping us buying the return tickets and then just not using the return ticket?

lansbury

The airlines don't like it, but lots of people do it. So the short answer is no.

NSBlake

Thank you - I'm sure they don't like it.........the airlines must think we are muppets to pay one way fares then.

Bayleaf_01

I was told by my relocation agent not to book return ticket as you can be deported, or not allowed entry if it's found you don't intend to leave. We are going UK to US, but I wouldn't want to risk visa!

lansbury

If you are arriving in the US on the VWP or B1/B2 visa, you need a return ticket or proof of your ability to leave the US. For example on onward ticket to somewhere outside the US. If you are arriving in the the US on a visa, except B1/B2, that isn't a requirement.

Likewise if you are a US citizen arriving in the UK as a visitor, you run a good chance of being refused entry unless you have a return ticket.

As the OP is returning home to the UK neither applies and he can buy the ticket which is cheapest.

Philk

Do you have miles on any airlines ?
I have AA miles and was able to use those to get a 1 way ticket to the US for my move over there in a couple of weeks

Bob

The only thing to look at is the small print. The airline might charge you a fee for not using the return portion of the ticket.

The chances of this though is generally slim, unless you do this on a regular basis.

tonrob

The small print will almost certainly say somewhere that the airline reserves the right to charge, so probably isn't the best indicator whether they will or not.

There's lots of discussion around "throw-away ticketing" (what this is) on Flyertalk, and from what I've read it usually takes serious abuse (think, weekly commuting) to get done for this.

If it were me I'd just do it, but I wouldn't let the airline know what I'm up to.

NSBlake

Thanks all

To Philk - yep I have quite alot of BA points still from a "previous life as a global auditor" but the only flights available when we need to travel using points are night flights and we would like to get the 8am from JFK

Jerseygirl

I read that it's best to call the airline just before the 'return' date and cancel your flight.

tonrob

People have suggested that as a possible option here on BE before but I would suggest the opposite based on what I have read on Flyertalk.

I would only contact the airline if you were going to try to get the tax back, but there is still always a risk attached if you actively bring the fact that you are modifying your itinerary to the attention of a human being at the airline, as they then have the option to charge you the "correct" price for your itinerary, which is the difference between the return fare and the one-way one.

If you simply do nothing and do not show up then you always have the fact that something "cropped up" as your defence after the fact. In practice this defence is highly unlikely to be needed as airlines do not appear to scrutinize no-shows, especially if you're not a repeat offender. In other words just let it slip under the radar.

jjmb

just be reading your previous posts. Shouldn't your company be paying for your repatriation costs as you are on an L1? I thought that was one of the advantages of an L1 visa. If so, why aren't they arranging your flights?

NSBlake

My Company has to pay for economy tickets back just for us two - we want to fly premium economy and this would be the cheapest way of doing it (we will pay the difference).

The last two times we booked premium economy and turned up with the baby and asked for an upgrade we got it.........that was great as we used points and only paid taxes for premium economy tickets and got to fly in club (the little one even got a spare seat so just laid there for the 6/7 hrs and slept.)

Jerseygirl

If you call the day before you are due to return...say due to a family emergency you will have to delay. Then your ticket will be held for 6/12 months...then you can just forget about it.

tonrob

When this happens they cancel your return ticket and apply a credit amount against your name that expires after a certain time. This credit usually has an admin fee deducted from it first. What this fee is and whether the airline will do it at all varies by airline and also by booking class of ticket. Sometimes the deduction can be hefty, and could even cancel out the credit entirely.

It's probably worth reading the ticketing terms before picking the phone up, not least to have an understang of what you believe you're entitled to. Airline call centre employees are notoriously under-trained, and I've read that many of the complex one-off calculations they have to make are done manually - so different agents will act differently in response to the same question.