BA cancellation - unexpected consequence

[LeeElms]

A month or so ago booked return flights on BA, London to Glasgow. This was the lowest price type of ticket where changes can only be made on payment of a very high (in relation to the cost of the flights) fee. Due to illness I had to cancel the outgoing flight. I (fortunately) discovered (it wasn't explained to me, just because I read the cancellation e-mail that arrived hours later in detail, which I could have easily missed) that as the two flights had been booked together, that they can only be cancelled as one unit, and also that just missing the outgoing flight would have automatically cancelled the return.

There was no cost saving at all in booking the flights together -- just slightly more convenient. Nothing explains this consequence in the T&C -- is it one of these 'industry standard practices' ?

 

[9fingers]

Do you have travel insurance? They should be able to sort this out.

Bob

 

[LeeElms]

No travel insurance. Only buy it for trips outside the UK, which we do infrequently.

I'm sure we've saved enough over the years by not buying travel insurance that we are still ahead.

It's just that I can't see any real logic in cancelling the return trip if you don't take the outgoing trip; they aren't really linked ... it doesn't happen with other travel arrangements such as a rail trip, and wouldn't have happened here is I had just booked them as two bookings; same total cost. One of these things that 'I'll know next time', but will probably never happen to me again ! But it is something for people to bear in mind.

I wonder if it's just BA, or do other airlines operate the same principle ?

 

[9fingers]

I know what you mean about travel insurance - I normally just take the risk too. However there are schemes such as if you bank with nationwide, they give travel insurance free. I don't know how good the cover is though.

Not sure about airline tickets but some cross channel ferry companies link the two journeys especially for longer time periods between outgoing & return where the cost is greater than two separate day returns.

Bob

 

[BMac]

This happened to me last year. I booked flights to England for my wife, daughter and I to attend an event but my daughter had to change plans and didn't come home to start a holiday as expected but remained in England. Our plan then was to return home, as booked, together. I didn't cancel my daughter's outward flight because it would have cost more than the flight to do so but just explained, at check-in, that she wouldn't be using that flight. When we went to return home we discovered my daughter's return flight had been automatically canceled because she didn't use her first flight. A very efficient lady managed to get my daughter on our flight at no extra cost but explained that airlines assume you will not be using your return flight if you don't use your outward one and that you lose your payment for not canceling in time. We were lucky to get a 'free' flight for my daughter.