Budget Travel - One way vs "missed return"

I need to take a one way flight this summer.

I am curious what happens if I "miss" my return on a Swiss Intl flight?

A one way fare is 3 times as expensive as a roundtrip - even using the same outbound as the one way trip.

Will they come back and charge me the one way fare if I don't show up?

If no, then why would anyone pay for a one way?

I am struggling a bit with the ethical consideration, too. My current self-serving justification is that I save hundreds of dollars, and they don't have to haul my fat butt on the return leg.

Although they would miss out on my winning smile and cheery dispostion, it would save them on the fuel cost and reduce my carbon footprint, etc...

Thoughts?

I need to take a one way flight this summer.

I am curious what happens if I "miss" my return on a Swiss Intl flight?

A one way fare is 3 times as expensive as a roundtrip - even using the same outbound as the one way trip.

Will they come back and charge me the one way fare if I don't show up?

If no, then why would anyone pay for a one way?


Nothing happens if you miss your return.

Technically you arn't supposed to do it, but people use return tickets as a cheap way of buying a one way ticket all the time, and the airlines have so far never come after anyone for it.

One way tickets are usually very expensive because they are aimed more at business travellers and are often refundable and changeable.

Using a return ticket as a one way, only works using the outbound portion of a return ticket though, you can't only use the return portion.

... the airlines have so far never come after anyone for it.
I am not sure that is strictly true - but you have to have been really, really, really abusing it (multiple trips on same airline constantly 'missing' return, possibly over a short period). But in general, no problem at all unless it gets to the point when an airline might see a clear pattern forming.

Most airlines don't have such stupid price practices anymore (unless its intercontinental flight).

I'm almost sure you can find a cheaper alternative to paying for a return if you need just oneway.

Most airlines don't have such stupid price practices anymore (unless its intercontinental flight).

I'm almost sure you can find a cheaper alternative to paying for a return if you need just oneway.

One way MAD to CDG $200 plus taxes

Round trip MAD to CDG $9 plus taxes.

Trust me I could NOT find a cheaper one way.

I am tossing the return and hoping Iberia never comes after me LOL!

I'm sure you'll be fine.

EmailKid

One way MAD to CDG $200 plus taxes

Round trip MAD to CDG $9 plus taxes.

Trust me I could NOT find a cheaper one way.

I am tossing the return and hoping Iberia never comes after me LOL!

One way 35 EUR all in with Vueling…

One can often get cheap OW tix to Europe on SkyAuction.com

One way 35 EUR all in with Vueling…

And... that's more the 9 Euros. So that makes your point???? LOL! Plus for the day I wanted to travel Vueling was 130 Euros! So... round trip on Iberia wins! NEXT!

And... that's more the 9 Euros. So that makes your point???? LOL! Plus for the day I wanted to travel Vueling was 130 Euros! So... round trip on Iberia wins! NEXT!

So Iberia's all-in price was 9 EUR for a return?…

Although return flights coming out as cheaper than singles is getting rarer in Europe, it's still the norm for long haul flights.

I've ditched the return leg of a flight lots of times.

The times I've felt guilty about a seat going empty (last time my conscience bit me was when I bought a dirt cheap AZ YYZ-MXP-LCA return flight in business intending only to use the first sector) I've given the airline a call and told them I would not be continuing. You can call and say you are ill or that an emergency occurred if you wish.

If the terms and conditions concern you, perhaps you can pay for the flight through a third party. As long as the airline don't have a credit card for you they wouldn't be able to charge you any 'penalty'. However, the likelihood of this happening is almost non-existent.
The airlines don't lose out. Not only do you pay for the service they offer, they have the chance of reselling your ticket at the last moment at a premium. You might even save them money. Should they have oversold the return flight your seat will 'save' someone from getting bumped and the airline from having to pay the appropriate compensation.