FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Abandon P fare return portion?
View Single Post
Old Oct 18, 2022, 5:39 am
  #1  
montrealer
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: YOW
Programs: AC SEMM; AA,DL, Hyatt and Starwood. Ex-status:SQ PPS,CSA,Hilton,AA,UA
Posts: 743
Abandon P fare return portion?

So, what pragmatically happens if you have an Air Canada "P" discounted business class return fare to Europe, and you abandon the return portion, i.e. call in to cancel while at destination, or just not check in for the return? Do you just forfeit the unflown part (and get on AC's sh** list if you do it too often and they suspect fare fraud/arbitrage)? Do you retain a prorated portion as credit towards any future AC flights? Or get it as cash back, less penalty? Or can only use the "coupons" for that specific origin-destination pair as a change?

I booked home (Canada) - Europe - home on a really good P fare some months back.
Now a client wants to see me in Asia on the back end, i.e. visit them en route going home the long way. Trouble is, client wants me to use their travel agent, who has access to heavily discounted refundable J. Fine. But that agent says they can't take over and "cash in" my existing ticket (less cancellation fee), client doesn't want to pay my P cancellation fee "for policy reasons", and if they reissue the whole thing they want to bill me back for the "personal" Canada-Europe leg (one way) at their current fares that are much higher than what I paid for the return. After tilting at bureaucratic windmills for a while, I'm inclined to stop arguing, fly to Europe on my existing ticket, have them issue me a separate ticket Europe-Asia-home only, and figure out how to fairly deal with the fallout.

Looking up my specific fare (PRCT87) using CowTool and then hunting up the detailed fare rules on ExpertFlyer, my head is spinning. I'd pay C$600 penalty for outright cancellation and cash refund prior to departure. I'd pay $500 to make a change before or after departure, plus fare difference, but nothing obvious about credits/retained value though I may be looking in the wrong place. Anyone dealt with this sort of stuff before? Thanks!
montrealer is offline