Originally Posted by
TomWinMD
In this case, a transportation vendor is dictating how long I had to use the service I paid for, without regard for whatever my travel plans (or lack thereof) were - that is not their call.
Of course it's their call. They wrote the terms of the contract, and you agreed to them.
I'm not sure which airline you think you can buy non-refundable tickets from, not use them, and then still have them be valid 3 years later, but you are going to be disappointed no matter where you take your business. Given your expectations, I would suggest buying fully refundable tickets in the future.