simpletastes

I agree it is not obvious what the effect would be to consumers generally if this practice became pervasive.

I think there is no ethical or contractual distinction between dropping the first or dropping the last leg. But clearly airlines cancel the rest of the ticket if the first leg is dropped so that is not practical (unless the consumer is willing to fight it out in court).

snaxmuppet

Are you saying that an airline should reduce the commercial value of a ticket because of a family emergency? They'd go out of business! It is sad if someone has a family emergency and can't get cheap flights but that is not the airline's fault. It is the fault of the market.
My true itinerary is to OTP. It is what I intend to travel and so both contractually and morally I am fine.

It is a pity that we are forced to fly these convoluted routes just to get cheap fares now that I agree but that is the world of commercial reality. The airline of course wants to maximise their profits and this is one way they believe they will do it. Just because we don't agree with the way they do it should mean we don't fly with that airline rather than deceptively get cheaper fares than we should be paying if we were being honest.

snaxmuppet

I think you will find they will cancel the rest of the ticket if any leg is dropped but by dropping the final leg that is not possible.

So here is a question for you all... if you are on a 4 sector trip and drop the last 2 sectors would the airline try to sue in the same way? The same principles apply

Jagboi

Airlines are neither honourable nor ethical creatures. If that was the case, 261 would have never been necessary. We have seen many cases here of BA only paying out under their 261 obligations at the last moment before legal action, they only pay compensation begrudgingly and when forced to. They certainly do not go out of their way to be proactive and automatically send cheques to those affected passengers. So no, airlines do not go out of their way to help passengers. They do as little as they can get away with until litigated against.

snaxmuppet

Just going from their pricing... they priced my trip stopping at LHR over double. From that I have assumed they are happier I take the last leg to OTP.

snaxmuppet

Well I have had EC261 compensation send after my claim without me having to force the issue and I know many others who have had the same. Where there is a edge case as to whether EC261 applies then sure... but then again any company would likely do the same if they thought that they might not be liable. I think BA is pretty good with EC261 claims from what I read on the forum.

simpletastes

It is not the fault of the market. The airline itself chooses its pricing strategy (and it has the right to do so). If a customer has £1 million in the bank account and needs to undergo life saving surgery in another country, if the airline could charge this particular customer £900,000 because it has the only flight that would take that customer to the country in time for the surgery, the airline would. This is an exaggerated example of why airlines price last minute tickets exorbitantly. This is business. It's no one's "fault".

simpletastes

Look, I think you are a really nice guy and I'd love to have someone like you as my friend. Honest. But I don't want your feelings to be hurt because you will be betrayed by the airlines. The airlines would rather you hand over everything you own to them and not fly! In this case, they are not happier that you are paying less to take the last leg to OTP compared to paying more to stop at LHR. Trust me. Someone, please say this is true.

KeaneJohn

simpletastes

I'd say that they would have every right to ban the passenger from using their airline (as any business would have this right without the need to supply a reason) but I'm not so sure they would be successful in the courts in demanding the $450 or confiscating the frequent flier miles. Having thought about it, airlines are oligopolies/monopolies and I think banning passengers without VERY good reason would itself be problematic. I wonder if Human Rights regulations would apply, etc., if there is only one airline connecting a pair of cities and this may impose severe hardship etc.

snaxmuppet

Look, I am not some airline lover that thinks airlines can do no wrong... especially BA! But I just feel that in the long run it is better for everyone, including us, if we comply with the rules. If the ticket is round trip and we intend to do a round trip then there is no deception and if we have to curtail because of illness or important change of business plans then so be it. But I just think that the airline should then reserve the right to charge for the trip done and not the trip ticketed if they thought that the trip done was the passenger's original intention. I intend to fly OTP-PHX return and so there is no deception. If I stop and LHR and drop the last leg, knowing that if I had bought a ticket for that trip it would have cost me a lot more, then I would be buying the ticket deceptively to get a cheaper fare than I should get.

I get it that many of you disagree with me and I respect your position and if you choose to drop the last legs of your trips then fill yer boots! You won't find me moaning... but I believe it not right and yes, the airlines should find a way to prevent it or to permit it. Right now it is neither and it is left to the individual to decide if they are happy to do it. Most probably would and that is fine by me... but I won't.

So nothing more from me on this tonight. I do love discussing these issues though... lots to think about and great to hear views other than mine

snuffi

Summer 2017 our family of 5 had a holiday in California. LON-LAX-LON, £1200 per person in Y. ARN-LON-LAX-LON-GOT, £398 per person in Y. We found the extra £4000 that paid for the campervan, all the fuel, all the food and all the national park fees extremely appealing. A day out in Gothenburg was probably amongst the last things we felt like doing after two weeks away, but we gritted our teeth and did it.

adrianlondon

What if I drop all four? It should get repriced to zero

Globaliser

That's an interesting take on airlines in general, and (if it's intended to cover BA as well) BA in particular. It's rather belied by real-life experiences of what BA will actually do for you in a crisis, or when things unexpectedly go wrong despite the passenger's best efforts. I've read plenty of stories on FT, and I have personally seen it in action myself. And even in non-crisis times, there are plenty of little good things that happen that counter-balance the routine daily frustrations of things not going so well.

I can see how someone who genuinely thinks that all that airlines are out to do is to grab them by the short and curlies, and to squeeze the pips until it hurts, might take the view that they will themselves screw the airline in any practical way. But I suspect that those who actually do fly on a frequent basis will have seen a lot of good things happen to go with the bad, and those who have flown with a particular airline for a long time will have seen the ups and downs and the swings and roundabouts.

simpletastes

It is not really particular to airlines and BA. Just business in general. I am a capitalist and I love flying, airlines and BA but I do have a dismal view!