Purchase Return Ticket and Skip Return

Sure, you just missed the plane. Happens all the time.

Probably every ex-pat living over here has bought a round-trip ticket and not used the second half, simply for the reason you stated, a round trip ticket costs less than a one way.

No extra charges for skipping a flight. If it works out better for you go ahead and do it.

Pete

Have done it many times for the reason you suggest and never had any problems. Always the way to go.

Ummm, I would think paying for a plane ticket in cash is a great way to spend some time in Homeland Security questioning...

Ourpassportstamps brings up a good point. According to American Airlines' Conditions of carriage...American specifically prohibits the practices commonly known as:

Back to Back Ticketing: The combination of two or more roundtrip excursion fares end to end for the purpose of circumventing minimum stay requirements.

Throwaway Ticketing: The usage of roundtrip excursion fare for one-way travel, and

Hidden City/Point Beyond Ticketing: Purchase of a fare from a point before the passenger's actual origin or to a point beyond the passenger's actual destination.

Where a ticket is invalidated as the result of the passenger's non-compliance with any term or condition of sale, American has the right in its sole discretion to:

Cancel any remaining portion of the passenger's itinerary,
Confiscate unused flight coupons,
Refuse to board the passenger or check the passenger's luggage, or
Assess the passenger for the reasonable remaining value of the ticket, which shall be no less than the difference between the fare actually paid and the lowest fare applicable to the passenger's actual itinerary.

So the risk, however small, is there.

I am not sure the comment about charging for one way ticket is accurate. I just read one of my old tickets -- actually a paper with all of the extra words and I cannot find a reference to charging for one way ticket if the return is not used.

However, years ago when a Saturday night was critical for a cheap ticket it was common practice for business traveler to buy two RT tickets and throw away the returns so that you could do a RT without the Saturday night stay. Did it dozens of times. Remember then that the airlines were huffing and puffing that if you were caught doing that they would charge the full non-Saturday night stay price. But how do you caught someone? People miss flights all the time -- especially business travelers. So I took a return flight on another airline. What is the airline out -- nothing and they had the opportunity to sell that seat twice.

It is a violation of "terms", and there have been scattered reports of some travelers being charged a penalty on their credit card and some frequent fliers getting miles deducted, but on the whole it's a reasonable risk to take.

Sorry if you're upset, but I'm not sure what you're protesting. It's impossible to buy a ticket by cash anonymously. You still have to show ID. Buying a ticket with cash and then not showing up for the return flight is a sure flag for Homeland Security when you next travel.

Don't get upset. I remember you having similar experiences as Isailtheseas on the LP Thorntree and, as I recall, I actually agreed with you.

Thanks for your comments regarding not travelling the return leg on a return ticket. Not using the return portion seems common practice. Airlines back themselves up in their fine print should they decide to scan their vast databases for the 'violation' of their rules and regulations, then charge the passenger accordingly. The 'bureaucracy' surrounding the effort and some concerns regarding 'brand image' might be impediments to pursuing the passenger. Found Air India offering one-way tickets at one-way prices. P

If you're buying multiple, just be sure to line up the return dates to eliminate any computer checking. I bought 3 RT instead of 1way and saved hundreds of €. Dates show me flying from V to D to F to E and then returning a week later from E to F to D and back to V.