CityJet not using outgoing leg of flight

I have booked a flight to London going out early on Friday morning and back late on Sunday.

I won't be able to make the early Friday morning flight, so I booked a later flight out, assuming I could use the flight back on Sunday from the original ticket.

I rang CityJet to confirm I could use it but the standard of English of the guy I spoke to was not adequate for him to understand me or certainly for him to help me. He said that if I don't use the outgoing leg, I can't use the return leg. I have asked for his supervisor to call me back. But has anyone any idea how I resolve this.

Brendan

I have not had the issue with CityJet but I did have it with AL and RA and I was fine getting the return flight. I'm pretty certain it's standard now for these airlines to issue two seperate flight journies as oppose to 'return' as we knew it.

Brendan Burgess said:

I have booked a flight to London going out early on Friday morning and back late on Sunday.

I won't be able to make the early Friday morning flight, so I booked a later flight out, assuming I could use the flight back on Sunday from the original ticket.

I rang CityJet to confirm I could use it but the standard of English of the guy I spoke to was not adequate for him to understand me or certainly for him to help me. He said that if I don't use the outgoing leg, I can't use the return leg. I have asked for his supervisor to call me back. But has anyone any idea how I resolve this.

Brendan

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Brendan, I had the similar experience with RyanAir several years ago. When I went to the airport, blissfully unaware of the rule, I was told that I need a new ticket as I had not used the outgoing leg of the ticket so it was automatically cancelled. I am assuming from elcato that now it is no longer an issue for RA but I'd get a confirmation ref with CityJet or you might end up like me on standby and then having to fork out for a new fare at high cost.
I'd try and push it, you are actually helping them by telling them so they can resell that part of the ticket. After all if you looked at this in reverse and flew out with them and not turn up for the return leg there is nothing they could do.

I've come across this many times (in work) and haven't heard that there had been any changes so am surprised by what elcato say. As far as I know it's the same with all airlines - if you don't take the outgoing flight the return is automatically cancelled. The only way around it is to change the original outgoing flight. Or to cancel the whole thing and book the return flight as a one-way ticket. Or to make sure to always book two one-way tickets when flying. Or, and this is where it starts to get silly but I have had to do this before, book the new trip to London as a return, essentially booking a second seat on the same flight back. Once you have that, you can cancel the original booking. I remember being surprised that the same person could book two seats on the same flight but it was possible at the time (that was when I was still in Ireland so at least seven years ago).

Its the same with all airlines that I know of. Once you fail to travel on the first leg, the ticket is usually void. However, I know Aer Lingus for one will allow the second leg stand if you tell them in advance that you won't be travelling on the first leg but they have the right to change the fare etc. I had to do it twice. I was charged once but was free the second time.

Cityjet have confirmed that the second leg is cancelled if I don't use the first leg.

It's very annoying, but I suppose I am glad I checked.

Janet said:

Or to make sure to always book two one-way tickets when flying.

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This seems to be the way to do it for future reference.

Their customer service is really terrible. The Supervisor did not ring me back. The second person I spoke to was easier to understand, but was confusing. Mixing up euros and sterling, "cost" and "refund". When I asked to speak to a supervisor, she point blank refused.

Sometimes twitter can be the best tool for customer service less room for mis-understanding. I would have thought it's the same for all airlines and have my doubts that Ryanair allow it.

dereko1969 said:

I would have thought it's the same for all airlines and have my doubts that Ryanair allow it.

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I thought the same till I rang both AL and RA on different occasions to be told that it was fine. Just to clarify, I did ring first and was told that it was fine and I didn't need to cancel the outward journey. I got on both flights no problem. I'm pretty sure there was a similar thread here not that long ago where people confirmed this as well.
Thanks to Brendan though for clarifying with cityjet as I probebly would not have bothered to ring them having done so with the others.

I booked 5 return flights with Ryanair last year to Spain from Knock. 3 of our party could not travel on the day so I booked 3 singles from Dublin to Spain for 2 days later. As Knock is so small a Ryanair staff member found me in the waiting area and asked me whether or not the 3 other passengers on the booking were travelling or not as they hadn't checked in and the flight was about to take on passengers. I told her that they weren't flying. never thought to tell her however that they'd be flying back on this reservation and when I arrived at the airport 2 weeks later in Spain there was no problem with checking in.

I am caught with the same issue again this weekend. I have a return flight with Ryanair but I am now traveling out at a different time.

I found this on the which is very clear and reassuring.

"You don't need to notify us if you are unable to travel and if you can’t use your outbound flight you can still use your return flight."

which all ties in with Elcato's and 10toI's experience.

Incidentally, I now try to avoid CityJet as a result of their attitude to this and the way that they handled my complaint.

Brendan