Can I buy a round trip ticket and only use one leg?

To offer you the best price on your chosen route, we found that a round-trip ticket is actually cheaper than a one-way flight. However, the practice of “throwaway ticketing” — only using the first part of a round-trip ticket — is prohibited by a majority of airlines in their terms and conditions.



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Can I skip my return leg on a roundtrip ticket? Yes, but don't make it a habit. Sometimes roundtrip tickets are much cheaper than one-way flights. You'll find this more often on international flights.

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If you buy a round trip flight but only use one way, then the other half of your ticket will be forfeited. Depending on the airline and fare type, you may be able to get a refund or credit for future travel.

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Generally, no. It is customary for airlines to cancel the rest of the itinerary if the passenger does not show for any leg.

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It's not illegal Skipping a segment on an itinerary isn't illegal in any country that I know of. I think this is worth clarifying because in the airline industry the term “illegal” is often used in a way that has nothing to do with laws.

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What happens if you don't take one leg of a flight? Usually their software catches it, and the rest of your ticket is cancelled automatically denying you the usage of the remaining flights to that destination.

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To offer you the best price on your chosen route, we found that a round-trip ticket is actually cheaper than a one-way flight. However, the practice of “throwaway ticketing” — only using the first part of a round-trip ticket — is prohibited by a majority of airlines in their terms and conditions.

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You want to take only the first leg of the journey.
Although it's a breach of contract, you can do it. The airline can't cancel your journey anymore, as there is nothing left to cancel. But are you eligible for compensation if one of the flights is delayed or cancelled?

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Airlines typically require that both legs of the journey be cancelled together in order to receive a refund or credit for future travel. However, if your plans have changed and you no longer need to take the return portion of your flight, some airlines may allow you to change it for a fee.

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You can cancel one round-trip booking and then book a one-way separately. They are treated separately and not as an exchange. If you cancel the booking within 24 hours of making it, there is generally no charge. After that, a cancellation brings a penalty.

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If you choose to miss your connection, let the airline know, as they will otherwise label you as a no-show and may cancel the rest of your itinerary.

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Can I get charged for missing a flight? Most airlines only charge a fee for missing a flight if the passenger seems to have a habit of doing it purposely, commonly known as skiplagging, in which a passenger books a ticket with no intention of taking the secondary legs of a trip in order to secure a cheaper fare.

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Skiplagging is not illegal. But most major airlines, including American, Delta Southwest and United, don't allow it. For one thing, airlines lose money on the practice, says Tim Huh, a professor at the University of British Columbia's Sauder School of Business, who co-authored a study on skiplagging last year.

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“Say I want to fly to Miami from New York,” he says. “Prices are high if I book direct, but if I fly New York to Miami to Orlando, I can save $130. I could book that, pocket the savings, and then get off the plane in Miami instead of continuing on to Orlando.”

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While you do have to select a return date when you buy a full fare ticket, you can just change it when your plans change—very handy when, for example, you're trying to get home from Australia but wanting to add a stopover in Thailand.

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“Skiplagging,” also known as “hidden city ticketing,” is a counterintuitive way to book airline tickets to potentially save money. A traveler would book a multi-leg flight with a connection. Instead of flying to the final destination, the passenger opts to disembark at the connecting city.

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If you are talking about a connecting flight on the same day with the same confirmation number, you only have to check in before the first flight. You will get boarding passes for both flights. If they are booked as separate flights (meaning they are not a connection) you have to check in for each individually.

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Skiplagged is the most well-known service for finding hidden-city or throwaway tickets. That's the practice of booking a less-expensive flight option without planning to fly the entire itinerary. Instead, you bail at a connecting airport rather than continuing to your final destination.

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