Can I cancel one leg of a round trip flight?

While skipping a flight and buying a new one can be less expensive than paying a modification fee, it's important to note that most airlines will cancel your entire itinerary if you miss the first leg of a round trip.



Technically, you can "cancel" or simply not show up for one leg of a round-trip flight, but in 2026, this comes with significant risks. If you miss or "no-show" the first leg (the outbound flight), almost every airline’s automated system will automatically cancel the remaining legs, including your return flight, without a refund. This is to prevent "hidden city ticketing" and other price-manipulation strategies. If you want to cancel the second leg (the return) after having already flown the first, you can do so, but you rarely receive any money back for the "unused" portion of a standard non-refundable ticket. In some cases, if you need to change your plans, it is better to call the airline and ask for a "re-faring" of the ticket to a one-way, though this can sometimes actually increase the price. For 2026 travelers, the best advice is to never skip the first part of a journey without speaking to an agent, as you will likely find yourself stranded with a voided return ticket.

People Also Ask

While airlines do allow cancelling one leg of a roundtrip ticket, substantial change fees usually apply. Carefully review policies before booking multi-city itineraries to avoid surprise charges if plans change.

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You can request the cancellation of the specific ticket you no longer need, and the airline or travel agent will make the necessary changes to your reservation. In some cases, the airline may allow you to cancel one ticket online through their website, but this may not always be possible.

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If you miss or skip any portion of a plane ticket, your airline can cancel all flights remaining on the ticket's itinerary. That's why you MUST NEVER SKIP THE FIRST LEG OF YOUR FLIGHT!

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Generally, you can get a partial refund for the unused portion of your ticket. However, there are cases where you've already departed, but due to a flight cancellation, the alternative flight offered to you no longer serves your original travel plan.

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IRCTC website allows partial cancellation of tickets. You can cancel the ticket of one person from the ticket generated for multiple passengers.

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Yes. Out of the 3 passengers booked on a single PNR, any one or two can be cancelled keeping the remaining intact. In case of e-ticket go to cancel section and check the passenger(s) you want to cancel and leave the other(s) who will travel.

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You can do it. For flights with a series of itineraries such as return flights and connecting flights, special treatment (change only once or cancel without charge (refund) even if the flight itself is not delayed or canceled) is possible.

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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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In general, you will have to use all flight segments in your ticket in the order you booked them. You are not forced to use the return portion of your ticket if you decide not to go home, but you are not allowed only to use the return flight and skip the departure flight.

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Yes. Most airlines will cancel your return ticket if you miss a portion of your itinerary. if you book round trip, they will cancel your return and in some cases, offer no refund.

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Also known as “return air tickets,” round-trip tickets are flights from and back to the same location of origin. A one-way ticket, on the other hand, only allows you to fly to your destination, not back from it.

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While skiplagging isn't illegal, American Airlines filed a civil lawsuit earlier this month against Skiplagged.com, accusing the company of unauthorized and deceptive ticketing practices and tricking customers into believing they've gained access to a secret loophole.

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