Return Cheaper than a Single

[SIRandyraven]

In the past I have always booked return flights and then upgraded using Air miles to Business out and Upper Class back.
LA last year and Vegas the year prior ....

Anyway this year I want to fly one way to Vancouver and then Fly to Vegas and then back to the UK.
Use Virgin for trip to Vancouver and back from Vegas to London.
Anyone will do for trip between Vancouver and Vegas.

Looking at the Virgin website, they are quoting £1149 single to Vancouver or £714 return (Going out on the same day). Also prices for a one way from Vegas to London are more than a Return ?

Can you simply book a return and not use a portion of the flight ?
ie Book a return to Vancouver and not use the return part of the ticket ?
Has anyone ever done this ?

[dzug2]

If you fail to turn up for a leg of a flight then any subsequent flights in the itinerary are normally cancelled without reference to you..

Will Virgin let you book 'open jaw' or 'multi city'? That effectively means they take the two <<return >>fares, add them together and divide by two with an adjustment for differing taxes maybe. That's better than trying to book two singles, and most airlines allow it

[EDDIE51]

I once had a return ticket to New York that I didn't use. I was working in Saudi Arabia and there was a special offer of Saudi > New York via London, it was cheaper than a straight Saudi > London return .
I used the 1st leg to London and the 4th leg back to Saudi the London>New York > London I just threw away. Nothing was said and it all worked.

[JonnyBoy12]

As a non-frequent flyer I am not really qualified to answer this question, but it would work with anything else would it not? You can buy a packet of nails and then throw the rest away. I have been suggested this many times as this is cheaper than a bubble pack.

They can not force you to go on the second part of a flight can they? If you do not use something you have paid for why would they worry?

[237SJ]

I don`t know much about full fare ticketing and I don`t know how Virgin operate but if you are going to do that I think you might get away with booking the LHR YVR LHR and not using the second sector. You will just be a no-show. There is never a scheduled aircraft that goes out without no-shows. Par for the course. As far as the Vegas is concerned, you might find yourself scuppered if you don`t turn up for the first sector and the second sector will be invalidated. If you decide to go for it, make two separate bookings don`t do it under the same booking reference/PNR number.

[zebo]

I have read somewhere that companies can charge for a single if a return isn't used, they have your card details, and it can be expensive. The ferry companies do the same, when they have their £1 day trips they're not supposed to be used by, for example, people returning to their overseas address.
I recently priced a trip to the US from Heathrow and from Manchester. The Manchester trip was £20 cheaper, even though it meant flying down the Heathrow on the shuttle and catching the same flight across the Atlantic!

[237SJ]

I`m not sure airlines work like that though. Most no-shows are full fare economy tickets (which are almost as expensive as business class tickets and in that respect they are fully flexible so the passenger can decide not to turn up and they don`t lose any money). There are plenty of people who get delayed on the way to the airport, get lost in duty free and don`t listen out for announcements and get pissed in bars and miss flights. They are not penalised for that. They are just no-shows. My cousin in Hamburg was caught out buying day returns on the ferry and not using the return sectors. He received a demand for quite a lot of money and the threat of prosecution if he didn`t pay up

[jno]

I once did what Eddie did, but it was 25 years ago. I don't think it's possible now, as dzug says.

[237SJ]

Yes, it is possible now.

[EDDIE51]

So you buy 2 tickets from diffrent agents.
London >Vancouver >London but don't use the last leg
Vagas > London> Vegas and again don't use the last leg what can they do ?

[puternut]

But if you book Vegas to London (LAS - LHR - LAS) return so effectively show up for the 1st leg and not the return to Vegas then you are simply a no-show for the second leg?

[237SJ]

You don`t buy them from agents (who does nowadays)? Yes, you can not use YVR LHR but if you don`t use the Heathrow Vegas sector you could find your booking cancelled for the return sector (because you no-showed on the way out)

[puternut]

But 237SJ you are using the first part (Vegas to London) and no show the second part (London to Vegas) IF and I say IF you book your starting airport as Vegas and not London

[237SJ]

This is getting complicated :-) Ticket is for LHR-YVR-LHR. Booked under a one-off booking ref/PNR number Passenger goes LHR-YVR Doesn`t complete return sector. That will work. Passenger will be a no-show on YVR-LHR. Passenger books LHR-LAS-LHR with a view to not completing LHR-LAS (under a separate booking ref) Passenger`s booking will be cancelled in the reservation system because they didn`t complete the outbound sector.

[puternut]

OK I Surrender! Just think of all those poor Americans who can't book a Vegas to London return because they have to get to London first. My final try.

[dzug2]

The problem with a Las Vegas - London - Las Vegas ticket is that it may - no will - be a different price, possibly much higher than the same trip starting in London. So yes it might work but is not sure fire. Airlines do not charge the same fares in each direction

I'm sure Virgin will offer a multi city ticket though - it's in more options on the booking page. It's just offered me a sub £900 return fare for the two flights