Booking a one-way ticket? WHY NOT??!! Help?

[rach220]

I'm really frustrated with the "travel rules" and wondering if there's any way around it...maybe there's a TA on here that can offer some advice?

 

So my brother's girlfriend cancelled for our wedding because of the swine flu. I was mad, but I've come to terms with it. She is 18 and her Mom made the decision so I understand. But of course there are repercussions...

 

So now my brother doesn't want to go for a full week, and I don't blame him because you pay double occupancy at our resort even if it's just one person in the room. He was orginally booked to go from Sunday to Sunday.

 

Instead he's going to share my cousin's room for the 4 days that she is going, which is Wednesday to Sunday. SO that part of it is all figured out. (And they are both saving money rather than booking 2 rooms as singles)!

 

BUT we're trying to figure out the airfare and it's a PITA!

 

My brother paid $600 for his and his girlfriend's direct flights from NYC (JFK) to Cancun and back at Orbitz.com. He's already losing $300 since his girlfriend's not going, and is trying to salvage whatever he can to not throw all his money out the window. There is a $130 "change" fee, but he would have to book on the same airline (Mexicana). We were hoping to get him on the same flight as my cousin, since he would be staying with her anyway, and he's only been on a plane once before (when he was very young) and I'm sure he would be fine, but it would just be easier if he wasn't by himself. AND he could catch a ride with her (and her husband who is dropping her off) so he wouldn't have to pay parking fees. He is also a new driver and has never driven outside of CT.

 

HOWEVER, my cousin is flying out of CT (Bradley airport) and Mexicana doesn't fly out of there!

 

So I came up with the (what I thought was fabulous) idea to just buy a one way ticket out of CT on my cousin's flight ($148!) and then still use the return flight he already has back to JFK (which is the same as my parents').

 

Well my Mom called her TA to find out if that was possible and they said it was illegal. WTF?

 

Why do they care? They said the only way we could do that is if he "missed" his flight and THEN booked the new outgoing flight. But that means we would have to wait until after his flight leaves to book and it probably wouldn't be available at that point.

 

I just don't understand why they can't just let him book a one-way ticket.

 

Does anyone know any other way around this? Or have any other idea of what we would do? If my brother keeps his current flight and flies down on Sunday, he is going to pay almost $1200 for the 3 nights he will be by himself until my cousin gets there. AND he doesn't even want to be there at all so he will be miserable on top of it. So it makes the most since for his to come down later.

 

The other option is to book a whole new flight for him (on my cousin's flight) which is $405 roundtrip. And then MAYBE he and his gf can use their wasted flights sometime in the next year, but they would still pay $130 each to change them PLUS the difference for the new flights if they are more than $300 each (which they probably will be) AND it would have to be on Mexicana, which means their only choice is Mexico...If his gf's Mom wouldn't let her go to a wedding with the supervision of my parents, I doubt she's going to let her daughter go there alone for spring break or whatever it would be that they would use the tickets for! So that's pretty much out the window anyway...

 

It would just be easier (and cheaper) if he could buy a one-way ticket for $148 (vs $405 roundtrip) and use the second half of the one he already has.

 

I don't understand why it's "illegal." The airlines are still making money. If we told them we weren't using the first half of the trip they could fill the seat ahead of time and make more than the $130 change fee they would get from us. Why is it such a big deal? Is there any way to get around this?

 

ANY help anyone might be able to offer is appreciated. Has anyone else run into anything similar?

[Jacilynda]

Ok I really see your point, and I'm in a hurry so I'll give you another point of view since I used to work for the airlines. 1. they really arent making much money, they're almost all bankrupt! 2. if you do not take the outbound flight of a round trip ticket and don't rebook your outbound within 24 hours the computer will automatically cancel his return as well

 

My personal opinion is to go ahead pay the fee let him come later, but let him be a big boy and fly on his own. He has to grow up sometime and really flying isn't all that scary and you can ask any flight attendant or gate agent for help. tell him to check the magazines in the seat backs before landing at his connection. They have maps of the hubs and he can get familiar with where to go before he lands, and he can take that magazine with and use it as a guide. He may get a bit confused at customs but nothing an 18 year old can't figure out

 

Also Mexicana goes to Argentina, etc so he has other options than Mexico if you decide to go that route

 

Also I wouldn't purposely miss his plane and rebook cause they'll have to rebook you in the same class of service and Orbitz uses the lowest fare class which mostly aren't available the day of so he'll end up spending more money anyway

[rach220]

Ughh...thanks hun.

 

I know he will be fine. I was actually thinking more of ease more than anything. If he flies alone, he has to park, which is almost as much as the flight sometimes!

 

Also, my cousin has a 3 year old with her, and it would actually be better for her if my bro was on her flight just to help her out. I think she's thinking about bringing a stroller (which I think is crazy) but whatever. It would be nice if there was someone to help her with luggage and all that. It can be a pain when you're traveling with a toddler.

 

I think I'm going to end up going with purchasing the new $400 flight and hopefully my brother and his gf can use their other ones at some other point.

[Jacilynda]

I really think thats a good idea as well. swine flu will die down and maybe she'll be okay w/ going to mexico.

 

taking a stroller... GOOD IDEA!!!! Its much harder toting around a toddler, your purse, carry on, stuff for your toddler! She can gate check it. It's really nice because she can use the stroller to carry around her stuff! We have decided not to take our stroller to mexico cause we'd much rather use our kelty carrier and we're lucky enough to have at least 4 other family members and us to help w/ Cattie!

 

I'm starting to realize the closer we get to our wedding dates the crazier we get! I can't think straight! 2 days will go by and it'll click, duh that makes the most sense when I would have normally clicked on that right away!

[Jenamie]

Why can he just get a ride from his gf/friend to and from the airport and save parking fees that way?

[rach220]

Thanks Maureen and Jacilynda...

 

He ended up booking a whole new flight (my cousins flight) for $400. It actually would have been cheaper to pay the $130 change fee, but this way he can maybe still use that ticket with his gf in the next year. Actually they booked the flight in January, so they wouldn't be able to make it spring break (March). There's a pretty good chance they won't use the tickets at all ($600 down the drain) but at least they have the option.

 

I guess I shouldn't complain. If $600 is all we lost in this swine flu craziness, I'm pretty lucky. I can't imagine being some of the brides that have had to cancel all together and lost wayyy more

[joshfrommontreal]

It is a tough situation and I just wanted to add in an opinion here for any Canadians reading this thread and might have to go through the same thing. I was actually able to do this two months ago with Air Transat.

 

Because of another last minute wedding I had to leave a day later and Transat had no flights out the day I wanted. So I told the airline I would not be on the first flight but that I still wanted the way back. So I took an American Airlines flight to Mexico and then took my originally booked Transat flight back to Montreal.

 

Just wanted to give a heads up to some Canadians and say that it was possible for me.