[Anonymous]

[Kimi_CDG]

Dear fellow travellers,

I open my first discussion thread with a question about a BA ticket I just bought. I needed to go to LAX from CDG.

Thanks to your past advice, I found a great price for a WT+ flight ex-DUB (same than WT from CDG!). Here are the details: I will fly Paris BVA-DUB with Ryanair (I am not pround of this one) and then the BA flights: DUB-LHR, LHR-LAX, then 10 days later LAX-LHR and LGW-DUB (last leg with Aer Lingus)

Here is the question. I have 3 hours to reach LGW from LHR for the last leg, which I am not interested to do since I live in Paris. Would it be a problem if I book another flight separately to CDG? I chose the airport change on purpose. Since I’ll collect my luggage at LHR, I see no reason for taking the last flight.

What do you think? Should I tell BA and cancel the last leg upon arrival? Will they “accept”?
I saw nothing in the ticket conditions about additional fees in case of cancellation. I won’t “just” be reimbursed.

Thanks for your help!

[SimonS1]

If you tell BA they will likely reprice the ticket and it will cost you.

Best thing is just to go quietly. It’s been discussed on here before and I doubt as a one-off there would be any comeback. If there is any challenge then say you were taken ill and missed your final leg or there was bad traffic on the M25.

Ps have a read here:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/british-airways-executive-club/1611633-ex-eu-flights-last-leg.html

[LuganoPirate]

I agree with Simon Kimi. I think bad traffic on the M25 is the best excuse – if you need one – as there usually is. You could embellish it by saying your driver took you “accidentally” Northbound!

Just a question though. If you book a one way ticket from LHR to CDG, you’ll probably negate the savings you made by starting in DUB. You may have to buy a return and then use the same excuse for the Peripherique! 😉

PS. I hope my spelling was correct?

[Kimi_CDG]

Thanks SimonS1 for the link. I’ll make sure not to do that very often.
Things will be easier if the LAX-LHR flight is delayed. Flightstats.com tells me it is often the case.

@LuganoPirate
Thanks for the advice. I have plenty of excuses then 🙂
LGW-DUB lands at 8.15pm. I didn’t find any interesting option to fly to CDG from there.
I just booked a cheap Eurostar ticket. I don’t want to have 2 BA tickets for flights to DUB and CDG at the same time.
That will be a good opportunity to have a coffee with my sister who happens to live in London.

And yes, the spelling is correct… My beloved peripherique… :p

[FirstClassWannabe]

Kimi, just don’ t say anything unless asked, which is unlikely. I have not taken the last leg 3 times and never had a problem, I also got my Avios for the other legs I did take. The first time I actually told them at the originating airport I would not use the last leg and still, no problem. If you only do this occasionally you will be fine, repeat offences may cause a problem.

Most people outside of travel would find it ridiculous that you could be penalised by having to pay the difference in fare, and I think most judges would think that as well!

The expert on this is Martyn Sinclair and as he flies regularly, he does always take the last leg, but it saves him thousands. Doing a one off will be fine.

[stevescoots]

it has to be worth it, I just got Ex BRU to HKG for £1500, compared to Ex LHR for £2900!

[BrotherJim]

There is no issue what so ever not turning up for the last leg of a trip. BA, nor any other airline for that matter can do anything about it, and certainly cannot charge more.

If the leg you ‘miss’ is the first or in the middle of a trip then some airlines will cancel the remainder of your trip, but as mentioned nothing much they can do if it is the last leg.

[Kimi_CDG]

I got WT+ for the same price than WT ex-CDG. I was told it is not worth the effort. I just wanted to try it.

[AMcWhirter]

BrotherJim – I have been writing about ‘cross border’ tickets for over 30 years and one thing you should never do is not use the first coupon because any reputable airline will then automatically cancel all the remaining flights it holds for you.

[BrotherJim]

AMcWhirter, isn’t that what I said?

[AMcWhirter]

I was referring specifically to the first leg/coupon.

The wording used was “some airlines.”

I wonder where you are based because here in Europe you wouldn’t get far if you were to try using a cross-border ticket at LHR without having taken the originating leg.

[AMcWhirter]

I was referring specifically to the first leg/coupon.

The wording used was “some airlines.”

I wonder where you are based because here in Europe you wouldn’t get far if you were to try using a cross-border ticket at LHR without having taken the originating leg.

[LuganoPirate]

Delighted it’s not just me that manages to post the same message twice Alex 😉

In the old days you’d just remove the first coupon, having made a few scribbles and fly cheaply on. No more thanks to computerisation!

Having said that, some years ago I was flying F to JNB from MXP via LHR with BA. I can’t remember exactly why, but I was in Holland and should have flown to Milan, but something happened which would have caused me to miss the MXP – LHR flight. I called BA and with some pleading they agreed I could join the flight in London and not lose the reservations and crucially, not pay the ex London fare. I did have to buy my own ticket to London though.

[MartynSinclair]

Just disembarked QM2 – report to follow, but it was superb!

My answer to this question is certainly to use all the coupons/sectors.

One day, I feel sure someone will post in panic asking for advice about a credit card payment for a repriced ticket..

My view is to use all the sectors and enjoy the added avios and tier points which will result…

Minimise the risk of a repriced ticket, by using all the sectors, irrelevant of whether you need to travel or not..

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