British Airways and other major airlines are coming under fire for taking advantage of passengers who miss their flights, as an investigation by Which? reveals just before the Christmas travel rush. The investigation has uncovered that airlines are canceling passengers’ return flights if they miss their outgoing flight, forcing them to pay large sums to rebook their tickets.
According to Which?, at least 11 airlines, including British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, are stranding their customers by deleting their booking details from the system. Which? is urging these companies to eliminate the “rip-off” no-show clause often hidden in the fine print, which they believe could be against consumer law. This clause lets airlines sell the passenger’s seat on a return or connecting flight to a new customer without providing a refund, thereby doubling their profit.
Travelers often find out too late that their tickets have been canceled when they show up at the airport for their return flight, leaving them with no option but to buy a new, overpriced ticket or pay a penalty fee that can be as high as £2,685 to use their original ticket.
Alex Neill, managing director of home products and services at Which?, commented that missing a flight due to traffic or a delayed train is frustrating enough, but having the return journey canceled as well is completely unfair and unjustified. He argued that there’s no logical reason for a no-show clause and that it only benefits the airlines. Neill called for airlines to immediately remove this clause and show more respect for their passengers.
Some airlines argue that the clause prevents “tariff abuse,” where passengers book cheaper return tickets instead of more expensive single flights. However, major airlines like EasyJet and Ryanair do not include this clause in their terms and conditions.
This practice has led to widespread outrage on social media, with many customers expressing their shock upon discovering that their return flights had been canceled. One Twitter user recounted how her husband’s flight was canceled without notification, forcing him to repurchase his seat at six times the original price.
Another traveler shared with Which? that she had to pay Virgin Atlantic an additional £1,354 to get home from New York after missing her flight from London.
In response to the outrage, Which? has teamed up with similar organizations in nine European countries to put an end to this unfair practice.
A British Airways spokesperson responded by highlighting that they have over 45 million customers each year and value their loyalty. They mentioned that many tickets allow changes if the customer informs the airline before traveling, and assured that if a passenger misses their flight for a legitimate reason, their return flight will still be valid. They explained that it is standard industry practice for customers to use their flights in the order listed in the booking, an agreement made at the time of purchase.
Virgin Atlantic also issued a statement acknowledging the report and stating that they are investigating further. They emphasized that they never aim to disappoint their customers and that their terms and conditions are clearly outlined at the time of booking.