Companion voucher – companion no show

[Dark Horse]

Hi
This is My first forum post so I hope I’m doing it correctly.

I have read on other posts about a companion no showing for a return flight so I think we will be ok but just wanted to see if someone has had my specific circumstances.

I’m booked to the states and back in September with my family using two BA Amex companion vouchers (in my name) to get four of us on a business class return.

We all fly out of EDI via LHR. On the return my daughter doesn’t want to come back to Edinburgh as she is a midwife has a shift the following day in Manchester.

I am proposing we all check-in in the states to Edinburgh and she takes what she needs in hand luggage. At Heathrow on the return three of us will board the EDI flight and she will no show. I assume this will be ok. We’ll book her a single up to MAN.

Is it courteous to tell BA staff at the LHR gate she’s no showing or is that a bad idea?

Comments welcome if anyone has done similar. Thx

[StillintheSun]

By not flying all sectors (i.e. LHR to EDI) your daughter is breaching the terms of the ticket. Have a search of “hidden city ticketing.”

[NorthernLass]

I think in principle it would be ok as there could be any number of reasons she couldn’t take the final leg to EDI e.g. urgently called away on business to Manchester). I would mention it to BA staff at LHR though, as she’ll be checking in for the whole journey and they will know you’re in the same party (there would be no need otherwise). However, I have never worked out if checked luggage is attached to individual pax or groups on the same booking, which might cause an issue – but I honestly don’t know, hopefully someone can clear this up!

[NorthernLass]

StillintheSun wrote:

By not flying all sectors (i.e. LHR to EDI) your daughter is breaching the terms of the ticket. Have a search of “hidden city ticketing.”

She would technically be, but loads of people have reported doing it and not have any come back, as long as it’s a one-off.

[StillintheSun]

You are of course completely right @northernlass. The possibility of any adverse effect is negligible but one should at least know the law before breaking it. In light of the tort of unlawful interference with contractual rights I couldn’t possible condone this very common practice.

[ChrisC]

@StillInTheSun – this isn’t really a good example of hidden city ticketting especially on an avios flight. It tends to be more of a US airline thing. And BA isn’t going to send anyone after Dark Horse for a single breach anyway.

@NorthernLass As to baggage that is linked to the individual who checks it in so as long as ‘her’ bag is checked in with one of the others to EDI (and assuming doing so dosen’t breach baggage limits) it’s not going to be a problem. In anycase (sorry bad pun) as soon as she fails to board the EDI flight it wold be pulled off anyway.

@Dark Horse – this isn’t going to cause any issues at all. Stuff happens and BA is well aware of that. If they were going to go after anyone it’s the people who do this on a regular basis on cash tickets.

[SamG]

Well it’s OK as no one is asking you too 🙂

It’ll be fine, plans change all the time. She’ll be automatically offloaded 35 mins before by conformance and that’ll be that. Just remember she needs to scan the new Manchester boarding pass at connections not the Edinburgh one

Hidden city ticketing is the act of booking a connecting flight to get a cheaper price and not taking the final leg. You’ve cheated the airline in that scenario. Airlines do crack down on people who do this repeatedly (more a US phenomenon). BA is not hunting down people who missed a “free” domestic flight one time

[Dark Horse]

Thanks – her checked bags was the thing I was concerned about. However just thought we have 2x 32kg each which we’ll never use so could check her bag under my name say. Do they check bags by passenger or are all the bags checked together ? Thx

[ChrisC]

As I said they are checked per passenger so you’d hand hers over as yours to the check in agent and the tags attached to you.

[VinZ]

I also have a question about this. I’m booked on a one way flight to NAP from LHR with a companion voucher. I know stupid use of a companion voucher but that’s it. Husband is not flying anymore so it’ll be just myself.
What’s the best course of action? Probably cancelling is not smart as I would pay £35 on cancellation fees vs £25 in booking fees that I would lose.
Amy other aspects I should be aware of?

[Tracey]

You could try and split the booking and cancel the companion voucher – depending on its expiry date.

If you booked before 8 June and travel before end September, your covered by Book With Confidence, so no cancellation fee

[VinZ]

Voucher expires soon I think. I’ve already changed the booking a few times, last time a couple of weeks ago. They said that change was free but after that I would have to pay fees. Is that right?

[SamG]

Dark Horse wrote:

Thanks – her checked bags was the thing I was concerned about. However just thought we have 2x 32kg each which we’ll never use so could check her bag under my name say. Do they check bags by passenger or are all the bags checked together ? Thx

By passenger so you need to tell the check in agent it’s 2 for you and 0 for her

[memesweeper]

On my reading of the T&Cs voucher holder must fly with the companion…
…but not the other way round.

I’ve heard of foreign airlines taking action against passengers who regularly drop ‘sectors’ to get lower prices, but this isn’t relevant in your case, and I’ve never heard of BA taking action under any such circumstances in any event.