Travel & Holidays Am I being petty for not “releasing” a plane ticket I can’t use?

Airline changed the time, brought the flight forward by a few hours. I was given the option to refuse and get a refund, but I accepted the change, which then locked me in, but a few hours later I realized I couldn’t make it work in my schedule.

I rung up to get a refund but since I already accepted the change they said they can’t do it, not even a partial refund or credit.

So I decided to keep it out of spite because why should they make more money by reselling my seat. Why should I take 30 mins out of my day to make another call and sit on the line and get passed around half a dozen times to process the cancellation.

Am I being selfish? I kind of feel bad. What if the seat could have been used by someone genuinely needing to be somewhere urgent?

 

Your schedule could change last minute again. Keep it just in case.

 

Something urgent is likely to be last moment, They would have sold your seat already.

 

Don't they oversell anyway and then bump some poor unfortunate? Remember those recent videos from the US? Airlines are never so considerate.

 

It's your ticket so you can do what you want. As mentioned you may be able to use it after all and would be kicking yourself if you cancelled it with no refund.

I noticed in the case of award tickets some airlines have a penalty in place if you don't use the award ticket. So loose the points and still get penalised.

 

I don't see it as petty because a) you might still need it and b) it would take effort and time to release the ticket as you would need to contact them again. After they have just sort of screwed you over on this, I wouldn't make any extra effort for them.

 

It's your ticket and it's up to you on how you use it. If the airline need you to release the ticket then they would make arrangement to pay you for the seat.

 

No mention when the flight is, could be tomorrow or in a few months.

I would have thought if they change the time/agreement, perhaps expected an immediate decision from you, or even if you choose to give one, then latter in the day, perhaps after consulting a partner, others your travelling with etc, that hang-on that doesn't work, you'd have at-least 24 hours from initial notification to change that decision, be moved to an alternate flight or get a refund.

I wonder what the ACCC would think?

 

Call up, claim you misunderstood the previous person on the phone and that it could be changed or refunded as long as it was 48 hours prior to the flight.

 

Domestic flight? Give it to a mate. They use the DIY check in things and nobody would know it's not you. When I told some visiting Americans that was possible they were horrified.

 

Yeah.. I'd be calling back and demanding a refund. When you book a flight, you book it based on time (well, I do anyways).
When is the flight?

 

Not selfish. It's your ticket to use to use, or not, as you see fit.

However, unlike some of the posters above, I don't think you've been ripped off or hard done by either - since you were offered a refund but refused it

Hardly the airline's fault that you didn't take up their offer or check properly.

 

You bought the ticket, it’s up to you to do with it what you want, give it away, leave an empty seat or put a teddy bear on it just for fun.

It’s not selfish because it’s yours to do as you wish and you don’t need to explain or justify to anyone.

Other people’s emergencies and especially theoretical emergencies are not your problem, I wouldn’t even go there.

 

Lol should have read this before I posted my answer.

Mirror mirror

 

Airlines in Australia do not over book. It is common practice in the USA, but not here.

 

What I wrote was "Airlines in Australia".

Was this on an Australian registered airline operating domestically? I expect not.

Suspect this story would have been a foreign carrier. That is what I mean it does not happen here.

 

Your ticket could be used for someone needing urgent medical treatment e.g. cancer patient. Do I think you are being selfish? Yes, there's a reason you feel bad, it's called a conscience. Better to give it up and move on