No-show (airlines)
A no-show is a clause that some airlines include in their terms of use. It basically means that a user not showing up for the outbound flight will be considered a no-show, and all the connecting flights associated with this one, even a return flight, will be cancelled and no refund will apply.
This is an example of no-show clause in the terms of use of Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS):
No-shows occur when the Travel Agent fails to cancel a booking that is not required by the customer which leads to inventory spoilage. If the reservation is not cancelled it may result in a No-show rebooking/refund restrictions may apply for no-show after ticketing. Un-ticketed segments which result in No-Show shall be liable to penalty fees.
"Booking & Ticketing Policies of SWISS" (PDF). SWISS International Air Lines Ltd. 20 May 2014. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
In addition, the online business dictionary[1] defines a no-show as the person (passenger) that has incurred in the no-show clause.
While it is not clear if carriers should refund users regarding navigation taxes (related to the airline operation and to the governments, which do not appear on a ticket), other expenses, like security, air passenger duty, and noise/environmental can all be refunded, as these all relate to the passenger's use of any particular airport to depart/arrive on any particular flight.[2]
This clause has raised much concern among users, and court rulings have converge to the conclusion that "carriers cannot force passengers to fly".[3]
References
- ↑ "Business Dictionary". Retrieved 13 July 2014.
- ↑ "Airliners.net". Retrieved 13 July 2014.
- ↑ "Sentencias contra NO-SHOW" (PDF) (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 July 2014.