Travel: Vanishing reservations

 reader, Bette Tell, recently wrote with a problem. Several months ago she purchased a deeply discounted ticket ($158) for a pre-Christmas round-trip flight on US Airways from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to Pittsburgh. As it turned out, instead of flying, Bette wound up driving north.

On Dec. 24, when she showed up at Pittsburgh International for the return flight to Fort Lauderdale, however, she was informed that her reservation had been canceled. Seats were still available on the flight, but Tell had to buy a new, one-way ticket for $783.

"I have been reading all the fine print, and nowhere do I find that if one fails to board the first half of a round-trip reservation that the whole reservation gets canceled. When I asked US Airways to show me this in writing, they just say it is airline policy. Am I the only one that didn't know about this unwritten policy? What are my chances of receiving a refund?"

Unfortunately, not good.

As a rule, if passengers do not show up for a flight and fail to cancel the reservation, they are considered "no-shows." When this occurs, US Airways, like virtually all major carriers, reserves the right to automatically cancel any continuing or return reservations the passenger may have. If passengers show up for subsequent flights, they will have to buy a new ticket at the walk-up, one-way rate, almost assuredly at a cost that will ruin their day. That is assuming a seat is even available.

That doesn't mean, however, that the unused ticket is worthless. Passengers who are traveling on full-fare tickets can apply the entire value toward a new ticket. Some portion of a discounted ticket may also be applied to the new transaction, although various fees will greatly diminish its value.

So if you have a ticket and are unable to make a flight or decide not to go, make sure to call and let the airline know. Otherwise you'll be listed as a no-show.

Unfortunately, sometimes reservations can vanish through no fault of the passenger.

For example, travelers may miss a connection because an incoming flight was late. The carrier may make alternate arrangements, but if the gate agent fails to enter the changes in the computer properly, when passengers check in for their return flights, they may find that the airline had listed them as no-shows on their original flight and canceled their return reservation. Travelers who have voluntarily given up their seats on an overbooked flight have experienced similar problems.

To protect yourself, if your flight plans deviate from those shown on your ticket or reservation voucher, take a minute to reconfirm any continuing or return flights when you get to your destination. It may be a little hassle at the time, but it can save you from a big expensive headache later on.

Reconfirming flight reservations was once standard operating procedure on all flights, domestic and international. Carriers have generally dropped the requirement for domestic flights. But with advance reservations, electronic ticketing, computer scheduling and flight delays, it is still wise to double-check your flight arrangements a few hours before heading to the airport. This is especially true if your original flight plans were altered in any way.

In general, it's also wise to make sure the airline and your travel agent have both your home and office phone number or e-mail address on file, so you can be notified of any changes. And when you travel, call and reconfirm your return flight reservations and departure times after you've checked into your hotel and can leave a room number. The airlines claim they try to notify passengers of last-minute changes, but unless you make it easy for them, their message probably won't find you.

Finally, whenever you're overseas, it's wise to call and reconfirm your return flights and reservations. Some foreign carriers automatically cancel return reservations if passengers don't reconfirm 48 hours before departure. If you wait until you get to the airport, it may be too late to react to schedule changes or retrieve lost reservations.