Cape Town – If you miss your first flight, airlines will cancel your return ticket.
One Kulula passenger found this out the hard way. Sooren Ramdenee booked a return flight from Cape Town to Durban, but had to miss the first flight due to a family emergency. He booked another one-way ticket to Durban, but when trying to check-in for his return flight, Kulula informed him that his return flight was cancelled upon missing his first flight.
He ended up having to buy a new, full-price ticket to get back to Cape Town, but a simple phone call could have saved him money.
Although this might seem like the airline is at fault, this is common practice among most airlines in the world. If you you book a return flight or multiple flights on one booking, missing one flight will automatically cancel the rest of your trips.
According to Luane Lavery, communication manager for British Airways and Kulula, this policy is communicated to passengers throughout their booking process, in the terms and conditions that have to be clicked when finalising the booking and when the airline sends them a reminder for their flight.
The policy is also available on their website.
“Our experience shows that very few customers who do not arrive for their first flight ever utilise their return flight. By cancelling the return flight, airlines are able to manage their inventory and revenue management more efficiently, and to assist in curtailing overselling and overbooking margins, thus resulting in a more cost effective and reliable service for customers,”says Lavery.
Like most airlines, Kulula has a re-booking policy, which states that passengers who will miss their flight need to contact the airline’s call centre ahead of their first flight to ensure their second flight isn’t cancelled. The passenger will be liable to pay re-booking fees (R399 plus R120 Call Centre fee) and any price differences between the old ticket and the new one.
South African Airways and Mango has a similar condition in their terms and conditions, with a R370 rebooking fee through a call centre.
Flysafair notes that if you miss your flight, you need to go to their sales counter immediately and will try to put you on the next available flight and will also only charge an admin fee (R300) and difference in fare price. If you only do this an hour after the flight has departed, then you will forfeit the re-booking option and lose the whole ticket.
So remember: always make sure you know your airline’s ‘missed flight’ policy, and that you always make contact with their call centre as soon as you know you’re going to miss your flight.
Did You Know : Top 15 Free Online Learning Platforms
-
Free Online Education Degrees : Coursera:
Coursera partners with universities and organizations worldwide to offer a wide range of courses. While many courses are free, a fee is often required for certification.
-
Free Online Education Degrees: edX:
Founded by MIT and Harvard, edX offers high-quality courses from top universities and institutions around the world. Certificates are available for a fee.
-
Free Online Education Degrees : Khan Academy:
Khan Academy provides free educational content in various subjects, especially mathematics and science, using instructional videos and practice exercises.
-
Free Online Education Degrees : Udacity:
Udacity focuses on tech-related courses and nanodegree programs, offering free content as well as more in-depth paid programs.
-
Free Online Education Degrees : MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW):
MIT OCW provides a vast array of MIT's course content for free, covering a wide range of disciplines.
-
Free Online Education Degrees : Harvard Extension School:
Harvard Extension School offers a selection of free online courses. While some courses are free, others may require payment for a certificate.
-
Free Online Education Degrees: Stanford Online:
Stanford Online offers a variety of free courses in different disciplines, including computer science, engineering, and business.
-
Best Free Online Courses : Carnegie Mellon Open Learning Initiative (OLI):
OLI offers free online courses and resources designed to improve learning outcomes through research-based methodologies.
-
Best Free Online Courses : FutureLearn:
FutureLearn partners with universities and institutions to offer a diverse range of free online courses. Certificates are available for a fee.
-
Best Free Online Courses: Alison:
Alison offers a wide range of free online courses, including diploma and certificate programs, covering various subjects.
-
Best Free Online Courses: Open Yale Courses:
Yale University provides free access to a selection of introductory courses through Open Yale Courses.
-
Best Free Online Courses : UC Berkeley Online:
UC Berkeley offers free online courses on a variety of subjects, ranging from computer science to humanities.
-
Best Free Online Courses : Google Digital Garage:
Google Digital Garage provides free courses on digital skills, including online marketing, data analysis, and more.
-
Best Free Online Courses : Codecademy:
Codecademy offers free coding courses, interactive exercises, and coding projects to help individuals learn programming languages.
-
Best Free Online Courses : LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com):
LinkedIn Learning provides a variety of video courses on professional development, technology, and creative skills. It offers a free trial period.
Did you know : International Scholarships 2024
There are several international scholarships available for South Africans to study abroad. Here are a few examples:
- Mastercard Foundation Scholarship Program: This program provides fully funded scholarships to study at selected universities in Africa, Europe, and North America. It is open to African students, including South Africans, who are committed to giving back to their communities.
- Commonwealth Scholarships: The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission offers scholarships for postgraduate study in the UK for citizens of Commonwealth countries, including South Africa. The scholarships cover tuition fees, travel costs, and a living allowance.
- Fulbright Foreign Student Program: The Fulbright program offers scholarships for South Africans to study at U.S. universities for a Master’s or PhD degree. The scholarship covers tuition, travel, living expenses, and health insurance.
- Erasmus+ Programme: The Erasmus+ programme offers scholarships for South Africans to study in Europe for a Master’s or PhD degree. The scholarship covers tuition fees, travel, and living expenses.
- Australia Awards Scholarships: The Australian government offers scholarships for South Africans to study at Australian universities. The scholarship covers tuition fees, travel costs, and a living allowance.
These are just a few examples of the many international scholarships available to South Africans. It is important to research the eligibility requirements and application deadlines for each scholarship program.