Flying from the Outer Hebrides to America may seem like a daunting task for residents of Scotland’s Western Isles. With only a few connecting flights available, it can be a long and complicated journey. This was the case for Dolina MacLeod and her husband who were planning to visit their daughter in New York. They had booked a British Airways flight from Edinburgh to New York via London Heathrow, but due to schedule changes, they needed to make an amendment to their return flight.

Unfortunately, this seemingly small change triggered a significant increase in cost. The couple was shocked to be quoted a fee of £652 to change their final leg from Heathrow to Edinburgh to a flight to Inverness instead. This was more than the original fare for the entire round trip from Edinburgh to New York. Upon further investigation, they discovered that the Inverness flight they desired was being sold for only £56.

So why did such a small change result in such a high cost? The answer lies in the complex world of airline revenue management. Airlines offer cheap fares with the condition that any changes will come with an amendment fee and possibly an increase in fare. In this case, the couple’s original booking from Edinburgh to New York and back was a different fare class than the return flight from New York to Inverness. This difference in fare classes resulted in a significant increase in cost when making a simple change.

One might wonder why the couple couldn’t just purchase a new flight from London to Inverness instead. The answer lies in the consequences of “no-showing” for a segment of a multi-stop journey. Technically, this is a breach of contract and the airline could pursue the difference in cost between the original fare and the actual flights taken. In this case, ending the journey at Heathrow without taking the onward flight could result in an additional fare of hundreds of pounds.

In practice, airlines do not usually pursue passengers for these differences unless there is evidence of repeated “tariff abuse. ” In the case of the Hebridean couple, this does not apply. However, it is not recommended to intentionally no-show for a flight as it can result in consequences and complications.

In order to avoid these issues, the couple will likely have to stick with their original flight to Edinburgh and maybe consider booking closer to departure next time. This experience highlights the complexities of airline bookings and serves as a reminder for travelers to carefully consider their options before making any changes to their flights.