SplitReturn

Your rights per country

No-show clause in Italy: can the airline cancel your return flight?

Return protectedmedium confidence

After intervention by regulator AGCM, airlines keep tickets issued in Italy open as long as you notify them in time. Your return stays usable.

A no-show clause sits in the conditions of carriage of nearly every airline. If you do not use a segment of your ticket, usually the outbound, the airline may cancel or reprice the rest. Whether that clause holds up is decided by the courts of the country where you bought the ticket.

What this means for you

For tickets bought in this country a protection applies under which you can in principle use the return flight even if you missed the outbound, usually on condition that you notify the airline in time (for instance within 24 hours). Check the exact notice period and conditions; the risk of non-compliance sits with you. This is not legal advice.

What the court or regulator decided

This is not a court ruling but an operational commitment agreed with the competition and consumer authority. For tickets with point of sale Italy: notify the airline within 24 hours (2 hours for a same-day return) and the remaining segments stand. Check the exact notice period in your airline's conditions of carriage.

Source: travel-dealz.com

The European picture (June 2026)

As of June 2026 there is no EU-wide ban on the no-show clause. The European Parliament wants the revision of Regulation 261/2004 to state that a return flight may not be cancelled merely because the outbound was missed, but that revision has not been adopted and would apply from 2027 at the earliest. Until then, the country of purchase decides.

Compare return fares per day

Other countries

Sources reviewed in June 2026. Not legal advice: always check your airline's conditions of carriage and seek advice if in doubt.