· The exclusion of a refund or use of the seat looks like an opportunity to use the Unfair Contract Terms Act. It would be interesting to see how a court views the discount on the seat versus the risk of loss.
Kris Cadman

· It is all part and parcel of your ticket conditions, I am afraid. If you want a fully refundable ticket, then you need to book a fare without restrictions. All the cheaper fares are usually non-refundable and non-changeable. If you have booked an airfare with conditions which include non-refundable, non-transferrable etc, then yes, they can resell your seat if you cancel it. Once you receive your ticket, you have entered into a kind of contract. If you have travel insurance, you could try using that to cover the loss of the ticket, but it would need to be a valid reason that your policy will cover.
Stephanie Carthy