Cruises That Depart and Return At Different Ports

[lmreddin]

Does it always cost more to fly to one port city, and out of another, rather than in and out of the same port?

[klfrodo]

ALWAYS? No

[paul929207]

No, not always. If you look at your trip as 3 legs - the flight out, the cruise and the flight home, you get a better price if the middle leg is the shortest. This is called an open jaw.

[lmreddin]

How can the cruise be shorter than the flights?

[6rugrats]

How can the cruise be shorter than the flights?

 

I think there is a misunderstanding here.

 

An example:

 

You live in New York. Your cruise departs from Athens and ends in Venice. You need to purchase airfare - JFK-ATH and then the return, VCE-JFK. JFK-ATH is 4951 miles. VCE-JFK is 4154 miles. These two legs are the "flown" legs.

 

The distance of the "unflown" leg, ATH-VCE is 794 miles, making it the shortest leg. The distance sailed on your cruise is not relevant.

 

If the unflown leg is the shortest distance, you have what's called an "open jaw" routing, which usually means the airfare arriving at and departing from different airports won't be a lot higher than just a regular roundtrip (which for this example would be JFK-ATH both ways).

 

Think of it as a triangle:

JFK-ATH

ATH-VCE - unflown leg (your cruise leg)

VCE-JFK

[lmreddin]

I think I get it. Thank you for the great example. I was looking at cruising from Los Angeles to Vancouver. Would be flying out of and returning to Minneapolis.

[parody]

Does it always cost more to fly to one port city, and out of another, rather than in and out of the same port?

 

For entirely domestic flights (i.e., all within the US), the answer is ALWAYS no as airlines now sell on the basis of one-way trips. For international flights where this is typically not the case, the answer can go either way.

[lmreddin]

That is good to know, Parody. Thank you.

[FlyerTalker]

For entirely domestic flights (i.e., all within the US), the answer is ALWAYS no as airlines now sell on the basis of one-way trips.

Not true. Although many markets have gone to one-way pricing and elimination of stay requirements, it is not ALWAYS.

[6rugrats]

Not true. Although many markets have gone to one-way pricing and elimination of stay requirements, it is not ALWAYS.

 

Thank you; I wondered where the "always" came from. I was searching for such an airfare today, and the domestic one-way pricing was definately more expensive than the roundtrip.

[FlyerTalker]

A comprehensive thread on open jaws can be found HERE. (At one time, it was a sticky).

[lmreddin]

Thank you, FlyerTaker.

[parody]

Not true. Although many markets have gone to one-way pricing and elimination of stay requirements, it is not ALWAYS.

 

Yes, for the lack of an adjective: LCC. Thanks to their introduction of one-way pricing any market where they provide service is assured to have this feature as, because of competition, legacy carriers have followed along.

[lmreddin]

Well, based on that mileage website, it looks like I would have an open-jaw situation if I do that cruise from Los Angeles to Vancouver. I come up with about $500.00 pp for airfare.

[Texas Tillie]

Well, based on that mileage website, it looks like I would have an open-jaw situation if I do that cruise from Los Angeles to Vancouver. I come up with about $500.00 pp for airfare.

 

That sounds about right. Flying out of Vancouver is always more expensive than Seattle as there are international fees invloved. I've been looking at a round trip from IAH (Houston) to SFO (San Francisco) for June/July and it has been holding at right under $450. Tickets are definately more expensive than last year.

[lmreddin]

I'm actually looking at May, so I suppose it will be higher by then if I wait......

[jagoffee]

Thank you; I wondered where the "always" came from. I was searching for such an airfare today, and the domestic one-way pricing was definately more expensive than the roundtrip.

 

What airlines? From where to where? The only time that I have since this recently is on the flights to Hawaii. (American)

 

Thanks.

[scottbee]

For entirely domestic flights (i.e., all within the US), the answer is ALWAYS no as airlines now sell on the basis of one-way trips. For international flights where this is typically not the case, the answer can go either way.

 

 

Most airlines these days for USA/Canada flights price them as one way; certainly AC, WS, AS, UA, WN, G4, B6 and others I use here on the west coast normally do. In fact in all the airline pricing I've done in the last few years, only once do I remember a return cheaper than two-one ways and that was on CO.

 

Anyway, I think the bottom line answer is that it RARELY makes a difference for flights within in the USA and Canada. The same is true for flights to IRELAND (because EI/Aer Lingus price it as one ways, the US and Cdn airlines do too); but not true for most of Europe.

[Sargent_Schultz]

You might also look into return air from Seattle. You can get from Vancouver to Seattle in a number of ways. The train seems to be a nice option. A bus is possible. Perhaps more ways.

[Sargent_Schultz]

Most airlines these days for USA/Canada flights price them as one way; certainly AC, WS, AS, UA, WN, G4, B6 and others I use here on the west coast normally do. In fact in all the airline pricing I've done in the last few years, only once do I remember a return cheaper than two-one ways and that was on CO.

 

Anyway, I think the bottom line answer is that it RARELY makes a difference for flights within in the USA and Canada. The same is true for flights to IRELAND (because EI/Aer Lingus price it as one ways, the US and Cdn airlines do too); but not true for most of Europe.

 

I was unaware that Southwest, SWA, LUV, or as you put it, WN, currently had service between US and Canada, although they certainly will within a year or so.

[kenish]

Adding to S-S comment, YVR-MSP is considerably more expensive than SEA-MSP due to international flight taxes on the ticket. Definitely compare. Whether the fare difference justifies the added time and inconvenience of ground travel from YVR to SEA is up to you.

 

Check Alaska Airlines (AS) especially if you decide to fly from YVR. Another possibility is Delta (DL); they fly from MSP to all the LA-area airports so there's more chance of finding a good fare. Also, I believe DL flys out of Bellingham, WA (BLI) which is about 30 miles south of YVR. It might be a good balance of fare and convenience.

[scottbee]

Adding to S-S comment, YVR-MSP is considerably more expensive than SEA-MSP due to international flight taxes on the ticket. Definitely compare. Whether the fare difference justifies the added time and inconvenience of ground travel from YVR to SEA is up to you.

 

Check Alaska Airlines (AS) especially if you decide to fly from YVR. Another possibility is Delta (DL); they fly from MSP to all the LA-area airports so there's more chance of finding a good fare. Also, I believe DL flys out of Bellingham, WA (BLI) which is about 30 miles south of YVR. It might be a good balance of fare and convenience.

 

Actually DL pulled back out of BLI. BLI is served by

G4: LAS,LAX,LGB,OAK,PSP,IWA,SAN

QX: SEA,PDX(summer)

AS: LAS,HNL

[scottbee]

I was unaware that Southwest, SWA, LUV, or as you put it, WN, currently had service between US and Canada, although they certainly will within a year or so.

 

One, I didn't say WN did have service in Canada, I said it had service in the USA/Canada (which implied and/or).

 

Secondly, I doubt WN will be able to serve Canada within 12 months due to the issues with their ancient reservation system; I think it will take them a lot longer to get it switched over to something a little less 1970s..

[lmreddin]

You might also look into return air from Seattle. You can get from Vancouver to Seattle in a number of ways. The train seems to be a nice option. A bus is possible. Perhaps more ways.

 

Thank you. That's something to think about.

[Sargent_Schultz]

One, I didn't say WN did have service in Canada, I said it had service in the USA/Canada (which implied and/or).

 

Secondly, I doubt WN will be able to serve Canada within 12 months due to the issues with their ancient reservation system; I think it will take them a lot longer to get it switched over to something a little less 1970s..

 

Since day one, a lot of people have underestimated SWA capabilities and longevity. SWA is still here, still profitable, and still growing.

 

They will have flights not only to Canada but also the Caribbean.