Buying tickets--one way at a time?

[iancal]

IWe live in Canada. After retiring we switched mainly to one way flights. Sometimes open jaw but mostly one ways. Over the past two-three years this has worked well for us when travelling to Europe or Asia. We are in Paris after five weeks in Greece. Why? Because we got a great one way fares tonAthens and then home fromParis complemented by a very inexpensive Crete-Paris flight.

 

Last spring we were in Australia. We had difficulty at first-one ways seemed expensive. Then we found a Qantas code share with their discount brand (Jetstar I think) that took us from Sydney to Honolulu for under $600 AUD. After that it was fairly easy to find a one way flight home. Our air cost for both flights was slightly less than half of a return ticket plus we got a few days of stopover in Hawaii. We could have done the same thing from NZ on Air New Zealand.

 

Our impression to that there are more and more one way flight offerings at a reasonable cost, ie half the price of a one way. The larger carriers seem to be resisting this but I think it is only a matter of time before competition forces them to change. Our back-up to those carriers is to buy their one way tickets through a consolidator or a cruise air. We have had several BA flights by this method.

 

We are willing to pay a premium for one way air but not the ridiculous web pricing of the U.S. majors, Air Canada, or some of the larger international carriers. We also find it much easier to find these flights if you embarkation or destination is served by multiple international carriers.

Edited October 3, 2015 by iancal

[EZ Cruisin]

IWe live in Canada. After retiring we switched mainly to one way flights. Sometimes open jaw but mostly one ways. Over the past two-three years this has worked well for us when travelling to Europe or Asia. We are in Paris after five weeks in Greece. Why? Because we got a great one way fares tonAthens and then home fromParis complemented by a very inexpensive Crete-Paris flight.

 

Last spring we were in Australia. We had difficulty at first-one ways seemed expensive. Then we found a Qantas code share with their discount brand (Jetstar I think) that took us from Sydney to Honolulu for under $600 AUD. After that it was fairly easy to find a one way flight home. Our air cost for both flights was slightly less than half of a return ticket plus we got a few days of stopover in Hawaii. We could have done the same thing from NZ on Air New Zealand.

 

Our impression to that there are more and more one way flight offerings at a reasonable cost, ie half the price of a one way. The larger carriers seem to be resisting this but I think it is only a matter of time before competition forces them to change. Our back-up to those carriers is to buy their one way tickets through a consolidator or a cruise air. We have had several BA flights by this method.

 

We are willing to pay a premium for one way air but not the ridiculous web pricing of the U.S. majors, Air Canada, or some of the larger international carriers. We also find it much easier to find these flights if you embarkation or destination is served by multiple international carriers.

Thanks to all of you for the great information. I learn so much on this forum!

 

I did actually book tickets for us to return to ATL from Madrid in May. It was amazing though; I was on the Choice Air thru RCI and my husband was on the "web based search companies". We were looking at the EXACT same itinerary on the same airline and the pricing was HUNDREDS of dollars cheaper to go thru Choice Air! While I would have preferred Delta, or BA, American was the "rate of the day" and 1 and one half hours faster getting home,so I booked it. Just hope the American flights have the individual TVs as that is a long flight home from Madrid to CLT. Thanks again to all!

[waterbug123]

I was on the Choice Air thru RCI and my husband was on the "web based search companies". We were looking at the EXACT same itinerary on the same airline and the pricing was HUNDREDS of dollars cheaper to go thru Choice Air!

 

Yes, same itinerary, same flight, blah blah blah. As long as you understand that the tickets were probably very different. If you have no issues with your flight, it won't matter. If you have issues, you may or may not be affected. If you're comfortable taking that chance, great- enjoy your discount!

[FlyerTalker]

Yes, same itinerary, same flight, blah blah blah. As long as you understand that the tickets were probably very different. If you have no issues with your flight, it won't matter. If you have issues, you may or may not be affected. If you're comfortable taking that chance, great- enjoy your discount!

To EZ: Know that your discount was, in effect, the incremental difference for the different fare rules. Flights the same, tickets aren't. Fare rules likely different.

[iancal]

There are certainly differences but if you are flying in early, and with an airline that has multiple flights you reduce your risk substantially.

 

Booked our in laws on a consolidator one way ticket to Istanbul via LHR. The fare was less than half of the return BA flight and of course substantially less than a BA one way. We knew the risks, we knew the schedules, and we had several days leeway. It was a no brainer. Might think twice in bad weather or on a tight sched though

[frugaltravel]

There are certainly differences but if you are flying in early, and with an airline that has multiple flights you reduce your risk substantially.

 

So true. If a reader can cut through much of the "noise" on this forum, there really is a lot of good info.

 

I like this thread that asks for actual experiences using cruise line booked air and missing the ship. Very interesting that most stories show the cruise line (and airlines) going out of their way to help the passengers.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2264124

[6rugrats]

I like this thread that asks for actual experiences using cruise line booked air and missing the ship. Very interesting that most stories show the cruise line (and airlines) going out of their way to help the passengers.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2264124

 

There are three posters telling stories of how the cruise line helped them.

[Shak]

So true. If a reader can cut through much of the "noise" on this forum, there really is a lot of good info.

 

I like this thread that asks for actual experiences using cruise line booked air and missing the ship. Very interesting that most stories show the cruise line (and airlines) going out of their way to help the passengers.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2264124

 

I find that interesting as well. Maybe cruise air is not as problematic as some portray.

 

Shak

[6rugrats]

I find that interesting as well. Maybe cruise air is not as problematic as some portray.

 

Shak

 

While interesting to hear people's stories, I don't think N=3 is a large enough sample to produce any significant findings.

[Shak]

While interesting to hear people's stories, I don't think N=3 is a large enough sample to produce any significant findings.

 

 

I have been on these boards for 13 years and I have read people complaining about some of the silliest reason. While like you say there are only 3 inputs it is glaring to me that there isn't page after page of horror stories as some would leave you to believe.

 

Shak

[FlyerTalker]

You can often find horror stories where people talk about OTHER folks screwing up. It may be against human nature to admit in a public forum "I went solely on the basis of price, and in trying to save a few bucks we had a ruined vacation." People love to talk about how they did things right - few will fess up when it isn't as planned.

 

IIRC, Greatam posted about a couple that lost their cruise when the flight had to divert. Their conso ticket required a specific routing and that took days before seats appeared. And then, they didn't have passports. She also posted about some South American cruises that fell apart after folks couldn't be rerouted through EZE instead of SCL. Don't have those links handy, but I remember the posts well.

 

PS: Was it Twickenham who had the signature line "The plural of anecdote is not data" (or something similar)??

Edited October 6, 2015 by FlyerTalker

[6rugrats]

PS: Was it Twickenham who had the signature line "The plural of anecdote is not data" (or something similar)??

 

First said by globaliser and then added to Twickenham's signature line.

[waterbug123]

I find that interesting as well. Maybe cruise air is not as problematic as some portray.

 

Shak

 

Or maybe those that got screwed royally are too embarrassed to admit it. Keep in mind that the number of people on this forum is a teeny tiny % compared to the number cruising, flying, booking cruise air etc. I've read stories both good and bad about cruise air. Some have been horrific, some have been terrific and many have been somewhere in between. Personally, all I can conclude from that is that it comes down to chance; maybe you'll have a great experience and maybe you'll have a terrible one. As Flyertalker says in his signature line, "Do you feel lucky?"

[EZ Cruisin]

I have been on these boards for 13 years and I have read people complaining about some of the silliest reason. While like you say there are only 3 inputs it is glaring to me that there isn't page after page of horror stories as some would leave you to believe.

 

Shak

You are SO right!

[Hawaiidan]

This simply is not true. For most US domestic tickets, it will be the same price. You have to be careful though, because if you have to make changes, you could end up paying two changes fees (one for outbound, one for return), instead of just one change fee if you'd purchased a RT ticket.

 

For international trips, most carriers don't have one way pricings. Booking two one way tickets will almost always be far more expensive then booking a RT.

 

Unless you book and paY with miles... then getting an international or in most cases, ad domestic ticket a 1 way will be the same as a rt fare!!!! so buy 2 one ways and you pay 4 times as much as a single rt.......BAD IDEA

[6rugrats]

Unless you book and paY with miles... then getting an international or in most cases, ad domestic ticket a 1 way will be the same as a rt fare!!!! so buy 2 one ways and you pay 4 times as much as a single rt.......BAD IDEA

 

Sorry, don't understand this. Many airlines (UA, AA, AS) allow one way award tickets that are half the price of a RT award ticket.

[iancal]

We often travel on one way reward tickets. Cost is exactly one half of the return flight points requirement. Star Alliance member airline. Now I see that I can apparently do one ways for half of the return points requirement on our Delta points.

[FlyerTalker]

We often travel on one way reward tickets. Cost is exactly one half of the return flight points requirement. Star Alliance member airline. Now I see that I can apparently do one ways for half of the return points requirement on our Delta points.

Not completely accurate but really close. DL now has multiple redemption rates and applies them for each direction of a round trip. So, to be really accurate, the R/T cost for DL FF awards is now the sum of the two one-way rates. Each direction stands on its own and they just add the two.

[buggins0402]

Not completely accurate but really close. DL now has multiple redemption rates and applies them for each direction of a round trip. So, to be really accurate, the R/T cost for DL FF awards is now the sum of the two one-way rates. Each direction stands on its own and they just add the two.

 

I have noticed the taxes/surcharges are higher on DL one way FF's from Europe compared to a r/t redemption. I don't know if it's something across the board, or just the few flights I have searched. Anyone notice this?

[6rugrats]

I have noticed the taxes/surcharges are higher on DL one way FF's from Europe compared to a r/t redemption. I don't know if it's something across the board, or just the few flights I have searched. Anyone notice this?

 

Are you comparing the same routing?

[buggins0402]

Are you comparing the same routing?

 

It happens with all the choices from Madrid and Milan to DTW ( two different trips) that I've tried....about Euro 175 quoted. I've worked with a Madrid flight to see if I can improve on the return on a r/t FF that I have on AA. Milan, I had considered using the cruise included air to the embarkation, but take the air common the return and use FF on the return. One ways from Europe seem to get hammered.

All r/t choices have the normal minimal fees, the one way backs a much higher rate in Euros. Only DL seems to do this... It's not a Heathrow thing...connections are all through CDG or AMS. I just played with random dates and get the same results.

Edited October 9, 2015 by buggins0402

[waterbug123]

I have noticed the taxes/surcharges are higher on DL one way FF's from Europe compared to a r/t redemption. I don't know if it's something across the board, or just the few flights I have searched. Anyone notice this?

 

I think it depends on the exact routing. Next summer we fly from the US to Africa via Europe, and the reverse coming home- Africa to US via Europe. All booked with miles in business class, as two separate one way tickets. The total out of pocket fees for the trip over was a mere $14pp. Coming home it's several hundred pp.

[Gardyloo]

I think it depends on the exact routing. Next summer we fly from the US to Africa via Europe, and the reverse coming home- Africa to US via Europe. All booked with miles in business class, as two separate one way tickets. The total out of pocket fees for the trip over was a mere $14pp. Coming home it's several hundred pp.

It has to do with (a) exact route, (b) stopovers if any, © class of service - coach, business etc. - and (d) operating airline(s).

 

Different countries and airports have different security or departure taxes, airport user fees, etc. For example, UK Air Passenger Duty, which can be upwards of $250 on premium cabin departures from the UK to North America (or Asia, Africa, etc.) isn't charged if you're simply changing planes in the UK; however UK airport fees are levied regardless. Some fees (e.g. UK APD) are higher for business or first class (or even premium economy) than they are for coach departures.

 

And some airlines add surcharges - ostensibly for fuel costs - that are buried in purchased tickets but extra on mileage tickets. British Airways is the most notorious culprit on this score.

 

All told, these can really add up to major money, and getting around some of them (not all as some are simply taxes that you're stuck with) requires a good deal of effort and research. You might find that you can do so but only by taking a less direct or convenient route, in which case the choice is one you can evaluate.

[waterbug123]

It has to do with (a) exact route, (b) stopovers if any, © class of service - coach, business etc. - and (d) operating airline(s).

 

Different countries and airports have different security or departure taxes, airport user fees, etc. For example, UK Air Passenger Duty, which can be upwards of $250 on premium cabin departures from the UK to North America (or Asia, Africa, etc.) isn't charged if you're simply changing planes in the UK; however UK airport fees are levied regardless. Some fees (e.g. UK APD) are higher for business or first class (or even premium economy) than they are for coach departures.

 

And some airlines add surcharges - ostensibly for fuel costs - that are buried in purchased tickets but extra on mileage tickets. British Airways is the most notorious culprit on this score.

 

All told, these can really add up to major money, and getting around some of them (not all as some are simply taxes that you're stuck with) requires a good deal of effort and research. You might find that you can do so but only by taking a less direct or convenient route, in which case the choice is one you can evaluate.

 

Exactly, and thank you for making it clearer. I was just trying to point out to the prior poster that it's not as simple as "The fees are cheaper if you book round trip instead of two one ways" (or maybe they had made the opposite claim, I forget now, LOL) and that's because of all the variables you pointed out.

[skf]

book two one-ways as these have always been much cheaper than booking one ticket as an "open jaw". Ex. SFO to Rome and return Fort Lauderdale to SFO has always priced out for me much lower as two one-ways.

This is what we will probably do next 5 October 2016. We are flying BOS to Rome-FCO and back from FLL, which brings me to the Important Question for people familiar with DUB & its connections...

Aer Lingus has a flight from BOS arriving Dublin 05:05. Layover is only 1h 25m with the Rome leg departing 06:30.

All thoughts or opinions welcomed. (Princess air quotes are not yet open. We will decide after we get their info.)

Thank you, Steve

Edited November 9, 2015 by skf