What if roundtrip is cheaper than one way?

I know some people on this board are very knowledgeable about airlines and ticketing. Any reason I shouldn't buy a round trip fare when it is cheaper than the one way even though I will not be using the return? The person I talked to at the airline seemed shocked to see the pricing and suggested I just call if I don't use the return and possibly even get a credit although I could care less about that even though we would probalby use it within one year. Am I breaking any rules?

I don't know about you but if it were me, I'd be buying the round trip ticket.

I know some people on this board are very knowledgeable about airlines and ticketing. Any reason I shouldn't buy a round trip fare when it is cheaper than the one way even though I will not be using the return? The person I talked to at the airline seemed shocked to see the pricing and suggested I just call if I don't use the return and possibly even get a credit although I could care less about that even though we would probalby use it within one year. Am I breaking any rules?

Buy the roundtrip and don't worry about it. It's your money. What are they going to do, come and arrest you because you changed your mind about using the return trip?

As long as you are not using the return flight, you'll be fine. Just don't ever not use the first leg of your trip. If you don't use that, it automatically cancels out your return trip.

What are they going to do, come and arrest you because you changed your mind about using the return trip?

As others have said, if you don't do this regularly, and if you give the airline as few chances as possible to positively identify you (eg, don't claim frequent flyer miles), you can minimise this risk, which is pretty tiny in any event. But that is the risk.

Thanks for your imput. I am really such a wuss being so concerned about breaking the rules but it turns out that I found a fully refundable fare in first class for only 300 hundred more. I figure we can end the cruise on a real high note and treat ourselves to a little more comfort to travel from coast to coast.

if I do the round trip, do I call and cancel the last part or just not show up/

if I do the round trip, do I call and cancel the last part or just not show up/

Do not call to cancel. Do not add a frequent flyer number to the res to claim miles. Do not call attention in any way to the discarded segment. Do not, as someone once did, ask for a refund for the segment not flown. (Does that qualify for a chutzpah award?)

OK, so I need to fly to Barcelona in October 2010 but I'm then taking a transatlantic cruise to Miami. One way tickets are almost $2000 - roundtrip are under $1000 and one way consolidator tickets are $700. It's too painful to buy a regular one way ticket, the consolidators scare me, but if I bought the round trip I'd want the FF points. Sigh - are there any other options I should consider? Is February too early to book a late Oct ticket? Thanks anyone for their advice...

Where are you flying from?

From NYC, Chicago, Boston and several other cities, you can fly one way to Dublin most days in October for $500 - $550, on several airlines (Aer Lingus, American, Delta, Continental...) Then (separate ticket) you can fly on Iberia to Barcelona (via Madrid) for around $150, so ~$700 all in. Bit of a pain but not terrible.

Or, you can go online to most airline websites and purchase FF miles for (usually) around 2.5c each. Using AA for example, you can fly one way on an award ticket for 30,000 miles if before Oct. 15, 20,000 miles if after. So 30,000 x 2.5c = $700, or 20,000 x 2.5c = $500. The award tickets are good from anywhere in N. America to anywhere in Europe, connecting in any number of places.

For example, looking at the week of Oct. 7, there are literally dozens of available seats from various US airports (JFK, BOS, DFW, MIA, ORD...) to Madrid, London, Frankfurt, etc., and your award ticket would also include connecting flights (your home to the US gateway, then from the European gateway to BCN) and those connecting flights are almost never an issue. If you buy the miles now there won't be any problem with getting space to BCN for your days.

... but if I bought the round trip I'd want the FF points.

Personally, if I were doing it I'd throw in my FF number and get those miles anyway. I have enough cheek to brazen it out in the unlikely event that the airline asks questions, and I think that my FF number would (paradoxically) actually serve to protect me because of the level of my FF membership. But this is an assessment that everyone has to make for themselves.

Not sure where you're flying from. Check Lufthansa. I found one-way Denver to Venice airfare in October 2010 for about $30 less than the consolidators wanted. They also have good fares to Barcelona.

Thanks to all of you who have given me suggestions. I'm still kinda stuck - the main issue is I live closest to either SDF or CVG and can't find any bargains. I loved the AA 20000 points idea, but I need to leave the US on 10/23 and for my 10/25 cruise and the only option was later in the weekend - and flying SDF -DFW-overnight-JFK-BCN :) Drat!

So if anyone has more advice, I'd really appreciate it. I think so far my best bet is the RT for about $955 on Delta, and just throwing away the return. Ouch... I'm so frugal, it hurts!!

Does it make sense to watch these flights for a few months? October sounds a long way away and the planes appear to have plenty of seats???

If price is your biggest motivator, I am currently seeing a one way fare on AA / LO via Chicago and Warsaw for 726$ USD all-in leaving the 22nd? Price goes up to 851$ for the same routing on the 23rd.

CVG AA X/CHI LO X/WAW LO BCN 552.00T1JTAN NUC 552.00 END ROE 1.00 XT 16.10US 5.00AY 0.30ND 20.80XW 125.00YQ 7.50XF CVG3.00 ORD4.50

Scott.

Thanks to all of you who have given me suggestions. I'm still kinda stuck - the main issue is I live closest to either SDF or CVG and can't find any bargains. I loved the AA 20000 points idea, but I need to leave the US on 10/23 and for my 10/25 cruise and the only option was later in the weekend - and flying SDF -DFW-overnight-JFK-BCN :) Drat!

 

So if anyone has more advice, I'd really appreciate it. I think so far my best bet is the RT for about $955 on Delta, and just throwing away the return. Ouch... I'm so frugal, it hurts!!

 

Does it make sense to watch these flights for a few months? October sounds a long way away and the planes appear to have plenty of seats???

You need to split it up. Either from a major (ORD,JFK,YYZ) North American centre to BCN, or from SDF to a major european airport (AMS,LHR,CDG,MXP,FCO or MAD)

For example; $613 SDF-FRA

UA 6760 SDF 1340-1400 ORD

AI 126 ORD 1600-0725+1 FRA

or C$509 (about US$475) for Air Transat Toronto-Barcelona

TS 280 YYZ 2055-1045+1 BCN

Thanks to all of you who have given me suggestions. I'm still kinda stuck - the main issue is I live closest to either SDF or CVG and can't find any bargains. I loved the AA 20000 points idea, but I need to leave the US on 10/23 and for my 10/25 cruise and the only option was later in the weekend - and flying SDF -DFW-overnight-JFK-BCN :) Drat!

20,000 miles would normally cost $500 from AA, but until the end of February they're having a 30% bonus offer, so you'd technically only need to buy 16,000 miles ($400) - but I'd confirm that for sure. There's also a $30 processing fee and you'll still have to pay taxes, which probably will run around $30.

Okay, so if I am reading this correct, book a roundtrip ticket from Europe to North America, and then back and just don't show for the return is the best way of doing this? Just don't say anything? Some people were talking about the airline coming after you????

(It is not that I am slow, I just usually am not a rule breaker, and therefore am not good at it!! But all the talk about the problems of consolidator tickets worries me! And a one way ticket is prohibitively expensive; $4500pp vs $1500pp for two one way tickets - Home to embarkation port, then disembarkation port back home!)

Thanks :)

Okay, so if I am reading this correct, book a roundtrip ticket from Europe to North America, and then back and just don't show for the return is the best way of doing this? Just don't say anything? Some people were talking about the airline coming after you????

(It is not that I am slow, I just usually am not a rule breaker, and therefore am not good at it!! But all the talk about the problems of consolidator tickets worries me! And a one way ticket is prohibitively expensive; $4500pp vs $1500pp for two one way tickets - Home to embarkation port, then disembarkation port back home!)

Thanks :)

I believe that it is against the airline rules to buy a round trip ticket intending to skip the return part. However, unless you make a habit of it, it is difficult for the airlines to identify. Peoples plans change all the time. Just remember that the skipped leg(s) must be at the end of the ticket. When you miss a leg, all subsequent legs are cancelled.

Okay, so if I am reading this correct, book a roundtrip ticket from Europe to North America, and then back and just don't show for the return is the best way of doing this? Just don't say anything? Some people were talking about the airline coming after you????

 

(It is not that I am slow, I just usually am not a rule breaker, and therefore am not good at it!! But all the talk about the problems of consolidator tickets worries me! And a one way ticket is prohibitively expensive; $4500pp vs $1500pp for two one way tickets - Home to embarkation port, then disembarkation port back home!)

 

Thanks :)

You should do a search in this forum, there are airlines that offer one ways for ½ the price of the full discounted return. From Canada, you have Air Transat; Iceland Air, and Aer Lingus via KEF & DUB respectively are also options. Lastly, a couple of airlines have 6th freedom rights into Europe such as Air New Zealand on LAX-LHR and Pakistan Intl on ORD-BCN

You should do a search in this forum, there are airlines that offer one ways for ½ the price of the full discounted return. From Canada, you have Air Transat; Iceland Air, and Aer Lingus via KEF & DUB respectively are also options. Lastly, a couple of airlines have 6th freedom rights into Europe such as Air New Zealand on LAX-LHR and Pakistan Intl on ORD-BCN

Thanks, I read about Air transit. I tried their site, but found that I my origin city MUST be within North America. Do I have to call them directly for origin cities outside of N.America???

Thanks all agian for your asisitance :)

Thanks, I read about Air transit. I tried their site, but found that I my origin city MUST be within North America. Do I have to call them directly for origin cities outside of N.America???

 

Thanks all agian for your asisitance :)

Just call them, or go to the Spanish version of their website :-)

http://airtransat.es/es/index.aspx

Thanks for your imput. I am really such a wuss being so concerned about breaking the rules but it turns out that I found a fully refundable fare in first class for only 300 hundred more. I figure we can end the cruise on a real high note and treat ourselves to a little more comfort to travel from coast to coast.

Nicely done! With panache. I see lots of discussions like the one above, and someone invariably says "What are they going to do to you?" and others point out that an airline CAN charge you for the one-way fare since you did agree to a contract when you purchased the ticket (it's not as if they aren't aware of people doing this and aren't wise to it). This is all based on anecdotal evidence. I'd like to hear from someone who was charged for the full one-way fare, or someone from an airlne willing to give "the scoop" anonymously. The airline is ending up with an empty seat on the return trip (at least until a few minutes before boarding), and I'm sure they would like to be able to sell it. As profit margins tighten, enforcement of the rules may change.

I also see discussions about buying a ticket to a destination involving a stop and getting off at an intermediary stop if the are is less (obviously without checked luggage). I think this would be more risky, but don't know. We can be sure that the airlines know people do both. The question is whether they enforce the rules (by simply charging your credit card the extra amount, obviously not arresting you).

On the plus side, I'm finding one-way fares no more than 1/2 a roundtrip fare on most (not all) domestic flights. International is quite another thing, though I once found a low one-way fare from the U.S. to Brazil through Priceline.