So I was hoping of booking a one way ticket to Europe to one country, and then leave from another on a different one way ticket. According to my TripAdvisor searching, one way tickets from the U.S. to Europe cost just a bit more than half of a round trip ( a reasonable ~$400 one way, and this makes sense) BUT, when I search for one way return flights from Europe back to the U.S. At around $900-$1200 a pop minimum, they are costing more than a round trip ticket for that same day. (I'm getting $700-850 for round trips) I've been looking at the major hub airports, Paris/London/Munich, yet this phenomenon occurs at all of them. The only airline that doesn't seem to charge more for one way Europe->U.S. tickets is iceland air. Am I doing something wrong here?
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
Don't try to book it as individual one-way flights. Most online ticket sellers have an "open jaw" or "mulit-city" option that you can click. Use that feature and the price should be comparable to a round trip ticket from one city.
Posted by
OP
Springfield
12 posts
Thanks, I've been playing around with it, (actually quite amazing how much cheaper adding a leg you don't even need makes the flight) My girlfriend who I'd be joining, is studying in Europe, though she only purchased a one way to there as she didn't know when she'd be coming back. I'm guessing her best bet is to purchase a round trip/open jaw ticket, and ditch the second flight once she's back home? This is just weird because there are plenty of very reasonably priced one way tickets from Washington D.C to London, though one ways from London back to DC are more than twice the price and more than the round trips. (curious to know how the market forces made that happen)
Posted by
Atlanta, GA, USA
2745 posts
A couple of things.. 1. Airline pricing uses very complicated computer programs and is based a lot on what the other airlines are doing on a given route. There's no way you or I can figure it out. Taxes also play a role (and London has some HIGH taxes!) 2. If you "add destinations" just to get a cheaper flight realize that it better be at the end. For example it might be cheaper going Washington DC to Paris, Paris to Brussels and Brussels to Washingnton DC. So you think "Great" I will fly to Paris tour Europe and fly home a few weeks later out of Brussels and just skip that middle flight. When you arrive in Brussels you get told "sorry all your flights were cancelled when you didn't show for Paris to Brussels. 3. You will be told that "buying a round trip for the girl friend and throwing it away is a violiation of airline regs and they can change you to a full fare ticket'" and YES they can. However, I have never heard of that happening to someone who does this once. I have heard of some business travelers who did this type of think weekly or monthly getting caught, but...
Posted by
Everett, WA
1288 posts
I had this same frustration trying to book one way from Seattle to Amsterdam in September. (We are coming home on air miles). All the American airlines charged more for a one way trip than they did for a round trip. We booked on Icelandic air (one way $480 per person with a free stopover in Iceland for 3nigts) You might try some of the international airlines to see if they offer TRUE one way fares. The closes airport to you that Icelandair flies out of is Minneapolis...too bad.
Posted by
Virginia, USA
5519 posts
Aer Lingus also typically has one-ways for about half the price of a r/t (like icelandair), but they only fly to a limited number of cities in the U.S. You mentioned that your girlfriend is a student. STA Travel which specializes in student travel often has one-way tickets at good prices if you qualify (are a student or under 26).