Roundtrip tickets used to be cheaper than buying two one ways. For the most part that isn’t true anymore. One way tickets, at least domestically, do not usually raise the cost of a trip. Two one way tickets are usually the same price as booking the same flights in a single itinerary.
Still many people book roundtrip travel because of change fees.
- If they cancel a trip, the change fee is paid twice – once on the outbound and once on the return
- If they have to change a trip, the change fee is also paid twice if both the outbound and the return change
Airlines are waiving change fees to give you confidence buying new travel right now. Without change fees one way tickets become more flexible. For instance,
- If you want to make a change to the return portion of your trip just before leaving on the first flight in your booking the whole itinerary gets repriced to the price at the time you’re changing it. And at the last minute fares can be (sometimes much) higher.
- If you cancel both sides of the trip you have two smaller credits which may be easier to use than one larger credit.
It used to be that one way tickets were business traveler fares, while roundtrips were leisure fares. Together with Saturday night stays and advance purchase requirements, the roundtrip rule was one way airlines tried to separate out the fares they offered to inflexible business travelers who would pay more from fares offered to leisure travelers whose decision to fly is more based on affordability. Low fare airlines like Spirit blew up that model.
Let’s take a look at some flights I selected at random (on the most frequent route that I fly). Austin – DC on American roundtrip is sure cheap right now as a basic economy fare. These are basic economy fares, but that doesn’t affect the analysis.
Book them as two one ways and they are the exact same price:
You should price your itinerary both ways, as two one ways and as a roundtrip, to make sure you aren’t paying more. When you aren’t, as long as change fees are waived, I’m recommending you consider one way tickets instead of roundtrip tickets.
Good point.
I’m thinking it’s the same for basic economy. I have status and don’t check bags so the only thing I’m giving up is the chance for a better seat. Depending on the length of the flight that’s not worth much.
Actually, just got bit by this today. As you’re likely aware Alaska prices (almost?) all flights as one-ways. My wife’s convention just cancelled this morning, so she had to change flights to today. No change fee; great. (Best feature of the AS program!) Her original fare class was available on today’s flight, but AS insists on charging walk-up fare—because it’s effectively a new ticket. On most airlines, this would have been the back half of a round trip, and (as long as she still met the minimum stay requirements) would have been an even exchange. So, it’s not quite so simple…
Great idea! This is the kind of thing that makes you one of the best travel bloggers.
This works particularly well for WN and AS where this is, AFAIK, always the case. This is what we do except in rare occasions (and then generally due to laziness).
Cheers.
+1 Erasmus! As for Gary’s 3rd dotted point, one should (on most airlines) simply wait till arriving at the first destination to change that return. One will pay a change fee in normal times, but still keep the benefit (on most airlines) of advance-notice pricing on the return flight. Too bad for Erasmus’ wife that Alaska does things differently.
Not so helpful international…
AA PHX-LHR 3/31 4/7 Main $1262, Prem $1737 Bus $5957
One way 3/31 Maiin $3141, Pem $3541 I stopped at that point.
Pretty sure the fare classes aren’t the same but how’s a customer towork it since this is what the AA website offers?
Should say, in addition, I use an Airpass, so I only ever buy one-ways.
The similar strategy works at hotels. For hotels where I am staying more than one night, I price, say, all three nights and then do three single nights. Generally the latter strategy is cheaper.