Thanks! The numbers I am working on and why this makes it tricky are: RT LAX to VCE with companion pass are 150,000 Avios and just around $2250 in tax. One way LAX to VCE is 75K avios and around $1,000 and VCE to LAX the taxes are around $500. So, by just the VCE-LAX route, I am saving $1750 in taxes. Now, the only way this works is that for inbound, I fly Star Alliance, SKyteam or some other mileage program. The companion ticket works both ways if for inbound I value Avios at 2 cents a mile.
Originally Posted by
Globaliser
They're best used when you can use them to get you somewhere that you want to go, at a time that you want to go there. Conversely, it makes no sense to use them to go somewhere you don't want to go at a time, or to do so at an impossible or inconvenient time.
The reasons for the varying figures are very often discussed here. Notably:-
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These two factors account for everything you've seen.
If you start in the US, it is possible that your companion certificate can't be used for one-way travel - I can't remember the rules for these. If they can't, then your idea of buying a one-way ticket from the US using the companion certificate and then buying another one-way ticket from Europe back to the US won't work.
Even if you can do this, you'll end up paying Avios for two people on the one-way ticket from Europe back to the US, even though there's a saving on the cash element. So you'll want to work out whether that is actually good value for you. For example, if a round-trip ticket is 100,000 Avios per person + $1,000, then the companion certificate gets you travel for two for 100,000 Avios + $2,000. But if one-way tickets are 50,000 Avios + $500 outbound and 50,000 Avios + $250 inbound, then splitting the travel into two one-way tickets costs you 150,000 Avios + $1500 in total. You have to work out which is better value for you.