Yes, you did indeed say that. If you look at the fare rules, the reason is clear.

B fares, which have no blackout, no flight restrictions, can allow stopovers and are changeable for only $100 have a 6 month limit. You'll also see that "open returns" - which means a very specific thing in airline fare rules - are not allowed.

So, if his ticket says "open return," on it, then it is almost definitely a Y, with no such 6 month restriction. In fact, a closer read shows NO mention of any time restriction...(of course this is Travelocity, not the actual text rule)

Not sure if that's ever true, but 1 year is certainly fine.