International one way pricing
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2009
Programs: Air Canada Aeroplan
Posts: 1,747
International one way pricing
I seem to recall that at some point one-way pricing on Air Canada was half of round-trip pricing on basically all fares. This is no longer the case, at least in the sense that tango standard and flex fares do not seem to be available for one-way itineraries, but are available for round trip ones. This takes us back to the days when it was cheaper to buy a round-trip ticket and throw away the return leg, rather than to buy the one-way. If it helps, I'm looking at EZE-YVR one-way fares 11 months from now (don't ask).
#2
Posting Legend, Moderator, Manufactured Spending
Join Date: May 2002
Location: YEG
Programs: HH Silver
Posts: 56,226
#3
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: YVR TLS
Programs: Air France Flying Blue, Altitude SE-100k, AAdvantage, United Mileage Plus, WS rewards, BonVoy Titan
Posts: 899
Why is that? I know many times I want to fly to Europe on AC but return on another carrier ie/ BA AF AA etc. It's like your stuck with one carrier with the crazy high one-way fare...
#5
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: YVR TLS
Programs: Air France Flying Blue, Altitude SE-100k, AAdvantage, United Mileage Plus, WS rewards, BonVoy Titan
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#6
Join Date: Sep 2014
Programs: AC SEMM
Posts: 1,379
Aeroplan redemptions one way are 50% of round trip miles but the same calculation does not apply to paid fares unfortunately. Additionally it can easily be very different in one direction from the other internationally. Airlines will charge what they believe they can get away with

#7
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 353
My thought is that it's because airlines are liable for the cost to fly the passenger back to the point of departure in case of entry refusal/deportation.
#8
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: YXE
Programs: Curb Your Enthusiasm, Fraggle Rock
Posts: 118
Respectfully, JD, this is not the case for all airlines. Westjet, for example, sells transatlantic one-ways on the cheap, without roundrip requirements. I've booked many in recent years.
#9
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: YVR TLS
Programs: Air France Flying Blue, Altitude SE-100k, AAdvantage, United Mileage Plus, WS rewards, BonVoy Titan
Posts: 899
Ok good to know! BTW I like your handle Norcanair...that's going back a lot of years, a good airline too!
#10
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: YXE
Programs: Curb Your Enthusiasm, Fraggle Rock
Posts: 118
And just to stay on topic, I've bought a few one-ways on Transat YYZ-GLA at normal pricing, iirc.
#11
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: sqrt(-united states of apologist)
Programs: *$ Green
Posts: 5,402
R/T fares are combinable on a half R/T basis with another half R/T fare that is also combinable.
So you can take half a PRC90 and half a ZRC90 to create a P outbound and Z inbound round trip.
But you cannot take half a PRC90 to create a one way fare, unless PRC90 is also published as a one way with its own specific cost.
Check China. Asia has quite a few. For TATL it's mostly the J/C Y/B that do.
Also this isn't new.
So you can take half a PRC90 and half a ZRC90 to create a P outbound and Z inbound round trip.
But you cannot take half a PRC90 to create a one way fare, unless PRC90 is also published as a one way with its own specific cost.
Check China. Asia has quite a few. For TATL it's mostly the J/C Y/B that do.
Also this isn't new.
#12
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: YXT
Programs: AC*E50, SPG Plat,
Posts: 571
I recall seeing Rogue fares that had cheap TATL one-ways...for destinations that WS flies to.
#15
Join Date: Feb 2004
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Posts: 5,031
Add Egyptair and Aer Lingus to the list of carriers that I have found great one way fares from (at least for J class departing from Toronto)