Booking Two One-Ways vs. One Round Trip
Nov 9, 2021, 4:11 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2008
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Booking Two One-Ways vs. One Round Trip
Given the absence of change fees, is there any compelling reason, other than protection in a trip-in-vain situation, to book a round trip instead of two one-ways if the fare is the same either way?
Nov 9, 2021, 4:29 am
#2
Join Date: Jul 2021
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Protection is the only advantage in that situation as far as I'm aware. I've had a few issues with immigration when doing this traveling internationally (returning on a different carrier), but I've just shown them my confirmation of my return flight and they've been fine with it.
Nov 9, 2021, 12:57 pm
#3
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I've stopped buying round trips and buy two one-ways, unless the fare difference is truly absurd (which it hasn't been recently in my experience). Any screwup on the outbound (cancellation, rerouting, change, etc.) has enough of a risk to screw up the return that I don't have the patience for that.
Nov 9, 2021, 1:02 pm
#4
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There's been some recent discussion about whether, given the recent revision of its contract of carriage, AA still offers trip-in-vain protection.
Nov 9, 2021, 1:32 pm
#5
Join Date: Aug 2010
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I've been buying one ways for a while now, as you mentioned, unless its a very quick turnaround, what's the point? Your assumptions are correct. It is usually the same price (pretty much always for domestic) and if you need to make changes, YOU Know the price of each leg, whereas shenanigans could occur if RT.
Nov 9, 2021, 1:44 pm
#6
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Is it 100% the case that the RT is always the same price as booking the same outbound/return legs? I thought there were some RT fares that were discounted over the 2 one ways.
Nov 9, 2021, 2:08 pm
#7
Join Date: Aug 2010
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You can always check your flight, but in my experience, its 100 percent the same within the USA 48 at a minimum, on AA. Someone suggested other places that are in the 500 mile upgrade category would price the same, i.e. Puerto Vallarta, but I actually DID notice a $20-30 difference recently when comparing a RT to 2 one ways.
Nov 9, 2021, 7:24 pm
#9
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I'm not sure that there is a consensus yet. One of the things I was trying to figure out was whether AA's old contract of carriage explicitly provided trip-in-vain protection, or whether that was just an informal policy. The protection does appear in the old AA Sales Link document for travel agents, but that document is dated a few years back.
Nov 9, 2021, 8:05 pm
#10
Join Date: Feb 2005
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One of the few remaining markets where I've seen a difference is DCA-LGA, which often has significant discounts for R/T over O/W at the last minute.
Nov 9, 2021, 10:02 pm
#12
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 253
im confused why trip in vain only applies to round trip tickets vs one way?
I bought only one way because I didn’t know my return date specifically.
I got denied trip in vain going b back to a. All I wanted was a ticket back to a.
I bought only one way because I didn’t know my return date specifically.
I got denied trip in vain going b back to a. All I wanted was a ticket back to a.
Nov 9, 2021, 11:40 pm
#14
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There is a not-totally-remote scenario in which it is much better to book one-ways.
Assume you are flying A-B-A, and at the time you buy it each leg is $200.
The day before you are to fly A-B, your long-lost (sibling/cousin/child/dog/etc.) shows up and you want to change your outbound flight. By now the prices for each leg have gone to $400. You are willing to pay the extra $200.
When you go to change your A-B-A trip, because of course if you don't show up for the ticketed A-B segment the return will be cancelled, you are told that any change will cause the entire trip to be repriced. Your $200 return will now cost $400. Whereas, if it was a one-way, you could keep it for $200.
Assume you are flying A-B-A, and at the time you buy it each leg is $200.
The day before you are to fly A-B, your long-lost (sibling/cousin/child/dog/etc.) shows up and you want to change your outbound flight. By now the prices for each leg have gone to $400. You are willing to pay the extra $200.
When you go to change your A-B-A trip, because of course if you don't show up for the ticketed A-B segment the return will be cancelled, you are told that any change will cause the entire trip to be repriced. Your $200 return will now cost $400. Whereas, if it was a one-way, you could keep it for $200.
Nov 10, 2021, 4:03 pm
#15
Join Date: Nov 2016
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Posts: 1,092
Ah, have you seen that for last minute fares only? Or for advance purchase too? Let's say, a few weeks ahead of the outbound.