Mordac

Hi all. I'm going to fly out to DXB on work later this year, and while the outbound date is pretty definite, the return date is still up in the air. Is there a way of combining a flexible fare for the return leg with a standard for the outbound? How would I go about searching for this?

Thanks in advance.

Krisz

Globaliser

I think you may need to call for this. But there are a lot of variables here: Which cabin are you wanting to book in? How flexible does the inbound have to be? What are the chances that you will have to change it? And with how much notice?

The reason for asking is that I don't think that there are now any BA ex-UK fares to DXB that don't allow a change for a change fee plus fare difference. Everything is at least semi-flexible. So, for example, if you're in Club and you buy the cheapest fare now for the inbound it may save you a couple of thousand pounds compared to buying the fully flexible fare now. If you have to change the inbound when you're on the cheapest fare, it would only cost you £300 plus fare difference, and if I class is still available at the time that you make the change then the fare difference may well be zero. But if you have to make the change at a time when only J class is available, then you may have to pay the ~£2,000 fare difference plus £300 change fee. So there's a gamble involved, and the variables will have a bearing on which strategy is likely to work best for you.

One advantage you have is that if you're only changing the inbound, then you can be repriced as at the date of original ticket issue. So you will have no issues about (for example) suddenly having to go up to a fully flexible fare in both directions because you no longer satisfy advance purchase restrictions etc.That may simply get the OP a fully flexible one-way fare in both directions.

BlueRedGreen

Mordac

Right so the attached is the itinerary I'm currently looking at. If the return date were to be moved, it would probably be only after I've flown the outbound, and would only be moved earlier not later.

EDIT: Attachment didn't work.

Globaliser

You can actually just book that online at ba.com now, if you want. W class is the only WT+ booking class available on that inbound flight!

Having a look at the fare rules, one possibility that occurs to me is that if you do book this, at the time of making the change you may be able to ask to rebook the inbound into T or E class and collect a refund of the fare difference. The W class fare allows you to change to a lower fare and to have the fare difference refunded to you, although the fare rules of the T or E class fare that you have rebooked into will apply thereafter.

It does surprise me a bit that WT+ is so heavily booked on that date this far out.

Mordac

Thanks! I did notice that the return was booking into a W fare, but I wasn't sure if that necessarily meant it was flexible. (I'm still not that good at interpreting the Fare Rules gobbledegook.) And yes, I was also surprised at how heavily booked that was. Oh well, here's hoping for an upgrade then

sunshinebob

What with 2 x one ways and/or flexible fares being expensive could you look at the option of two one way avios award bookings? If the inbound date changes you could (1) swap it if there is availability or (2) cancel and pay cash if you had to.

Mordac

I'm not going to use Avios to pay for a work trip! I'm trying to do due diligence to minimize my employer's expenses, but that's where I draw the line!