Any complications/risks with American buying ticket from airline's European office?
Jan 10, 2022, 11:45 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 19
Any complications/risks with American buying ticket from airline's European office?
Sketchy-seeming online agent kiwi.com clued me into the fact that, at times, Eur-USA-Eur round trips are cheaper than the equivalent Eur-USA one-way ticket, such that a relative bargain RT can theoretically be assembled with a USA-Eur one way ticket, and then a Eur-USA-Eur round trip ticket for the return back to the USA (discarding the second half of that RT ticket). Hope I've described that clearly. Okay, so checking out such a scenario, Google Flights directs me to United Airline's French web site (conveniently in English, though) to purchase the round trip ticket in Euros. Question is, does United (or any airline that I might be dealing with) care that I actually live in the US and am purchasing the ticket from their French office while sitting in my LaZboy recliner in the United States? I would expect that the ticket would be governed by French/EU contract terms and not by US/FAA terms, but other than that are there any problems that would be likely or possible?
Jan 10, 2022, 2:09 pm
#2
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Canada, USA, Europe
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 31,452
No airline really cares where you buy the ticket from. If the total cost of what you are planning to do (one way to Europe, buying a round trip in Europe which you will only partially use, and conversion rates) is less than just buying in the US than go for it. Usually this only makes sense if you are planning multiple trips, though with the obvious downside that you have to plan far in advance.
Jan 10, 2022, 3:09 pm
#3
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,369
In most cases, assuming no mistake fares or award tickets are involved, it can be true (especially on USA carriers) that EU-USA-EU is cheaper than USA-EU-USA, but the problem with doing this for one trip is that the initial OW USA-EU ticket is extremely expensive, much more than either RT. It's different if you can use the final USA-EU segment in the scheme at a later date. (Tickets normally "expire" after a year and the best RT fares tend to have minimum and also maximum stay requirements.)
Jan 10, 2022, 6:32 pm
#4
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
I often buy tickets originating in Europe to do my TATL trips because it has generally been cheaper for me to do so than originate all my TATL tickets in the US. And I’ve ended up not flying a bunch of the return portions of such tickets. Plans change and I’m no prisoner sentenced to fly on demand by the airline. To position/reposition to get on the legitimate money-saving ticket-buying rounds, one-way award tickets using miles work just fine for me.
Jan 11, 2022, 1:42 am
#5
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: NYC
Posts: 9,114
Open jaw will be even cheaper - e.g. returning to the cheapest destination in Europe - often MXP/BCN. I also suggest checking for premium economy (very cheap from some destinations) and book the return far in advance as you might be able to use the return in future and most can be changed for a fee.