International flight / long duration trip / strategy?
Dec 13, 2018, 10:43 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 7
International flight / long duration trip / strategy?
Hello, I am in process of planning a trip overseas for two adults and one child. We need to leave in June 2019, return May 2020
From reading posts on this forum, it sounds like the best approach is to 1) book the cheapest round trip we can find, then 2) after using the first leg - once we have reached our destination - either pay a change fee to change the return date to May 2019, or cancel the 2nd leg and book a completely new round trip ticket. Basically whichever is cheaper
This strategy seems like it might cost $6-8k total for either one ticket + change fees, or two round trip tickets + use one leg of each. By comparison, trying to book a refundable coach ticket produces something in the vicinity of a $12k total cost. Waiting to book a ticket until May 2019 seems questionable, because by then we'd be booking one month out, and ticket prices might be more expensive?
1) would you agree / is this correct? we would welcome input on alternate strategies, and if there any risks that we're not aware of - for example, do airlines track this behavior and prevent/flag it in the future?
2) after using the first leg, if we cancel the 2nd leg, do we retain any flight credit? The rules/terms are really dense
and it's unclear if this is the case. my assumption is no.
Thank you!
From reading posts on this forum, it sounds like the best approach is to 1) book the cheapest round trip we can find, then 2) after using the first leg - once we have reached our destination - either pay a change fee to change the return date to May 2019, or cancel the 2nd leg and book a completely new round trip ticket. Basically whichever is cheaper
This strategy seems like it might cost $6-8k total for either one ticket + change fees, or two round trip tickets + use one leg of each. By comparison, trying to book a refundable coach ticket produces something in the vicinity of a $12k total cost. Waiting to book a ticket until May 2019 seems questionable, because by then we'd be booking one month out, and ticket prices might be more expensive?
1) would you agree / is this correct? we would welcome input on alternate strategies, and if there any risks that we're not aware of - for example, do airlines track this behavior and prevent/flag it in the future?
2) after using the first leg, if we cancel the 2nd leg, do we retain any flight credit? The rules/terms are really dense
and it's unclear if this is the case. my assumption is no.Thank you!
Last edited by StartinSanDiego; Dec 17, 2018 at 8:06 am Reason: corrected date typo as OP states below
Dec 13, 2018, 11:00 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 7
Ha! Thank you. Should be May 2019 to June 2020
to your question, we’d have to wait until April to book a round trip ... my assumption is booking a trip to depart within 4 weeks might be pricier? However sounds like that might be a bad assumption?
to your question, we’d have to wait until April to book a round trip ... my assumption is booking a trip to depart within 4 weeks might be pricier? However sounds like that might be a bad assumption?
Dec 13, 2018, 12:43 pm
#5
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I think that's because the ticket fare rules usually require that the validity of the ticket have to be within a year, so I see your dilemma. I'm sure there are those here who are very well-versed on ticketing rules who can chime in. Perhaps if you offered some info on routing and airlines, people can drill in better.
Sounds like your thought is instead of two one-way tickets, it might be cheaper to do "throw-away" tickets, where you end up purchasing two roundtrips A-B-A and B-A-B and only use the outbound flight on each one?
Sounds like your thought is instead of two one-way tickets, it might be cheaper to do "throw-away" tickets, where you end up purchasing two roundtrips A-B-A and B-A-B and only use the outbound flight on each one?
Dec 13, 2018, 1:09 pm
#6
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I think that's because the ticket fare rules usually require that the validity of the ticket have to be within a year, so I see your dilemma. I'm sure there are those here who are very well-versed on ticketing rules who can chime in. Perhaps if you offered some info on routing and airlines, people can drill in better.
Sounds like your thought is instead of two one-way tickets, it might be cheaper to do "throw-away" tickets, where you end up purchasing two roundtrips A-B-A and B-A-B and only use the outbound flight on each one?
Sounds like your thought is instead of two one-way tickets, it might be cheaper to do "throw-away" tickets, where you end up purchasing two roundtrips A-B-A and B-A-B and only use the outbound flight on each one?
Depending on the countries-airlines-what ever 2 one ways may (or may not ) be more expensive than a return.
Do not assume flights purchased in other countries work the same as USA.
Do you have any ff miles?
Dec 13, 2018, 4:03 pm
#7
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Really need to know the route to be able to give any decent advice.
Historically, there are a lot of routes where buying one-ways was next to impossible other than two obvious choices: overpaying by a huge amount or buying a throwaway ticket. The proliferation of international long(ish)-haul ULCCs has helped in some markets...and there are other markets that would become accessible by combining a long-haul ULCC with one or two short-haul ones.
In other markets, the throwaway ticket is still the better option.
Historically, there are a lot of routes where buying one-ways was next to impossible other than two obvious choices: overpaying by a huge amount or buying a throwaway ticket. The proliferation of international long(ish)-haul ULCCs has helped in some markets...and there are other markets that would become accessible by combining a long-haul ULCC with one or two short-haul ones.
In other markets, the throwaway ticket is still the better option.
Dec 13, 2018, 7:26 pm
#8
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Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 7
Thanks for the perspectives! Understood on route-specifics; it's DFW to TLV. Arline agnostic, although more than one stop is a tough putt due to the child being involved. No miles unfortunately (or nowhere near enough to do 3 round trips).
Dec 16, 2018, 2:51 pm
#10
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 158
When you call to rebook the return, I would ask if the airline would waive the change fee since your intended return date was outside of the system range at time of booking. It's worth trying, even if you have to call a couple of times to get a helpful agent or a supervisor.
Dec 16, 2018, 10:20 pm
#12
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 158
This might be the best option. Just beware that when you call back to re-book the return, you might also have to pay a fare difference in addition to the change fee. To avoid or minimize the fare difference, I would look for a ticket with 12 month maximum stay, and a tentative return date that falls within the same season (I think May is considered "shoulder season" on most trans-Atlantic carriers. September is also considered "shoulder" so you can book your placeholder in September.). Check the fare rule conditions for both directions, you will probably be combining a high season fare for outbound travel in June with a shoulder season fare for return in September (to be changed later to May), make sure both outbound/return permit 12 month maximum stay.
When you call to rebook the return, I would ask if the airline would waive the change fee since your intended return date was outside of the system range at time of booking. It's worth trying, even if you have to call a couple of times to get a helpful agent or a supervisor.
When you call to rebook the return, I would ask if the airline would waive the change fee since your intended return date was outside of the system range at time of booking. It's worth trying, even if you have to call a couple of times to get a helpful agent or a supervisor.
Dec 16, 2018, 10:25 pm
#13
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 9,307
When you call to rebook the return, I would ask if the airline would waive the change fee since your intended return date was outside of the system range at time of booking. It's worth trying, even if you have to call a couple of times to get a helpful agent or a supervisor.
Dec 17, 2018, 2:51 am
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Dec 18, 2018, 9:52 am
#15
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Are we all just making this too complicated?
If this were me, I'd do one of two things:
(1) The easy-easy route: just buy three one-way tickets on a single itin, DFW-TLV, for around $1000 per ticket based on June 2019 prices in ITA right now. Do the reverse in early 2020. So you spend around $6k, but only $3k now and $3k later. And no need to phone airlines asking for special favors. I'm not familiar with this specific market, so I'd maybe follow the relevant forum here to find out whether these fares drift lower towards the end of winter for late-spring travel.
(2) The cheaper-but-longer route: buy Dallas to New York as a separate itin. Then buy JFK-TLV. That will run you about $600-650 per person for both tickets. Because I'm personally risk averse, I almost always stay 1 night in NYC when I do this (and I do it about once a year for our family of 5 flying long-haul), so I'd call it $2,200. The reverse, coming back through NYC, might be even cheaper based on the May 2019 fares in reverse. (May 2020 is not loaded yet.) You'd spend $2k now and $2k a year from now. Same thing about timing: I know we have FTers who use this route; they'd have a good idea of when you should be buying a June ticket.
Both of these options seem much better and easier to book than spending $6k right now and asking for special favors from a human on a phone call. It's just a question of whether a two-PNR extra-stop travel grind is worth a couple grand to you.
If this were me, I'd do one of two things:
(1) The easy-easy route: just buy three one-way tickets on a single itin, DFW-TLV, for around $1000 per ticket based on June 2019 prices in ITA right now. Do the reverse in early 2020. So you spend around $6k, but only $3k now and $3k later. And no need to phone airlines asking for special favors. I'm not familiar with this specific market, so I'd maybe follow the relevant forum here to find out whether these fares drift lower towards the end of winter for late-spring travel.
(2) The cheaper-but-longer route: buy Dallas to New York as a separate itin. Then buy JFK-TLV. That will run you about $600-650 per person for both tickets. Because I'm personally risk averse, I almost always stay 1 night in NYC when I do this (and I do it about once a year for our family of 5 flying long-haul), so I'd call it $2,200. The reverse, coming back through NYC, might be even cheaper based on the May 2019 fares in reverse. (May 2020 is not loaded yet.) You'd spend $2k now and $2k a year from now. Same thing about timing: I know we have FTers who use this route; they'd have a good idea of when you should be buying a June ticket.
Both of these options seem much better and easier to book than spending $6k right now and asking for special favors from a human on a phone call. It's just a question of whether a two-PNR extra-stop travel grind is worth a couple grand to you.