The 'Split' Savings on International Flights
 

The 'Split' Savings on International Flights
The renewed strength of the U.S. dollar is once again warping the international airline pricing structure and creating huge gaps in the local-currency fares between any two destinations. So don't book a unrestricted roundtrip itinerary without first checking whether it would be cheaper to "split" the tickets, buying the outbound U.S. segment in dollars and purchasing the return leg in local currency. Some examples: A one-way business-class ticket between San Francisco and Paris costs $4,285. But purchase your return flight in francs and you'll only pay the equivalent of $3,596. Traveling business class between Los Angeles and Sydney will cost $3,831. Buy your return ticket to Los Angeles in Australian dollars and you'll pay only the equivalent of $2,673. The "split" on Boston-Milan is also dramatic: $2,721 to Milan in business class, but the equivalent of only $1,420 when the return flight to Boston is purchased in Italian lira.

-Joe B.
biztravel
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