buying Open Return tickets?
 

One of my inlaws just bought a $600 RT on UA to Hong Kong from a TA in SF's Chinatown. He says it's Open Return. He's done it before and insists that there's no fee when setting the return trip.

Is that possible? I thought this went extinct back in the 70's.

B-class one-year-valid tickets out of Bangkok to the U.S. can be issued open-dated for the return.

No fees are supposed to be levied (and I've never have paid them as per the rule) for changing dates.

Chiangi, that's exactly correct.

M class and above tickets can be issued open return. That's the only reason why I buy M class tickets originating in HKG. M class is the cheapest fare class you can buy and fares are often over US$1500 roundtrip to the East Coast.

And there is no fee when setting the date of travel, and you are likely to get even the most sold out dates because M (or B even, out of BKK) class is an expensive booking class.

But aren't fares ex-BKK to USA supposed to be cheap? How are they B class?

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When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.

- Leonardo da Vinci

Check the fare rules on H fares to Asia. They allow for open return.

Hmm. $600 seems cheap for an H fare SFO-HKG but definitely possible.

I wish I understood the ramifications of "CANNOT BE AUTO PRICED/TKTD".

Hello, *HighFlyah*!

UA tickets out of BKK may not be the cheapest but they are fairly good, given that dates are changeable and they are upgradable with 13,000 miles one way.

Prices range roughly from 33,000 THB (West Coast) to 51,000 THB (East Coast).

I think these prices are lower than the out of HKG prices if converted into US dollars? Tickets out of Singapore are also M, I think.

AC and AA are cheaper out of Bangkok ... AA has been fiercely raising its tariff, though.... NW around the same range but requires 25,000 miles to upgrade one way. NH is lower priced than these carriers.

I haven't had any experience with UA alone, but I have used open return tickets for AUS-BLR on multiple occasions on UA/LH/9W in Y and B. I just had to inform the TA of my return plans a couple of weeks in advance by fax along with a copy of the ticket.

Just spoke with UA.

For the SFO-HKG route, you can buy H fares with an open return valid for 6 months, or an M fare good for one year.

Currently, H for November is $730 plus taxes, M is about $1420.

For the coach traveler, an H fare is about $100 more than a V fare. Since the V fare is limited to a 30-day stay, a longer stay requires H whether one wants an open return or not.

For we who upgrade, since we must buy H anyway, getting an open return means sweating the upgrade on the way back but would otherwise help avoid a change fee.

Maybe not always useful, but great if retired and want occasionally to spend an unspecified time in Asia.

Note that these fares and conditions vary widely in different markets

i bought one ticket from an SF TA in May for about $670 based on QKXSG fare basis to SIN. I thought I could call UA and make the date changes, but it appears that such changes will need to be made through the TA and not UA. So if you do decide to buy such a fare, ask the TA for confirmation on the procedure to make changes.

Since it is Q, do you expect to pay $100 to change the return?


Excellent point.

The "cannot be autopriced/ticketed" means simply that the agent has to manually do certain ticketing entries, including building a "pricing record" in the PNR which takes a bit of time. Once these entries are manually stored, the ticket can be issued. Nothing to be scared about.