When Is It Profitable to Buy a One-Way Ticket
As reported by the New York Times, one- way tickets are becoming more affordable for international travelers.
Airlines used to raise their prices for one-way tickets, citing the fact that they were usually bought by high-value business travelers. But now, that one-way fare surcharge has dropped from 44 percent in 2014 to 11 percent in 2018, according to data provided by the Times from the Airlines Reporting Corporation. The percentage of one-way tickets purchased compared to round-trip tickets increased by 29 percent over the same time period.
This trend is good for travelers, especially families, who can take advantage of better prices for more travel flexibility: for example, you can fly to one European country and then take a short train ride to a neighboring country, spend a few days there. a new place, and then they fly away much cheaper. If you use a service like Google Flights to book flights, you can add nearby airports to your search criteria for better prices. “If you are flexible, you will benefit from finding the cheapest points of entry and exit to Europe and then filling the gaps by land or with low-cost carriers,” the Times writes .
This is especially useful if you are going to popular holiday destinations such as Greece or Italy.
The change comes as more low-cost airlines such as Norwegian Air and Ryanair are now offering more competitive fares, according to the Times . Of course, this also means that flights may not be as comfortable or offer as much convenience as more expensive carriers (the Times notes, “[s] eats on Ryanair, for example, does not recline, and the landing process can be chaotic”) …
Another thing to keep in mind, as Quartz points out , if you’re traveling overseas, there may be rules in countries that only prohibit you from having a one-way ticket. “Even if it’s just a train ticket, it’s usually a good idea to come with some paperwork about where you’re going next, unless your visa situation allows you to stay in the country indefinitely,” Quartz writes.
However, if you’re planning a trip in late summer or fall , it might make sense – and give you the opportunity to visit more countries or cities – looking for one-way ticket deals.