Always Look for One-Way Travel Options When Booking Your Trip
I’m going to Denver in a few weeks. Instead of buying a round-trip ticket; however, instead, I decided to buy two one-way flights on two different airlines. Cause? It was cheaper. Much cheaper. And I managed to get great seats on both flights.
While it has long been thought that one-way flights are more expensive than round-trip flights, in recent years I have found the exact opposite to be true. My trip to Denver cost me $ 200 less because I was able to catch a sale on one airline for the arrival flight and another for the flight.
If you are loyal to one airline, it might make a little less sense, but I fly a lot and on multiple airlines, so I have status with both airlines that I fly (and a few others). I am really happy that I am earning two seats for this short trip, not one.
Aside from the potential cost savings, booking one-way flights also gives you a little more flexibility when it comes to arrival and departure times.
For example, you could hypothetically book a one-way ticket to Hawaii, Alaska, but the only flight home in Alaska is at 6am, a little earlier than you want to fly. Delta; however, you might have a good 6pm flight that you’d prefer for the same amount of money and more time to the beach on the last day.
And then there are the benefits of seating in one direction. Unless you are limited to flying both ways by the same carrier, you can choose the best flight times for you and find flights with the best available seats. For example, if United only has middle left seats, there is no reason you could fly home with another carrier.
One-way flight reservations are not always profitable or beneficial, but it is always a good idea to check before buying this imperfect round trip ticket.