Return Airline Tickets: The best decision for you ?.
07/16/2017
Return Airline Tickets. The best decision for you ?.
I think we imagine that virtually everyone gets return airline tickets. After all, if we go on vacation we presumably want to come back, right ?.The answer, in most cases, is a resounding yes. Most people are taking vacations from jobs and need to get back and, in almost all cases, that return airline ticket is to their point of origin or put another away; if you fly from New York (JFK) to Cancun, Mexico then you return Cancun, Mexico to New York (JFK).
Advantages of Return Tickets
The significant advantage of return airline tickets is that you have booked and paid for both legs and, if it is with the same airline, it is easier if there are cancellations and delays as the airline has responsibility for you in rearranging and re-coordinating flights.Some airlines also penalize you for one way travel, and others won't allow two one-way tickets.
Domestic airline flights in the U.S.A., are usually the same price for both legs so, for example, if a return flight is $300 then each leg will be $150 as a single ticket. International flights can have wide price differentials based on the idea that if you go out, you have to come back, and date and time of flights can have significant price variations.
Return airline flights also guarantee less hassle at airport security for international travel as, with a single ticket, you may be questioned about the length of stay, particularly when visas are required.If you have not got a return ticket or an ongoing ticket in places like the UK, you could find yourself in a little bit of trouble with the immigration authorities.Another advantage of return airline flights is that you do not have to worry for fluctuating prices on the return leg.Booking a return single fare at the last minute can be very expensive.
But are you constrained by the return leg?
Another view might be that return flights ‘cramp your style’ ,because you have to come back on a fixed date and if anything happens to cause you to overstay you will normally have to re-book, and pay for, another airline flight unless you find a very sympathetic travel agent/carrier. If you are lucky, you may only have a change fee and a price differential.
Certainly, separate tickets can be a nightmare.There is no capacity for checked in baggage on multiple flights with multiple airlines.More seriously there is no responsibility to get you to your final destination.So in the event of cancelation or delays, you may end up having to buy duplicate multiple tickets. Getting bumped off a flight can be disastrous for your journey. Something as everyday as a schedule change can ruin a vacation.Return airline tickets have none of these problems.
Some tips
Our top tips are get all your airline flights on one booking or at least codeshare flights to meet connections. In some cases with air alliance partnership; passengers on participating airlines are treated as if they had tickets for the carrier you are flying on.
It is also worth noting that some airlines allow stopovers or Open-Jaw on return airline tickets (in simple terms as an example flying back from an airport other than the one you flew out on such as New York (JFK)-Paris then Brussels-New York (JFK) on the way back.)One must also remember that many coupons, vouchers, and promotions only apply to return flights. Also in the event of having to cancel your flight, there are two sets of cancelation fees with two single tickets.
Conclusion
If you book a return airline ticket, you are doing what 90% of people do. It is convenient and financially safer, regarding the security it offers. It places the responsibility of getting you to your final destination with the carrier you booked with.
However, if you buy single tickets, the responsibility lies with you. Most people are just happy to get from A to B and B to A.For a minority, due to cost savings (that, admittedly, can come with separate tickets, other permutations, and reasons of travel flexibility), return airline tickets is a less attractive option.At the end of the day, it is down to the individuals choice.