One multi-city ticket vs. two one-way tickets

Is it usually cheaper to book all flights on one ticket or select two one-way flights? Does it make a difference at all for flying to and from Europe? Obviously flying from Prague to Budapest would be stupid.

Is it usually cheaper to book all flights on one ticket or select two one-way flights? Does it make a difference at all for flying to and from Europe? Obviously flying from Prague to Budapest would be stupid.

 

For flights within North America airlines have generally moved away from discounting based on a Saturday night stay over. End result is usually there no significant difference between two one ways vrs a round-trip.

 

The same can not be said of overseas flights. Generally a Saturday stay-over results in a lower fair vrs two one way tickets. If you are booking on flight where you fly into one city and out of another then you want to select the mult-city option on the airline website.

Is it usually cheaper to book all flights on one ticket or select two one-way flights? Does it make a difference at all for flying to and from Europe? Obviously flying from Prague to Budapest would be stupid.

 

From other posts we think you are actually talking about what the industry calls an "Open Jaw" fare. This type fare allows you to fly into one airport and return from a different airport. (the difference in distance between the two airports is the open jaw). Most International airlines will treat open-jaws in a similar way as to a round trip...although even round trips are not always that advantageous these days. When we are planning to book air we "model" or test out many different options on several web sites. While this might mean spending an hour looking at lots of options the rewards can be quite nice (sometimes thousands of dollars). You can access "open jaw" fares by using the Multi-City option (on nearly all booking engines) which was pointed out in another post.

 

Hank

Many times the one way ticket has been the way to go (even varying the class of service for each flight)...but it can vary greatly...best is to price out all your options..it should then be clear to you how to book your trip....One way or Multi-City.

When I am flying I just try all the options. Some lines work it one way, others do something different.

Thanks for the quick replies.

 

 

The Saturday. stay over deal is irrelevant. I will not fly on a weekend either way.

Thanks for the quick replies.

 

 

The Saturday. stay over deal is irrelevant. I will not fly on a weekend either way.

 

If you leave on a Monday or Tuesday and are back home before the end of the week you are unlikely to see much difference between one-way or round trip.

 

Most of these discounts require that there is a Saturday night some time between when you leave and when you come back home. You don't need to actually travel on Saturday. Nearly all cruisers have a Saturday stay over since most cruses are at least 7 days. The exception would be a 3 day cruise where you leave on Monday/Tuesday and come back on Thursday/Friday.

Cost wise a one way ticket FROM Europe MAY incur additional fees and taxes that is why an Open Jaw ticket would probably be more economical.

Before you book do come back for any questions you might have. There are alliances and low cost carriers that might provide flexible and cost efficient travel that some of the experienced flyers can assist with. This is particularly important when planning connections times within Europe. Connecting in Frankfurt is not like connecting in Cleveland.

Is it usually cheaper to book all flights on one ticket or select two one-way flights? Does it make a difference at all for flying to and from Europe? Obviously flying from Prague to Budapest would be stupid.

For the kind of itinerary you are thinking of (Gainsville or Jacksonville to Budapest; then Prague to Gainsville or Jacksonville), it's almost certain that you'll be better off buying all the flights on one ticket. For long-haul travel, the most common situation in which one-way tickets are priced at the same sort of level as half of a round-trip ticket is when you can use an airline that prices on a low-fare model. But for your itinerary, low-fare airlines are unlikely to be a particularly good option. If you're using network airlines, then one-way long-haul fares tend to be very high (albeit often very flexible - which you probably don't need). If you want cheaper fares, then buying one (open jaw) ticket will probably be a better bet.

So open jaw it is, barring a miracle at my travel agent's office.

 

BTW Orlando and Tampa are still opinions,.

Edited August 21, 2018 by CruisingSince2012

For simplicity I am calling it Florida to Budapest and Prague to Florida because there are four airports in the stateb to choose from right now.

 

Mom said she read somewhere GNV will start flying people to Miami but I don't know where that information came froml.

So open jaw it is, barring a miracle at my travel agent's office.

What sort of miracle do you think your travel agent might provide? They are unlikely to create flights that we cannot already see using travel agent-type tools.

 

BTW Orlando and Tampa are still opinions,.

You hadn't mentioned these before as possibilities. These open up a great number of further options because you can fly non-stop from both of them to Europe.

 

Mom said she read somewhere GNV will start flying people to Miami but I don't know where that information came froml.

You already can, 12 times per week.

If you leave on a Monday or Tuesday and are back home before the end of the week you are unlikely to see much difference between one-way or round trip.

Maybe I have been lucky, but I haven't encountered this very much. I frequently (once every six weeks or so), fly from USA to Europe on a Monday, and back on Friday, and the price for a roundtrip is still quite a bit lower than two one-way tickets.

The Saturday. stay over deal is irrelevant. I will not fly on a weekend either way.

 

You don't have to actually fly on a weekend in order for your trip to encompass a Saturday stayover.

What sort of miracle do you think your travel agent might provide? They are unlikely to create flights that we cannot already see using travel agent-type tools.

 

Not create ftlghts but somehow get a discounted combination through the cruise line. Of course I don't think she can do it.

 

You hadn't mentioned these before as possibilities. These open up a great number of further options because you can fly non-stop from both of them to Europe.

 

I just don't want to rule them out before talking to the travel agent. Any GNV flight almost certainly will include two stops in at least one direction, so it is not my preference.

 

You already can, 12 times per week.

 

For $300 one way. Not worth it.

 

See red text.

So you want to fly from GNV/JAX/MCO/TPA to BUD, and home from PRG to the originating city, and you only want one connection each way. Is that the general gist of it?

 

Gainesville is probably the smallest airport, i.e. the one with the least amount of flight options of those 4. That leaves the other 3 airports being better for getting there and back with one connection each way. But your arrival home will likely be late at night. Since your mom doesn't then want to drive a couple hours in the dark, just plan to get a hotel room near the airport and drive home in the morning. That's the likely trade-off for getting there and back with just one connection each way.

 

 

I know Delta has a nonstop from JFK to Budapest, because I'm booked on it in a few weeks. You can fly nonstop to JFK from JAX, MCO or TPA. That would be just one connection.

 

Returning there is a nonstop from Prague to JFK, and you could continue from there back to TPA/JAX/MCO.

I know Delta has a nonstop from JFK to Budapest, because I'm booked on it in a few weeks.

Are you sure? I can't seem to find any such flight. The only nonstop JFK-BUD flight I see is on LOT Polish, operating 4x weekly.

Of course one stop would be preferred, but if the ,layovers are long enough two stops would be OK. I just worry about missing a conenction, especially outside the USA.

Of course one stop would be preferred, but if the ,layovers are long enough two stops would be OK. I just worry about missing a conenction, especially outside the USA.

 

Why should missing a connection outside the USA be the issue? The true issue should be "what are your onward options from a city with a missed connection?" There are many places in the USA where you would have fewer options than if you overseas.

I was referring to what happens if I miss a connection at a foreign airport. If it is the last flight out that day, I have to stay overnight where I do not know anything except whether people speak English or not and the symbols for restrooms. For a domestic connectoin, my only problem is the airport's sze because everyone speaks English.

We have done open jaw to Europe many times and we have done one way tickets both ways.. It usually depends on price, our schedule (sometimes we have no firm return date), airline, and the airports/routings. I suspect that your best bet may be a major international airport that serves multiple foreign carriers. More competition, more pricing and routing options.

Is there a specific airport you like? for international connections?:

For a domestic connectoin, my only problem is the airport's sze because everyone speaks English.

 

Haven't flown much through MIA, I guess.... :D

 

In many international airports, you will find better English speaking assistance than in some USA airports. Go to AMS and you will find far more signage in English than in Dutch, for example. But if you want to believe that you need to be in the USA, go right ahead.

Correct,. I have not flown to/from the MIA airport.

 

 

The hard part is probably finding a 3-hour layover in both directions.

We have flown in to and out of airports on six continents and in many countries.

 

We have yet to have trouble finding an English speaking person at either airport information kiosks or check in desks-internatinal and regional carriers.