Book a Return portion a year and bit out from Departure?

[MAXII]

Next year, 2013, we will be flying to Honolulu from Canada for a cruise beginning from Honolulu. The following year, 2014. we will be flying from Honolulu back to Canada after a cruise ending there. .

 

So, given 1 ways flights work out more expensive than a return, (even if we go from Seattle as opposed to Vancouver) is it possible to book a return flight to Honolulu departing in around 23rd April 2013 but returning in during the 1st week of May of 2014?

 

Given flights are not open usually until around 350 or so days out, I am not sure the 2014 return portion would be available for booking until we had already left on the outgoing flight in 2013.

 

Can anyone help me with this one? Thanks in advance.

[CruiserBruce]

Couple of clarifications. First, on the major "legacy" airlines, fares are available 330 days out.

 

Second, one ways are not always the same price as a round trip. A number of airlines now give one way fares which are half, approximately, of a round trip.

 

Given your scenario, I agree with your premise that you can't really book this as other than two one one trips. Do you have frequent flyer miles available to help you with this?

[cruising cockroach]

Alaska sells its tickets on a one-way basis, as does Westjet.

[buddylover]

I agree, generally 2 one way tix are more costly than a round trip ticket. The only time we have booked this way is when using our FF miles....we book on the day the tickets become available (330 days out) for one leg....then wait for the return date to hit the 330th day and then book that leg. If you are paying $$ for the ticket, it is more expensive to do it this way most of the time.

[Gardyloo]

Even with airlines/routes where round trips are significantly cheaper than 2x one-way, stopovers greater than 4-6 months are typically priced close to the 2x one way fares anyway, since that far out the airline needs to hedge against its costs spiking in the meantime.

 

In the case of SEA-HNL-SEA, Alaska Airlines prices round trip fares almost exactly at 2x one ways, so you wouldn't be at any risk of doing it that way, except in the event that fares really spiked in the meantime, but by then you'd have been able to purchase the return fare at the old price anyway.

 

And no, you won't be able to buy a round trip ticket when the return is more than eleven months out anyway.

[frugaltravel]

I agree, generally 2 one way tix are more costly than a round trip ticket. The only time we have booked this way is when using our FF miles....we book on the day the tickets become available (330 days out) for one leg....then wait for the return date to hit the 330th day and then book that leg.

 

With many airlines, doing that means paying a hefty per-ticket change fee. YMMV.

[kenish]

As FYI, Alaska Airlines flies Bellingham (BLI) to HNL to serve Vancouverites who don't mind driving across the border to avoid a ton of taxes.

[Ine]

As far as I know no airlines issues tickets valid over 1 year, which is the maximum validity. So it looks you need to buy 2 one way tickets.

[MAXII]

Thanks everyone, I was hoping that there something I didn't know about that could save us a few bucks. Oh well, sounds like points and one ways it is:D