Cheaper one way tickets

[tatzcon]

I have secured business class seats one way Brisbane to Vancouver in january next year with Air Canada but at the time I didn't have enough points for the return flight and it was too early for it to be available. I now need a return flight either direct from Vancouver or via LAX with Air Canada, Qantas or Virgin but as there is no availability I will have to purchase these. These airlines all want nearly as much for a one way ticket as a return ticket. Is this normal or am I going around this the wrong way. I was hoping to get an upgrade then.

 

[juddles]

"Most" airlines charge almost the same one way as return on a paid ticket - there are good technical reasons for this but it is complicated to explain - but that is the reality. (essentially you are not paying the "same" as a return fare - you are actually paying half a more costly flexible return fare)

Some airlines do charge one ways as approx half returns - in your case look at something like American airlines to HNL then onwards with Jetstar. But as far as Qantas etc don't bother looking, they are not there!

Have you considered trying Lifemiles points? You can buy the points and get a one way, easiest via Seoul or Tokyo.

 

[moa999]

Normal for full service carriers on international routes.

As juddles says, getting to Hawaii then Jetstar home may be a solution.

 

[dajop]

Which class? A quick search on kayak.com suggested to me that travelling via Taipei (EVA) or Auckland (Air NZ) might give some less expensive alternatives.

 

[trooper]

NZ TENDS...(tends!) to charge less staggering one way fares...

 

[TheRealTMA]

I have secured business class seats one way Brisbane to Vancouver in january next year with Air Canada but at the time I didn't have enough points for the return flight and it was too early for it to be available. I now need a return flight either direct from Vancouver or via LAX with Air Canada, Qantas or Virgin but as there is no availability I will have to purchase these. These airlines all want nearly as much for a one way ticket as a return ticket. Is this normal or am I going around this the wrong way. I was hoping to get an upgrade then.

Yes it’s normal. In Europe for example, it’s often cheaper to book a return and throw away the return than book a one way trip. Seems strange but that’s the way they make money from business etc.

 

[Atleastonce]

I have secured business class seats one way Brisbane to Vancouver in january next year with Air Canada but at the time I didn't have enough points for the return flight and it was too early for it to be available. I now need a return flight either direct from Vancouver or via LAX with Air Canada, Qantas or Virgin but as there is no availability I will have to purchase these. These airlines all want nearly as much for a one way ticket as a return ticket. Is this normal or am I going around this the wrong way. I was hoping to get an upgrade then.

Is your flight you secured a reward fare? I am trying to book SYD-YVR. I have QF points and VA points and can’t find out how I can use either with Air Canada.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

I have secured business class seats one way Brisbane to Vancouver in january next year with Air Canada but at the time I didn't have enough points for the return flight and it was too early for it to be available. I now need a return flight either direct from Vancouver or via LAX with Air Canada, Qantas or Virgin but as there is no availability I will have to purchase these. These airlines all want nearly as much for a one way ticket as a return ticket. Is this normal or am I going around this the wrong way. I was hoping to get an upgrade then.

I would try looking for a multi-city itinerary as an alternative.
So go into multi-city search and for the first sector try for example Vancouver - Honoloulou (or Tokyo or Hong Kong etc depending on where the airline flies).
Then put the flight from the transit point to Brisbane in as the second sector,
Many airlines will calculate the fare for multi-sector itineraries on the basis of return fares.
If you can't get a decent fare from any airline try using this strategy on a third party booking site such as cheap-o-air.

 

[Scr77]

Can you make use of a return fair? ie do you have plans to go back to LA for example?

 

[Forg]

I may be misunderstanding the situation, but if my understanding is correct, that you’d now like a return where you initially wanted one-way due to availability, is it worth talking to the airline directly to see what it’d cost to convert the one-way to a return ticket? They might hit you with a cancellation fee, but it may be irrelevant compared to the cost of the airfare?

 

[DC3]

... These airlines all want nearly as much for a one way ticket as a return ticket. Is this normal ...

Pretty normal from what I have seen.

 

[Buzzard]

Like @juddles I'd suggest LifeMiles but you may only find your return flight days before you need it.