Songdoc

I posted this under "Airlines" but have not gotten any responses. Any thoughts???
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I was shocked that it cost wayyyy more (I think it was almost double) to book one-way from Nashville to Dublin than to book it as a RT. My preference would have been to do it open-jaw and return from Prague, but the price difference makes it worth flying back to Dublin (from Prague).

The RT flights I'm considering cost 431 British pounds p.p. ($573 USD) if booked on United's U.K. website, or via Skyscanner's U.K. site (which takes you to Un item's U.K. site). The same flights on United's U.S. website cost $799.56

Is there any issue with booking on the U.K. site?

Also ... is there some site where I might be able to book individual legs--without it costing an arm and a leg???

Kathie

Booking individual legs typically costs much more. Did you use the multi-destinations option on the United site? That often gives you a better price on open-jaw tickets.

StCirq

I can't speak to that route precisely, but one-way tickets are not what you want. They are usually very expensive. You need multi-destination tickets, which normally are about the same as RT tickets..

Gardyloo

Booking through the UK website will probably result in the same price as booking through the US site. There are arcane airline rules regarding prices quoted depending on where the transaction is consummated and where the flights originate relative to the sale point. (These are called "SITI/SOTO" rules and don't ask me to explain them in detail or justify them; it's all part of airline operations that only graduates of Hogwarts can comprehend.)

If you go with the Dublin round trip plus a one-way flight back to Dublin from Prague, just be sure that you allow plenty of time (e.g. overnight) between the return flights. On flights to the US from Dublin, you go through US immigration and customs at DUB, so that when you arrive in the US it's as if you're coming off a domestic flight, making connections much easier and quicker. On the other hand, it can add to the time needed at DUB, so don't cut it too closely in case your flight from PRG is delayed, in which case the technical term for your status is "toast."

Gardyloo

Added, from your post on the Airlines board I see that this is what happened when you entered your billing information.

Songdoc

Thanks, Gardyloo. The only way I could make this worthwhile was by doing it in one-way or open-jaw legs that were just wayyyy too expensive. I wasn't willing to fly back to Dublin and overnight there to buy a RT ticket.

So ... I managed to book all the major legs using FF miles. I scrapped Dublin and am flying into London where I'll stay for four-and-a-half days. I'll fly from London to Belfast. (The trip is because I will be working at an annual conference in Belfast. I've worked there 8 times in the past 12 years, and I always add on another destination in Europe.) I'll fly from Belfast to Prague (but not with FF miles).

I will fly from Prague to Hawaii! (I'll have an overnight layover in L.A.) Then ... I'll collapse!

FYI, I regularly book one-way tickets from Hawaii to the mainland (and back), and within the U.S. Those one-way tickets cost half the price of a RT. There is no difference between booking them as (2) one-way tix or RT. That's why I was so surprised at the enormous cost of booking one-way tix for this trip. I guess it depends on the airline and destination.

Thanks for your help.

isabel

I've found that AerLingus, Iceland Air, and Norwegian all have one way tickets for just about half of round trip. I think it depends on the airline and I know not everyone can use those airlines as they have limited US departure airports. Also the 'economy' airlines like Easyjet, Ryan Air, and in the US Southwest all have one way tickets that cost no more than if they were half of a round trip.

Alec

It is to do with booking class with mainstream scheduled carriers. One-way flights tend to be at highest booking classes, meaning full flexibility and highest standby status. Often bought by business flyer who doesn't want to be tied to a fixed itinerary (e.g. free to extend one's stay to conclude a deal). RT fares typically start with lower booking class, like no flexibility (fixed itinerary) and go up with increasing flexibility and mileage accrual. So the lowest booking class RT fare can be less than the highest-class OW fare.

Christina

You can book one-way flights that are competitive with Easyjet, etc., on many legacy airlines now due to that competition, I suppose. I know you can on Air France and Czech Air.