Do I need a travel agent for this?

[MickeyMonstersMom]

DD is living with my ex-husband to attend school in Florida but is coming home for the summer while DS visits dad. We are trying to arrange for the two kids to spend some time together before school starts back up again, and I might be able to parlay that into a WDW vacation for myself - but I'm very confused about how to handle the flight arrangements.

The deal is, I fly down with DD, stay a bit, then return with DS. I'd rather buy the flight tickets all at the same time, and round-trip tix would be cheapest. However, it's not really RT for the kids because a different child is flying each leg. So I think I have to buy a RT for myself and then two one-ways for each kid, which is going to significantly increase the cost. I'm also concerned about getting seating for us together if I have to book separate tickets. Is there a way to book as RT with different children? Or am I just going to have to eat the cost and take my chances on the seating? Can a travel agent finagle this for me?

Input greatly appreciated!

 

[kaytieeldr]

It's actually three separate round-trips.
Daughter = one r/t including flying to you solo at beginning of summer and flying back with you when you head down with son.
Son = one r/t including flying south solo at beginning of summer and flying home with you.
You = one r/t.

Now, if each child already has their respective beginning of summer flights then yes, you're going to need to buy each a one-way fare to accompany you.

A Travel Agent can't do anything different.

 

[DebbieB]

DD is living with my ex-husband to attend school in Florida but is coming home for the summer while DS visits dad. We are trying to arrange for the two kids to spend some time together before school starts back up again, and I might be able to parlay that into a WDW vacation for myself - but I'm very confused about how to handle the flight arrangements.

The deal is, I fly down with DD, stay a bit, then return with DS. I'd rather buy the flight tickets all at the same time, and round-trip tix would be cheapest. However, it's not really RT for the kids because a different child is flying each leg. So I think I have to buy a RT for myself and then two one-ways for each kid, which is going to significantly increase the cost. I'm also concerned about getting seating for us together if I have to book separate tickets. Is there a way to book as RT with different children? Or am I just going to have to eat the cost and take my chances on the seating? Can a travel agent finagle this for me?

Input greatly appreciated!

I don't think there's a price difference for roundtrips anymore. I know I've booked one ways on Southwest and the price is the same.

How old are the kids? You could run into unaccompanied minor charges if they are on separate tickets.

 

[goofy4tink]

Debbie is correct.....one ways don't add up to more than a round trip. I often book two one way flights vs a round trip.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Debbie is correct.....one ways don't add up to more than a round trip. I often book two one way flights vs a round trip.

.

The only time buying one way trips instead of a round trip ticket always costs the same is on budget airlines, such as WN. Buying a RT ticket is usually cheaper than buying two one way tickets on the legacy airlines.

I agree that a travel agent isn't going to help; he or she can't change the airline's rules.

 

[bumbershoot]

DH has a lot of work travel, and we're very involved in his ticket bookings (his TA cannot be trusted, even though they are a big name in Seattle, so we work it out then have the TA book it), and he has not yet encountered a situation where a RT is cheaper than one-ways. And for work he's on United, Delta, KLM, Lufthansa, etc. Also Alaska, but I'm not sure if they are considered budget or not (in our experience, ANY of them can be budget at any time, relative to the others!). Just did one little experiment with United, and two one ways were exactly the same as the same flights booked as a round trip.

So it hasn't been my experience in a LONG time that RT is cheaper.

 

[CPT Tripss]

.

The only time buying one way trips instead of a round trip ticket always costs the same is on budget airlines, such as WN. Buying a RT ticket is usually cheaper than buying two one way tickets on the legacy airlines.

I agree that a travel agent isn't going to help; he or she can't change the airline's rules.

Sorry, but that is not the case. PHL to MCO on USAir is 114 ow or 228 rt for May.

 

[HoosierDisneyDad]

The last several times that I have flown on United, the one-way price was exactly half the price of the roundtrip ticket.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

To answer the OP question about buying one RT for a child and having one child use the ticket for one half and the other child for the other half. No it can not be done.

Just book 2 one ways.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

One way tickets each way on legacy airlines are almost always more expensive than a round trip ticket. If you don't believe this, that's okay, keep booking those one ways,

Here's an example for United Airlines for 2 one way tickets versus a RT ticket for the same flights for a round trip IAD-SEA, June 4-June 11

RT ticket costs $503.80
Departing June 4, UA FLT 282 from IAD-SEA, returning June 11, UA FLT 400 SEA-IAD

One way ticket, SAME flights, costs $451 each way, for a total of $902!

Kind of a large difference.

 

[CPT Tripss]

might be worth driving north a couple hours!

It's an IAD or UA . . . Rather than a legacy issue.
PHL to SEA 6/4 at $149
SEA to PHL 6/11 at $149
RT $298

 

[HoosierDisneyDad]

Here's a comparison that farecompare.com did on one-way vs rt tickets:

http://www.farecompare.com/travel-advice/one-way-tickets-vs-round-trip-tickets-which-are-cheaper/

 

[macraven]

The last several times that I have flown on United, the one-way price was exactly half the price of the roundtrip ticket.

One way tickets each way on legacy airlines are almost always more expensive than a round trip ticket. If you don't believe this, that's okay, keep booking those one ways,

Here's an example for United Airlines for 2 one way tickets versus a RT ticket for the same flights for a round trip IAD-SEA, June 4-June 11

RT ticket costs $503.80
Departing June 4, UA FLT 282 from IAD-SEA, returning June 11, UA FLT 400 SEA-IAD

One way ticket, SAME flights, costs $451 each way, for a total of $902!

Kind of a large difference.

totally agree that the one way tickets on the legacy airlines cost more.


i booked my non stop United flight 3 days back.
round trip is $276.50
one way is $166.50


i was trying to find a different flight time for one of the dates and found the one way tickets for United/American, too high.

about Fare Compare, i have found errors in some of their articles.