booking a flight that returns before it departs

[mobilenet]

Hi there,

At the moment, Qantas has some excellent deals for flights between the US and Australia if you are starting from the US. eg. LAX to MEL return for $1111 (USD) including taxes. there are even better deals listed at australia.com/qantas. This is half of the cost of making a standard booking from Aus!

Is there any way to book a cheap flight from Aus to the US and return by simply scheduling the return flight before the departure leg? The QF website won't allow this, but maybe one could book on the phone this way?

Will QF allow you to change flight details so that the return leg is before the originating leg?

 

[JohnK]

Will QF allow you to change flight details so that the return leg is before the originating leg?

The short answer is NO!

The whole idea for low airfare prices ex USA is due to competition and to actually depart and return to the USA. Low airfares can also be purchased for return travel from SIN/BKK to Australia....

 

[SeaWolf]

I've heard of some people who travel these routes all the time booking a one way ticket to get there, then booking a return flight from their destination to home, with the return leg far in the future. When they need to get from home to destination they move the 'return' leg and hope the change fee and fare difference is less than they would have otherwise paid. They then keep repeat this process of booking 'return' flights from their destination to home. I'm certain I've heard a name for this somewhere, but I can't think what it is.

To give an example. Home is PER and I want to get to SIN. I fly one way on Tiger to SIN, then use a SIN-PER-SIN ticket on QF to get home. I still have the return leg (PER-SIN) left unused. When I want to go to SIN next, I move the return leg and go, I also book another SIN-PER-SIN ticket so I can get home and end up with another return leg to SIN left unused.

I don't know how well it would work in real life. But I do know that a QF return ticket in Y costs about double to do PER-SIN-PER than SIN-PER-SIN. It would take a very hefty change fee to erase that difference.

 

[JohnK]

To give an example. Home is PER and I want to get to SIN. I fly one way on Tiger to SIN, then use a SIN-PER-SIN ticket on QF to get home. I still have the return leg (PER-SIN) left unused. When I want to go to SIN next, I move the return leg and go, I also book another SIN-PER-SIN ticket so I can get home and end up with another return leg to SIN left unused.

I do this most of the time now. I book return flights to SYD from either SIN/BKK to take advantage of the lower airfares on offer but no need to move the return legs as I keep whatever date I have as the return date.

Not quite the same as what was suggested by the OP. They want to book a MEL-LAX return but take advantage of the US LAX-MEL airfares and book the departure date after the return date.

 

[Evan]

Seawolf,

My home is MEL but i frequent SIN rather often so i do exactly that, all my flights are booked ex SIN as return flights in exactly the way you have mentioned. Saves some money for sure !

E

 

[SeaWolf]

Evan, do you book knowing your return date or change the date later on? Does it all work ok despite the change fees or are you getting flexible tickets?

I'd like to get up to SIN more often than I'm managing at the moment, Tiger helps, but it's a bit of luck of the draw trying to get the cheap seats.