Booking SYD-HNL-SYD but only requiring the return journey Hawaiian Airlines

[kaz]

Hi

Flying from HNL to SYD and have sourced pricing with Hawaiian and Air NZ for the 1 way flight.

Hawaiian wants $1927.00 AUD for the one way flight, and Air NZ is $1000 USD converting to roughly $1385 AUD

Hawaiian return SYD- HNL-SYD is only $1087.00 AUD.

Wondering, if we don't check-in for the SYD-HNL flight with HA, will the HNL-SYD flight still be valid at the other end so we can get home ?

Anybody have any experience in 'missing' their 1st flight, and having their return journey still available.?
Thinking if it's best to check-in rather than not turning up at all for the 1st flight, we'd go through the checkin process online if need be.

Any thoughts on if this would work, as there would be a bit of a saving over the Air NZ 1 way flight;

Would prefer to fly HA or Air NZ to collect some much needed SC's, so not considering Jetstar at the moment

Tks

 

[blackcat20]

When you miss the first flight the remainder will be cancelled.

 

[kaz]

When you miss the first flight the remainder will be cancelled.

Ok, thanks. Thought that maybe if I checked in online for the first leg and didn't turn up that my return would still be open.

Seems a bit rough that if someone legitimately missed their outbound flight that their remaining flight/s on the booking are cancelled automatically.

 

[Hvr]

Why not price HNL-SYD-HNL and see what the fare is and if it is close enough to the one way you want and can throw away the return?

 

[Mark3000]

When you miss the first flight the remainder will be cancelled.

That's what I thought would happen too.
Why is that though??
If you miss the first flight and then had to pay cash at the airport for a one way on another airline, would there be any way of getting them to allow you to use the return journey.

 

[kaz]

Why not price HNL-SYD-HNL and see what the fare is and if it is close enough to the one way you want and can throw away the return?

Yeah, thanks already tried that and it was $1480.00 aud

 

[kaz]

That's what I thought would happen too.
Why is that though??
If you miss the first flight and then had to pay cash at the airport for a one way on another airline, would there be any way of getting them to allow you to use the return journey.

But if you had paid for a return, but missed your first flight... why can't the return leg be used as you have already been paid for that. ?

 

[Pushka]

But if you had paid for a return, but missed your first flight... why can't the return leg be used as you have already been paid for that. ?

Because booking return fares with the intention of only taking one leg is not according to booking conditions. As you can see booking a return flight gives a cheaper fare. That has conditions.

 

[Mark3000]

Yes that's true, but do you know why the airlines do this. It doesn't make sense.
Don't the airlines know how much resentment this sort of behavior generates.
Why should a return be cheaper ?

 

[yohy?!]

not a whole lot of resentment really as most people wouldn't bother trying to do such a thing,

if the airlines didn't do it then people would circumvent their pricing in different markets all the time.

 

[mannej]

I am not sure why this thread has continued past post #2. Simply put, that is the answer to the question asked.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Don't the airlines know how much resentment this sort of behavior generates. Why should a return be cheaper ?

How are you getting SYD/HNL in the first place or are you cruising there?

Have you got any frequent flyer points you can use?

If you can't book an award ticket using ppints you're probably better off flying JQ HNL/SYD as they have a LCC fare structure unlike legacy carriers QF & HA so the fare component wouldn't be any more for flying one way than it would if it was combined with an outbound flight in the same booking.

 

[Mark3000]

not a whole lot of resentment really as most people wouldn't bother trying to do such a thing,

if the airlines didn't do it then people would circumvent their pricing in different markets all the time.

I know what you're saying, but I meant that people resent airlines over charging for one way flights. And resent charging more for different markets too.

 

[JohnK]

Yes that's true, but do you know why the airlines do this. It doesn't make sense.
Don't the airlines know how much resentment this sort of behavior generates.
Why should a return be cheaper ?

I would hazard a guess that outside of frequent flyer forums most people don't have a need for one way flights.

I also think airlines price international returns cheaper for loyalty. If they offered cheaper one-way flights they still wouldn't be as cheap as half a return but it would give people an opportunity to fly other airlines with a better schedule/connections for one of the legs.

 

[serfty]

From what I have been advised the cheaper return fares are a legacy of last century.

Of yore operations were such that generally an aircraft would fly to a destination from its origin, then turn around and fly back to the origin.

In a fashion, one way fares are actually priced at a level to cover most of the cost of having an empty seat on the return.

The cheaper (than the cost of two one way) return fares were to encourage PAX to use the same service and keep loadings similar in each direction.

Most PAX plan to return to their origin and airlines want to ensure the PAX are sitting in one of their seats each way.

So return airfares often seem discounted to encourage this while one-way fares seem to be full price.

For airlines to start offering one-way tickets at half the price of their cheaper return fare, PAX would shop around for the carrier with the best deal for each sector; airlines are averse to sector-by-sector price wars.

Airlines seem to feel it is generally more productive for them to get the return cash at a small premium over the one way fare than otherwise may be the case.

LCC's have a different bare bones model and one way fares work for them.

 

[Mark3000]

Thanks swiftly, that's a great explanation

 

[AV8]

AA award flights between SYD and HNL use HA - one way awards are available.

 

[kaz]

How are you getting SYD/HNL in the first place or are you cruising there?

Have you got any frequent flyer points you can use?

If you can't book an award ticket using ppints you're probably better off flying JQ HNL/SYD as they have a LCC fare structure unlike legacy carriers QF & HA so the fare component wouldn't be any more for flying one way than it would if it was combined with an outbound flight in the same booking.

Already on a award seat with VA Syd-LAX, then making our way over to HNL.
From what I've read award tickets with HA HNL-SYD are hard to come by, but I will ring VA and see how I go. However I would prefer to save my points for business class flights with VA or Etihad rather than HA.
Thanks for your suggestions.