return > 1 year: worth the risk to try and re-book inside the year or buy 2 singles?

[ggm]

Using the wisdom of the crowd..

Son flying to the UK for around 18 months. Not using points. Is it wisest to seek to buy a cheap flight with a return around 1 year off, and then pay some rebook fee to extend, or is this high risk?

(obviously the ticket class/pricepoint would have to permit rebook. And I suspect that puts it back into the 'not very cheap' class straight away)

Because 2x singles looks exy from here (OZ), but might be cheaper given the ludicrous pricing arrangments UK/Aus.

(ie the return might be significantly cheaper bought there rather than here. Oh yes: he has a UK passport and will be clearly resident when he buys his return)

The alternatives might include buying one 1-way, and then buying cheaper return from the UK and seeking to part-ex the return leg into some other form, or even just returning to the UK/Europe at some later stage..

(I looked for this in various search terms, couldn't see any collective wisdom)

I might add that I think most 'games' on the ticket price look to me to be dodges which people gossip about over a beer, but in practice never actually use. Charter carriers? Doh. I haven't seen a charter flight Aus/UK in donkeys. Courier flight? No chance! Bizarre carrier combo cheapos .. well yes, in theory, but that nasty missed leg in bombay made it significantly less desirable than you thought...

-G

 

[Mal]

Re: return > 1 year: worth the risk to try and re-book inside the year or buy 2 sing

I don't recommend the approach of buying a ticket and hoping to extend it. Most (all?) tickets have a max life of 12 months. There are some circumstances where this can be pushed past that point, but these are not common and cannot be relied on.

One ways are very expensive from Australia, although some airlines are starting to introduce them (Malaysia comes to mind, but I'm not totally sure if this is the case or not). One possibility is to use points into Asia, and then get a one way ex-HKG/SIN/KUL/BKK. You'll find the price much better.

As a guide ex-London , you are looking at around 650 pounds for a one way ticket back to Oz. Much cheaper than the one way from Oz. Note that a return ex-London is normally only 1-200 pounds more expensive.

 

[NM]

Re: return > 1 year: worth the risk to try and re-book inside the year or buy 2 sing

In some cases two return tickets can be cheaper than two one-way tickets. So consider two cheap returns and he can enjoy a short trip back to Oz within the first 12 months, even if its just for a week break from the winter cold to thaw out and replenish the Vegemite supplies.

 

[moa999]

Re: return > 1 year: worth the risk to try and re-book inside the year or buy 2 sing

Depending on when going (and how much luggage) Jetstar one-way to Sing from Syd, then a multitude of opions
or AirAsia X to KL, then AirAsia X onwards.

Note given both are LCCs would not book tight connections

 

[harvyk]

Re: return > 1 year: worth the risk to try and re-book inside the year or buy 2 sing

In some cases two return tickets can be cheaper than two one-way tickets. So consider two cheap returns and he can enjoy a short trip back to Oz within the first 12 months, even if its just for a week break from the winter cold to thaw out and replenish the Vegemite supplies.

I'm +1 with using two return tickets... It would be cheaper than 2 one way tickets which you would have trouble booking at 18 months out, and it gives your son a "free" holiday back in OZ about half way through.

Also ggm, don't discount the price games... People only become unstuck when they don't calculate the risk of a 15 minute connection on two different tickets, there are many people on this forum who have used "games" (YUP's and LAN J SYD - AKL just to name two), to make some incredible savings and get more status, it's just you need to put some thought into how you do it.

 

[ggm]

Re: return > 1 year: worth the risk to try and re-book inside the year or buy 2 sing

Thanks for the wisdom! all good food for thought.

2 returns looks the best, most stable choice here.