For a long time it was difficult and expensive to put together a trip itinerary using one-way ticket. Why is that? Did you know that buying a one-way ticket makes scheduling more difficult for airlines? That is why travelers who tried gaming the system with creative itineraries were punished with higher prices.
Furthermore, airlines knew they could charge corporate travel departments a premium in exchange for convenient flight times built around the workday, as business travelers were the bulk of their income. This is why leisure travelers were left with little choice about the time, the place or the cost of the travel.
But nowadays, there are other airlines’ regulations. Business travelers only made up 12 percent of air traffic in 2019 despite being a lucrative source of airline revenue. And not only are leisure travelers jet setting in greater numbers, but they also have increasingly varied travel needs – including a desire to visit a variety of destinations around the globe at their own pace.
The question is how to maximize your travel experiences and minimize costs?
Be flexible
One should look at all airlines – not just the flights with a single carrier – to make the most of one-way travel. You can choose flights based on when airfare is cheapest in general if you are able to adjust your schedule by a day or two in either direction. Using a travel aggregator allows you to see if you can save money by departing or arriving a few days earlier or later than you originally planned
Arriving in one city and departing from another gives you the chance to save even more money. There is a great variety of combinations around the world that are just a couple of hours apart and that allows you to see even more destinations.
Get familiar with the big international airlines
Major international carriers — the so-called legacy airlines — such as Delta, United, Air France, and British Airways weren’t so eager to adapt to the one-way travel trend, but they were somehow compelled by the discount airlines like JetBlue, Aer Lingus, etc who successfully started selling one-way tickets.
Depending on the time of the year, or the proximity, these are the best points of entry for one-way flights to and from most regions of the world:
North-America to Europe and vice-versa
there are often affordable flights from Los Angeles (for example, Norwegian has a $169USD non-stop flight to Paris). But across the board, most one-way flights to Europe will be considerably more expensive unless you are leaving from New York or Miami.
London, Paris, and Rome will be the cheapest destinations if you’re departing from New York.
Europe to Africa and vice-versa
Of the five northern African countries, all but Libya are easily and economically reached from Europe. Hubs are Casablanca and Cairo with occasional deals found in Fez, Algiers, and Tunis.
Central Africa is expensive if you’re flying, as airports are few and air travel is not a priority in this region. Even domestic flights will be in excess of $500USD.
For Southern Africa, the obvious flight hub in this region is Johannesburg, South Africa, with prices to and from most cities in Africa tracking nearly $100USD cheaper than any other airport.
In our next article, we will present you some other important hubs for a one-way ticket in Asia, South America and the Middle East.