Is it fair to buy a return ticket I know I will never use just because it's cheaper?

Question

I am planning a trip to Asia and then back to Rio. The thing is that I am traveling on flexible dates, so I am thinking of buying a one way ticket to Hong Kong, and I was planning to do the same when I want to come back.

But what I noticed is that, for example, a one way ticket from Melbourne to Rio costs no less than $2700 dollars for the month of May.

When I do a search for a round-trip from Melbourne to Rio and back, I can find flights for $2200.

I know I will not be using that return to Melbourne, but I'd still prefer to save those $500.

Can there be any issue with buying a round-trip with a return that I will never use?

Answer 1

You can do that. since one-way tickets are always more expensive. Booking a flexible return ticket will also be more expensive than the single ticket version, but you should look into it, since it should be cheaper than the double-return tickets in most cases.

But you better make sure that you know where and how to buy a ticket in Hong Kong and how much it will cost you AND you need to make sure which countries require you to have a home ticket before they let you in.

You will have to show return tickets on some immigration checkpoints or even airport check-ins. If you combine several stations and not have a valid return ticket, they will not let you travel.

Example: You fly to Hong Kong and stay there past the date of your intended ticket back home. You travel to Japan and then back to Hong Kong with the intention to buy a ticket back home in Hong Kong once you are there. At the check-in in Japan back to Hong Kong they will give you trouble already because you do not have a resident visa and you do not have an onwards trip booked.

Due to this issue, you might be better off to buy a flexible ticket where you can change the flight back from the beginning. Unless you can determine from the beginning which countries you go to, where you will buy what ticket and where you need an ticket back home or one for an onwards flight, you will have difficulties planning the trip without running into problems.

Or you book the flight back way past the intended return date - but close enough so that you are not indicating to an immigration officer that you will overstay your visa requirements. Then you just buy a new ticket to get back home instead of using your old one.

** Some more info regarding flexible tickets **

You have to know that for each flight, there are several different tickets with different prices - even if you buy at the same time from the same airline. The price depends on the flexibility of changing the ticket. If you want the cheapest ticket, you can get those, but changes can be VERY Expensive, up to the price of a new ticket. If you want to be more flexible, you will need to pay more for the ticket, but it you will be able to change it for a smaller fee.

I can only recommend you to call a travel agent to help you understand your ticket options. Since most online ticket sales are geared to sell cheap tickets, those often cannot be changed.

Answer 2

One major concern is that some airlines don't like it when you drop tickets (legs or entire flights) because it's cheaper for you. As a result, not turning up can be held against you and any frequent flyer program that you might hold with them.

I don't know of anyone personally that's had theirs cancelled or penalised, but have seen it mentioned frequently elsewhere online (like flyertalk or reddit's travel subreddit).

But then again, that's quite a saving. It might at least be worth looking into whether or not you can get a flexible return, so that you could change the date to perhaps use on the way back. Or at the least, cancel it with the airline to lessen any chance of them getting upset with you, rather than just not showing up.

Answer 3

Yes. You can and often should do that.

In some instances, you are actually legally required to have a return flight (for immigration) even if you plan to travel to a 3rd country. Of course, this depends on the country and your citizenship/visas &c.

If you have an A to B return ticket and you have now arrived at B and do not plan to use the return to A, call the airline and cancel. You will probably not get a refund on the ticket itself, but you can often get a refund on some of the airport fees. which is a nice piece of change for a 10 minute phone call.

Answer 4

There is no issue and I personally often do this.

Try to book the flight back for the most plausible date of return. It may be eventually useful. Also note that even without specific flexible tickets, it is often possible to change your flight schedule any time for a little extra money.

Answer 5

You can try to buy a multi-destination ticket, it should be less expensive than a one-way and the money will be more useful.
But the company needs to fly to both destinations.
(Or try with a traveling agency.)

Answer 6

Be careful about having both round trips originating from the same location. for example, your first ticket set may be round trip Hong Kong to Melboure. You discard the return ticket of that set (Melbourne to Hong Kong). If your second ticket set is also round trip Hong Kong to Melbourne, obviously you only want the return ticket.

However, not showing for the outgoing ticket (Hong Kong to Melbourne) while expecting to use the return ticket (Melboure to Hong Kong) may lead to an unpleasant surprise. The airline may cancel the entire second ticket set when it determines that you are a no-show on the outgoing flight.