How to buy open-ended tickets?

[bitteeinbit]

Hi,

So pretty much self-explanatory. How do I buy a ticket with an open end (meaning, I can set the return date to whenever). Can't find them online. I went to a travel agency and they had some via an airline. Do I need to contact various airlines directly to get some good quotes? Oh, and the one from the agency was 1 year open ended from the time of departure. Not bad I guess. Just looking for more options.

[jjmac]

I believe these guys do it.

http://www.airtreks.com/

[Mar]

All I do is book it far in advance and pay the $30 to be able to cancel/change it whenever you want.

[hurrdurr]

No Airline offers an open ended ticket anymore. the furthest in advance you can purchase a ticket is about 320-330 days

And Mar, please enlighten me which airline has a $30 change fee?

Lowest in North America is Westjet $52.50 + difference in fare (economy fare)

[Mar]

Originally posted by hurrdurr
And Mar, please enlighten me which airline has a $30 change fee?

Lowest in North America is Westjet $52.50 + difference in fare (economy fare)

Southwest - $0
http://www.southwest.com/html/air/nochangefee.html

United - $25
http://www.united.com/page/article/0,6722,51552,00.html

[hurrdurr]

Originally posted by Mar


Southwest - $0
http://www.southwest.com/html/air/nochangefee.html

United - $25
http://www.united.com/page/article/0,6722,51552,00.html

You got me on the Southwest one, as they only service the US and are bookable through Southwest only I've never used them nor have I had any need.

However:

You should probably read the United Link you so helpfully posted:

"The Reservation Servicing Fee" ($25)


Does this fee replace the ticket change fee?

No. Customers who wish to change and confirm their itinerary must follow the applicable fare rules and pay any associated change fees and add collects, in addition to the Reservation Servicing Fee.

[cmyden]

No matter what way you slice it, 'open ended' travel is expensive.

Booking a roundtrip and then changing the return date = hefty change fee + difference in fare price. Unless of course you buy a really expensive ticket to begin with, in which case you've already essentially paid the expensive change fee.

This link on United gives you an idea of the standard most carriers in the U.S. follow:

http://www.united.com/page/article/0,,51160,00.html


Please note: Changes made to nonrefundable tickets for travel wholly within the U.S. or Canada will result in a $150 per ticket administrative fee plus any difference between the previously purchased fare and the new fare. Fees for changes made to international tickets may vary.


Delta:

http://www.delta.com/traveling_checkin/ticket_changes_refunds/ticket_changes/index.jsp


Based on the fare rules, you may have to pay a service fee and/or a difference in fare. For travel within the 50 United States, the fee is $150 for Delta flights.

For travel outside the United States, the change fee is typically $250, but can vary based on location and type of fare. Changes are usually permitted only to the return portion of an international itinerary.

If there is an agency out there offering you something like this it would likely just be something to cover themselves for the 'worst case scenario' and charge you a boatload so that no matter what date you choose to come back, the airline change fee + difference in fare is covered + a little profit on the side for them.

Depending on where you're planning to go, it could be worth looking at one way tickets each way.

[hurrdurr]

On top of that - If its North America, everything is built as one way fares, so you might as well book a one way flight and figure it out when you want to come back.

Internationally, you should book a return date further down the road, and when you know better when you want to return just pay the penalty and if you're lucky the difference will be favorable based on the amount of advanced purchase/availability on the plane at the time you plan on changing it

One ways internationally are normally booked in the highest economy class (Y, B - (Latitude with AC (Fully Refundable)))

[bitteeinbit]

Yeah maybe I should have expanded: it's for international flight costing 1400$ to 1600$ (cheapest). Maybe that's why some fee's would be lower. Cheapest one0way is 900$.