When travelling by air, some passengers may prefer reserving flights which not only take them to their destinations but also bring them back home on the same flight. The airline industry usually refers to this type of service as round-trip flights. Thus, many domestic, as well as international airline carriers, serve round-trip flights to and from the destinations of departure and arrival for a number of reasons.
In this blog post, we will take a quick look at what is a round-trip flight and should you book a round-trip or one-way flight when travelling.
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Round-trip Flights Defined
In air travel, a round-trip flight can be defined as a flight that also serves a return route to the city or airport of origin i.e., from where it was first scheduled for departure.
Thus, in any given flight’s itinerary, airline carriers operate round-trips to and from the same destination back to the city of origin. In addition, such round-trip flights may also include one or more layovers (also known as connecting flights), in case a passenger needs to change his/her flight at the connecting airport or no layover.
How Round-trip Flight Differs from a One-Way Flight?
If we differentiate a round-trip flight from a one-way flight, the names themselves clarify their purpose. On one hand, a flight serves as a return journey, where it is called a flight’s round-trip, while on the other hand, a flight transports passengers to the destination of arrival only, where it is called a one-way flight.
Travelling on a round-trip flight does include a few advantages over a one-way flight. You can also book an open-jaw flights instead.
Price of Flight’s Ticket
Generally, a round-trip flight is much cheaper than a one-way flight. For instance, when you book a flight ticket for a round-trip journey, whether on the airline’s website or through a third-party travel agency, you will immediately notice the price difference.
Most airline carriers will offer discounted airfare if you purchase a round-trip ticket instead of two one-way tickets. This return journey can be for the same day or scheduled for another date. Let’s take an example here. You are flying from Washington in the United States to Dubai on American Airlines flight. Also, you plan on returning to your home in Washington, either on the same day or after a few days.
Now, assuming that the original cost of this trip is around $800, but if you purchase a round-trip ticket for the journey, you are offered a discounted fare of just $650 (excluding change fees). This price difference could be worth the bargain.
Saves on Purchasing Separate Tickets
This advantage is in direct relation to the one mentioned above. Generally speaking, when you book a one-way flight to your final destination, you also need to purchase a separate ticket for your return journey on another flight. This means you will end up paying quite a lot of money for two tickets, and the price and any additional services may differ depending on the flight’s itinerary.
Here, purchasing a round-trip flight would be more convenient, given that you are returning home from a holiday or business trip.
How to Get the Cheapest Fares for Round-trip Flights
It is no doubt that you can easily find the cheapest fares for round-trip flights and make your journey worth the experience.
Here a few ways to help you minimise the cost of flying on round-trip flights, no matter the destination and route:
- When searching for a round-trip flight, always start your search at least a few months in advance. This will give you the opportunity to get cheaper rates.
- You can also find great deals and promotions that are offered by the airline carrier on cheap round-trip tickets.
- You can save more on round-trip tickets when booking tickets in budget airlines.
- Always remember to pack your baggage light and avoid paying extra baggage fees. This will, in turn, save you a few bucks.
- If you prefer booking long haul flights, it is a great idea to book your round-trip flight that also has a longer layover. This could possibly save you a few dollars on round-trip airfares.
- Lastly, you could use travel credit cards to redeem points. Several credit card companies offer reward points when you purchase products or services via these cards. You can thus, redeem the accumulated reward points to book a cheap round-trip flight for your return journey to home.
Conclusion
Travelling by air is faster and safer, so you can get to your destination in less time compared to other means of transportation. But, in order to make your journey more enjoyable, one of the best options you can possibly go for is a round-trip flight.
