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Hi
I’m looking to purchase a reward flight for two people London to the US return as they become available.
The outbound is available tomorrow. I’m told if I buy this then ring and buy the return when it becomes available there ‘may be a slight difference in taxes’
I looked at two single bookings online, and it came to £2500 whereas a return was around £1900.
Does this sound right to people?
If so, I will def wait and hope it isn’t taken!Yes 2 singles to and from the US will cost a lot more than a return.
It used to be the case with the traditional carriers that a single cost almost as much as a return across the board. This was a major attraction of paying in points because it was exactly half the points if you did genuinely require a single. Their ways are part-mended by the low cost airline model where everything is priced per leg, but only part-mended as the OP’s example shows.
OP is looking to book reward flights. Unfortunately there’s nothing they can do about the much higher surcharges on the return as it’s a US route. The only workaround I’ve found with this is to use RFS for the return so you’re only paying £50 cash but it’s not necessarily a good use of avios unless you’ve got a lot to burn through. Otherwise it’ll mean waiting until the outbound is released – being flexible with routes is the best way to make this work.
@BenM book the outbound as soon as it’s available, they can be like gold dust.
You only pay the two single taxes if you book the return independently as a separate booking. It’s a pain to call but you’ll save taxes as will be priced as a return.
The comment that there ‘may be a slight difference in taxes’ just means they will re work out the taxes based on a return the day you book the return leg. It won’t be the two singles cost, it’ll be the lower return surcharges.
Sorry @BenM my comments (and I guess @NorthernLass) is based on Avios bookings, realise this is in the Virgin forum.
I presume Virgin operates the same way, but could say for sure.
Sorry as well, I hadn’t even checked which reward system it was! So no RFS options – I assume from checking availability that the higher taxes showing on SeatSpy are what you’re charged for booking the return leg separately.
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