ONE WAY FLIGHTS...

Are these a rip off or what ?  DFW to LHR... £1095... with TWO layovers.. Philly & JFK !!! An hour later DFW to LHR (direct) RETURN ..... £490... What are the implications of booking a return flight & not taking it ? Anybody done this ?

Regards..

Certa.

Most everyone book return flights, not one-ways.

Do you have enough FF miles to book a one way flight? Most airlines will book you an award flight for half the cost of a round trip in miles so it's a good deal. If you have a lot, you might be able to snag a business class flight, even, which gives you an additional baggage allowance. If you have good credit, you can open up a credit card and get enough miles to do so just by opening it. Something to look into...

I did a return and just never used the other one

I did the same thing, once. Got a return ticket and just never took the return flight.

What are the implications of booking a return flight & not taking it ? Anybody done this ?

No implications.  Like the others, I booked a round trip and never used the other half.

Booking a return ticket and not using the return is fine. Sometimes the pricing works out that it is theoretically better to buy the ticket in the reverse direction and use the return leg and not the outbound leg. This does not work. You cannot return on a flight that you did not take out. Also, be careful that the return trip is long enough. If you book a three day return trip, and your outbound flight is delayed, they may not let you rebook easily. One final note is that I spent my first 18 months in the UK trying to preserve my "return." Basically, I was always trying to book two trips to the States at a time. Do not do this either. It just isn't worth it.

I've 'dumped' the return portion of several tickets over the years, but bear in mind that some airlines DO keep records and there is a possibility that on the next flight you may get pulled despite having a valid ticket.

It doesn't happen often, but it does happen. Not trying to scare you, just passing the info. Personally, I would buy whatever is cheapest and dump the return. As long as you don't make a habit of it with the same airline, you are likely fine.

Hubby has corrected me - I LOOKED INTO prices on a return with the thought of just not using the other flight but it turned out a one way from Tampa to Gatwick in early September was actually cheaper.

What sites have people found to be cheapest for one way? I am looking at NYC-MAN last week in August.

Also if I book a return and not intending to use it, which month/date are best to get the cheapest ticket?

Thanks

I used statravel to find my one-way to the US. It was peak season and I only paid $500. The cheapest I had ever paid was a one-way from DFW to London for $350 in early October so you can find reasonable flights.