One-way travel...

Also, for return tickets it seems like there's something about a Saturday night stay...if you stay over Saturday you'll get a better fare. 

I read recently that this is not necessarily the case these days with airlines. A lot has changed with September 11th. 

I have booked a return and just not used the second ticket as well.

I suppose the reason the one way tickets are so expensive is to discourage people from purchasing one leg of the flight with them, and then returning with another carrier, so they don't risk having an unsold seat on the return flight.

but is there any penalty for just not using the second part of the ticket? since they already have your credit card on file, can they charge for not showing up?

I've had round trip tickets that we've never used the return leg for and never been penalized anything.  They can't charge you anything more as they've already been paid for the seat.  At least that's always been our experience.

I bought a one-way ticket from DC to LHR thru Expedia.com

Get ready for the price...

$234!!!!!!!!!!!

When I was on the site it just listed this as a special fare... it is non-stop thru virgin atlantic. all the other carriers started around $700.

Wow     you got a bargin  

but is there any penalty for just not using the second part of the ticket? since they already have your credit card on file, can they charge for not showing up?

Just my experience with changing return dates or not using the return portion:

The whole deal with not using the return portion of the ticket is that the value of that return portion (say you paid $800 for a ticket, then maybe the return portion is worth $400), then that value can be used towards another ticket to/from the same cities within a year. At least that's what US Airways told me. Initially they would've charged me an ungodly amount to change the ticket, but in the end they looked into it and were able to do a whole new one-way ticket with no additional charge.

Just my experience with changing return dates or not using the return portion:

The whole deal with not using the return portion of the ticket is that the value of that return portion (say you paid $800 for a ticket, then maybe the return portion is worth $400), then that value can be used towards another ticket to/from the same cities within a year. At least that's what US Airways told me. Initially they would've charged me an ungodly amount to change the ticket, but in the end they looked into it and were able to do a whole new one-way ticket with no additional charge.

This varies by airline for example some simply have a flat change fee. The policy should be explained on their website or when speaking with a customer service rep.

Just to add to the one-way debate...

I purchased 3 one-way tickets from BOS to LHR for the grand total of $881, less than $300 a piece, I was based on other quotes, quite happy with that for non stop flights on Virgin. Had, or wanted to be Virgin, because my dawg is on the same flight.

I just bought a one-way ticket from Orbitz from Nashville, TN to Gatwick for $310 before taxes. I thought this was a pretty decent price considering the ticket is for mid-May and it's a Virgin Atlantic flight, which I prefer over most of the other more common transatlantic carriers.

I bought tickets! Thanks for all the advice on this page. I am doing a bit of a tour across the US. Making my way from Seattle to NYC visiting friends. (southwest.com has great fares for that) and flying from NYC to London on Aer Lingus for $300 a ticket.

I tried Student Universe but it's only for students and not for their families.

ok, so I'm brining this back up to check in with everyone.

Who is going over this fall (for school or otherwise)?  Have you bought your tickets?  Where and how much did it cost?

I'm finally getting my student loan stuff approved - after many phone calls and emails - and I'm getting ready to make a purchase.

Is there a good time of the summer to make a purchase?  Is there a good time of the WEEK to make a purchase? 
Any help out there would be great.  I'm on a tight budget until I get my loan check which won't happen until I'm already there and in class.

I got a really good deal w/ AirIndia. One way. 258 dollars! Best deal I've ever had. They're one-way comming back to the UK in September.

It would be helpful if we would state whether the fares include all related taxes.
I'm not sure if they are still charging the $100 plus taxes or have they reduced them?

Hi west_0515 I'm going over for fall. My tickets are for 8/28/07. With taxes and fees they were $363 a piece. I think buying sooner is better. I couldn't buy for a few weeks due to finances and they went up a few dollars in between.

And I know all about waiting on that loan check...I'm looking forward to beans and toast.

Earlier is usually better when booking flights because the prices increase as the tickets sell - for example, you could book 2 months before the flight and pay, say $500 dollars for the ticket, but the person sat next to you on the plane might have booked 4 months before and only paid $300.

Another tip is to pay for the ticket as soon as you book them (some airlines give you a deadline for paying once booked) because the taxes can change. Back in November we booked return flights from London to Guatemala City for £490 each (including taxes), but didn't pay straight away. By the time we called the airline a few weeks later to pay, the taxes had gone up and we had to pay £580 each instead!

I'll be flying from London to Albuquerque in January and recently found a one-way flight for about £370. However, I'll need to wait until I get my visa in order to book the flight (which won't be until Sept-Oct) and by then I'm sure the flights much more expensive (even now, the prices are ranging anywhere from £360 to £700 on Yahoo travel).