jazzys

Hi, at some point next year we hope to be moving to Oz.

BUT, My wife would like to come back next xmas for a family wedding.

Would she be better off getting a return ticket when she emigrates and then booking a single when she goes back after xmas OR a single when she goes and a return for the xmas trip?

Would it be 6 and 2 three's or what?

Cheers

Centurion

Not much in that really is there ? Either way you are booking a return flight and a one way flight ?

I would probably say book the return flight first though since flight prices do increase most years and thats the more expensive of the two.

It largely depends on the time of year that you fly I would think.

MarkandJulie

I would say get the return first and then book a one way. We have found return flights from here to UK to be significantly more expensive than what we paid for UK to Aus return previously

h2oskineil

Check out the seat sales at Xmas, Trailfinders had one on Boxing Day 2005 through to the New Year and had massive savings. You have to pay the full amount when you book, so check out your calender and get some spare cash handy.

We bought 5 return tickets before we had even left the UK, Wife and son went back at Easter and we all went back during the last school holidays. So we now have the return part of the tickets back to the UK to use sometime next year and will be soon looking to purchase more this Xmas.

I can't remember the exact cost, but it was under £500 for our son and under £600 for us, that includes all taxes etc.
Look out for the Thompson Fly offers on the Austravel web site. They have cheap charter flights which are a bit crammed, but very cheap. I understand they make 3 stops, but it might be an option?

Neil.

Rbecca

I booked my escape in Feb with Trailfinders.( Excellent deal but you actually have to say 'have you any special offers? They don't actually volunteer them!?!) They recommended a return flight as fares from Oz are so much more expensive and I will probably return for Christmas 2007. Get the return and then a single from the UK.
Rebecca

jazzys

So is there much of a difference (price wise) between a one way ticket from the UK to a return ticket?

We should all be in Oz by mid summer 2007 and the wife will want to be back in the UK until maybe the first week in january 2008.

Cheers
Jaz

Clippy

Hmm good question, we were thinking of booking a return ticket too - that way we knew we could get a visit back to the UK to see everyone in the first year

Rosie Cheeks

I agree. This is good advice

h2oskineil

With the return part of the ticket, you are allowed to make one free alteration to the date you fly, but every change after that is around £80 per ticket. When we buy our returns, we never concider what day we'll fly back to the UK, just work out the dates when it will suit us the best and change the tickets (subject to availabillity). The one you have to remember is of course, if you are flying out at the start of a school holiday, so are many others and the flight can get full.

Neil.

jazzys

Does anyone actually do this on a regular basis? Buy the flights in the UK when they are here I mean.

jaz

Clippy

Thanks Neil Are the tickets valid for 12 months? If so do you just specify your fly date back as 12 months ahead and then bring it forward if you need to?

Kath

Rbecca

A single ticket costs about 2/3 to 3/4 of a return ticket generally. I booked mine to go out in Feb and return in March although I have no intention of returning until next Christmas. It's easy to change the return ticket as long as it's within the year of the departure. I can then decide if I want to buy a single or another return from the UK. If I decide to stay in Oz next Christmas and not use the return part of the ticket then I have to look at the amount of money I'll have spent in the big move and hopefully be able to say that in the grand scheme of things, a couple of hundred pounds was a good 'fall back' option. Of course, by then a couple of hundred pounds will be a fortune - actually it's pretty darn much now!
Rebecca