What's the best plan to purchase roundtrip reasonably priced airline tickets
USA to Europe when a return date is uncertain or not firm?

I'm planning a long-distance hike and don't want to be locked in to a return
date in case I either take longer than I think or the weather has me sit out a
couple of days of walking.

An open return date?

My wife and I have flown to Europe many, many times but never without knowing
our return date.

Thanks for the help.

"Steltzjr" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > What's the best plan to purchase roundtrip reasonably priced airline
tickets
    > USA to Europe when a return date is uncertain or not firm?
    > An open return date?

Most airlines have an open ticket. Just ask when you book the ticket, and
they will provide you with the proper ticket. I think you can have an open
ticket for up to 12 months, which should be close enough for most people )


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"Steltzjr" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > What's the best plan to purchase roundtrip reasonably priced airline
tickets
    > USA to Europe when a return date is uncertain or not firm?
    > I'm planning a long-distance hike and don't want to be locked in to a
return
    > date in case I either take longer than I think or the weather has me sit
out a
    > couple of days of walking.
    > An open return date?
    > My wife and I have flown to Europe many, many times but never without
knowing
    > our return date.
    > Thanks for the help.

I think the key to this is your expression "reasonably priced". You can buy
(relatively) low-cost tickets based on firm travel plans but generally,
flexible tickets are going to cost you a lot more. But some
tickets/airlines, even for the cheapo fares, will let you change your return
date for a fee. Look at the conditions appropriate to the fare class you are
considering purchasing.

JohnT

    > An open return date?

Most tickets with an open return are higher-priced coach fares (and we are
talking high). You're probably better off getting the cheapest discounted
fare, and paying the $100 or $150 charge for changing the return to a
different day. The hitch, though, is that flights might be sold out for the
cheap classes of service on the return date you choose, though I've
personally never had problems switching return dates even in peak summer
travel times.

Douglas W. Hoyt wrote:
    >> An open return date?
    > Most tickets with an open return are higher-priced coach fares (and we are
    > talking high). You're probably better off getting the cheapest discounted
    > fare, and paying the $100 or $150 charge for changing the return to a
    > different day.

But bear in mind that the fare may have an absolute drop-dead date after
which it can no longer be used. The farther out that date is, the more
expensive the ticket is (i.e., 30-day tickets are cheap, 90-day tickets are
more, 1-year tickets are more still).

miguel
--
Hit The Road! Photos and tales from around the world: http://travel.u.nu

JohnT wrote:
    > "Steltzjr" wrote in message

    > > What's the best plan to purchase roundtrip reasonably priced airline tickets
    > > USA to Europe when a return date is uncertain or not firm? [...]

    > > An open return date?

    > I think the key to this is your expression "reasonably priced". You can buy
    > (relatively) low-cost tickets based on firm travel plans but generally,
    > flexible tickets are going to cost you a lot more. But some
    > tickets/airlines, even for the cheapo fares, will let you change your return
    > date for a fee. Look at the conditions appropriate to the fare class you are
    > considering purchasing.

For this, I suspect that the only way to get an inexpensive ticket
would be with a consolidator. I have in the past received good
prices for "open return" tickets that way.

Note, though, that the return will then be dependent upon seat
availability at the time, which could be an issue if travelling
during a busy period.


--
greg byshenk - [email protected] - Leiden, NL
hate spam?

Open return ticket going to be pretty expensive. I have bought APEX type
tickets and consolidated tickets and had no problem in changing the return
date, for a $99.00 fee. Last Fall, BA had a promotion allowing change of
return date without a fee, but that was for travel through Dec 15 of last year.

--mikeb


In article ,
JohnT wrote:
    >"Steltzjr" wrote in message
    >news:[email protected]...
    >> What's the best plan to purchase roundtrip reasonably priced airline
    >tickets
    >> USA to Europe when a return date is uncertain or not firm?
    >> I'm planning a long-distance hike and don't want to be locked in to a
    >return
    >> date in case I either take longer than I think or the weather has me sit
    >out a
    >> couple of days of walking.
    >> An open return date?
    >> My wife and I have flown to Europe many, many times but never without
    >knowing
    >> our return date.
    >> Thanks for the help.
    >I think the key to this is your expression "reasonably priced". You can buy
    >(relatively) low-cost tickets based on firm travel plans but generally,
    >flexible tickets are going to cost you a lot more. But some
    >tickets/airlines, even for the cheapo fares, will let you change your return
    >date for a fee. Look at the conditions appropriate to the fare class you are
    >considering purchasing.
    >JohnT