whitebear

Has anyone found a legal way around the final flight from Uk to USA following a successful permanent resident VISA Application. Prices are ridiculous especially in summer when I expect to need it. Do any airlines offer discounted fares on the quiet for this situation.

GeoffM

Just buy a round trip. It is perfectly legal to throw away the return portion. After all, people's plans change. Where it can become a problem is if you do it repeatedly.

You never know, you might need that return portion in an emergency one day.

penguinsix

Buy a roundtrip. Put the return as far in advance as possible. If you have an emergency in those months you have a ticket you can use with only the change fee. If not, oh well. No big loss.

tonrob

What they just said (nothing illegal about it) or use miles if you have them.

whitebear

Thanks everybody. I know I will need a ticket back at some time, but the booking time is a bit too short. As advised, I can probably bite the bullet and extend the ticket later. Biggest snag is not being able to book. Looks like August and fares for August are now £600 more than in January. The cost of a one way and a two way about the same. Anyone travelled on Icelandair, they are the only carrier with sensible pricing, but that will be over the top by the time I can book.

anuny

Since you failed to mention which of the two dozen odd international airports in US you were planning to land at; I have found the following airlines to get heavily discounted by consolidators from London to New York.

(In no particular order) Icelandic Air, TAP Portugal, Kuwait Air, Air India, Air Lingus, MartinAir.

rpjs

Icelandair are pretty good, although I think they've gone "low-cost" these days and you may have to pay for food (certainly you have to pay for alcohol). Best thing is they let you take an extended layover in Iceland for no extra charge, and Iceland is well worth seeing, even if all you do is take a dip in the Blue Lagoon near Keflavik airport.

Bob

Though read the small print, because they sometimes will charge you extra for not using the return ticket as intended if you went for the cheapest cattle class offerings.

GeoffM

The chances of that actually happening for a one-off are pretty remote. Yes, some airlines prohibit it in their Ts&Cs and some have even fined repeat offenders who are clearly abusing the fare rules.

If the OP buys the fare on a UK credit card which (s)he deactivates upon arrival in the US (on the basis they won't need it any more) then there is nothing for the airline to charge to.

whitebear

Strangely Icelandair seem to be the only airline that don't charge an exorbitant amount for one way. For earlier contributor, my trip will be to Minneapolis St Paul, MSP. I'd much rather fly direct however, and Delta operate a service to London, but it just costs too much. £886 per person.

Bob

True, chances are slim that it'll happen, but it's something to be aware of, especially if you got a cheap, especially standby type ticket.

dbj1000

The only time one-way is a much better deal is if you emigrate using AirMiles, as we did!

...and back then the "fees and taxes" on air miles flights didn't add up to 60% of the full fair either

Anian

Any idea whay the return fares can be so much cheaper than one-way? Is there some kind of tax break that the customer doesn't see?

whitebear

I read up on why they are more, and it simply that most one way fares are bought by businesses, and they will buy at the inflated prices because they have no option.

Bob

Because airlines have to cover the return cost of bringing someone back to the original destination for someone who had a one way ticket and gets deported/bounced from the border.