Tickets from Ukraine to USA...

[Frank O]

When I got within the next months to bring Diana back do I buy the tickets for BOTH of here & take her's with me or is it cheaper to buy them THERE & do it that way?

[Zoidberg]

... in response to Tickets from Ukraine to USA..., posted by Frank O on Jun 10, 2004

I just came back from Ukraine with Sveta and bought her a oneway ticket on Aerosvit. It was $554.30 (including taxes and shipping) from Kyiv to San Diego, California. Kyiv to NY was on Aerosvit and NY to SD was on Delta. Bought the tickets thru Glavs Travel in NY. If you're interested the # is 212-290-3300 and you'll probably talk to Neli. Good luck to you!

Z.

P.S. I took the ticket with me to Ukraine when I went for the interview.

[John K]

... in response to Tickets from Ukraine to USA..., posted by Frank O on Jun 10, 2004

I ordered my ticket through LOT Polish Airlines and had Marina's go one-way from Kiev.  I saved a couple of hundred dollars.  Most airlines will charge you more for a one-way ticket, but LOT was not so.

[Frank O]

... in response to What I did., posted by John K on Jun 10, 2004

Thanks for the info. I just recently found out a one way costs more. I wonder what if she would have bought a round trip? Would that have STILL been cheaper?

[John K]

... in response to Re: What I did., posted by Frank O on Jun 11, 2004

Most major US airlines will bill cheaper on a roundtrip ticket, but if you don't take the return trip or show that you rescheduled the return flight, they will often later bill you the difference between a roundtrip and a one way fare.  You can try it, but be aware it still might happen.

The only airline I found that billed one way tickets cheaper than round trip was LOT.  It was only $100-$200 cheaper, but still, any little bit you can save is worth it.

[Dan]

... in response to They would have billed you later., posted by John K on Jun 11, 2004

For failing to complete a R/T ticket?

I highly doubt it.

The rules you refer to - when the airlines become upset - is when they see someone taking advantage of their weekend stayover rates.

For example, let's say that someone in Dallas has a weekly commute to Atlanta. If they purchase tickets that include a weekend stay, the fares are usually half (or less) the standard fare.

What *used to* happen - is that someone would book ticket A for DFW-ATL departing Dallas on Monday and returning 11 days later, on a Friday. Then they would book a second ticket (ticket B) ATL-DFW departing Atlanta on Friday and returning on the next Monday. Both tickets span a weekend, hence, qualify for discount fares - BUT - they violate the intent of the airline fare-setting policy.

To crack down on this, the airlines instituted policies (and software programs) that look for this condition and seek to prevent it. But those programs involve much more than simply looking at a return not taken.

Further, I am pretty familiar with airline policies and have never seen such a policy that suggests an airline will penalize (aka 'bill') someone for an unused return leg.

I think you may be mistaken about this one.

- Dan

[John K]

... in response to John, Have You Ever Been Billed . . ., posted by Dan on Jun 13, 2004

When I was looking at bringing Marina over back in 2000 for the first time, I did some price checking with the major airlines.  I was quoted the higher price for one way tickets.  When I asked what would happen if I only used half of the one way fare, I was told by the airline that I would eventually be billed for the higher one way fare, if I didn't use the ticket.

Probably things have changed, but that was my own experience with it.  I ended up booking my wife's one way ticket through LOT, because it was cheaper than a round trip, and I didn't have to worry about some unexpected airline bill showing up on my credit card...

[KenC]

... in response to It was several years ago., posted by John K on Jun 13, 2004

[This message has been edited by KenC]

John,
What do you expect when you ask an airline if you can circumvent their fare structure?  This is just as I thought, you were never actually billed for not using a return ticket.  I don't see how anyone could ever be billed either.  Your plans could always change after the first leg of the trip.  Your post: "Most major US airlines will bill cheaper on a roundtrip ticket, but if you don't take the return trip or show that you rescheduled the return flight, they will often later bill you the difference between a roundtrip and a one way fare" IS VERY MISLEADING AND FLAT OUT WRONG.  Try to be more careful in posting mis-information.
KenC

[John K]

... in response to what do you expect?, posted by KenC on Jun 14, 2004

I bow to your omnipotence and infallibility.  ;-)

[Dan]

... in response to Mea Culpa, posted by John K on Jun 14, 2004

Recently, when my family and I were returning from Ukraine, we had reason to make significant changes in the return leg of our R/T tickets. Original tickets (round trip) were on Swiss - but we ended up not taking the return leg (and not being billed for anything).

When I checked with LOT about a flight back home (and Swiss and Lufthansa and others), I was fully expecting the tickets from Ukraine (actually, from Poland, as it turned out) to USA to be roughly equal in price whether I booked (last minute tickets) R/T or 1-way. I was shocked to learn that Lufthansa was running a special 1-way fare from Warsaw to our home and it was just a smidgen over half the R/T fare. Needless to say, since we only needed 1-way tickets - that was the option we chose. Oh BTW - it was a LOT ticket agent that discovered the special Lufthansa fare.

My point is - there are strange games played all the time by the airlines insofar as fares are concerned. What is true and works this week, could be totally null and void next. The best bet is to either (a) connect up with a REALLY knowledegeable travel agent whom you can trust to help you with Eastern European travel, or (b) become familiar with the basic rules and most of the significant variations so as to be in the best position to recognize and sieze a good deal when it comes along.

Just my $.02 worth.

- Dan

[KenC]

... in response to They would have billed you later., posted by John K on Jun 11, 2004

In all my years of travel, I have never heard or experienced a billing for not taking the return leg of a round trip ticket.  Sure the airlines tried to discourage you from taking advantahe of doing this, but has anyone actually ever been billed after the fact?  I doubt it.  I used to routinely book back to back round trip tickets and not use half of them and never heard a peep from the airlines.  My wife, Lena's original trip here from Russia was a "round tripper" and she never used the return ticket.  I can't imagine how the airlines could ever prevent it either.

There is also another thing to consider: You may want to buy your finacee a round trip ticket so that she does not appear to be trapped into staying.  Not that you would want to encourage her to return, but the fact that she could if necessary, tends to be comforting.
KenC

[MarkInTx]

... in response to I have never heard of this, posted by KenC on Jun 13, 2004

Viktoriya came here on a round trip, too, and never used the return portion.

I've logged close to two million miles now, and have never heard of anyone getting billed for an unused return ticket, either.

I *have* had problems with not using a leg of it, though. Maybe that's what he is thinking...

It used to be that American had a special fare to San Jose that if you went THROUGH Austin from Dallas, it was cheaper than flying directly.

I used it, and of course, coming home, I would simply get off in Dallas, and never make the change of planes. (Had to be careful, though. Obviously you couldn't check luggage...)

If the airline knew I was doing it, they would tell me I couldn't... but how could they stop you?

One thing, though is that I have heard they cracked down on the back-to-back games we used to play.

Again, American ran special fares between DFW and San Jose on the weekends. I used to commute to SJ every week. So, I would simply buy one ticket for the first and fourth saturday, and then get a weekender in the middle, and use the tickets so I flew back and forth every week (if that makes sense...)

The airline caught on to that, though. Since all trips were booked, they would run a checker on it, and if it flagged you, they would call you to tell you that you couldn't do it.

Even there, though, being a Platinum member usually got me by with a "stern warning."

Point is... airlines TRY to stop you from beating their system... but in the end there really isn't much they can do to stop you if you really know what to do...

FWIW

[Jack]

... in response to I have never heard of this, posted by KenC on Jun 13, 2004

......You may want to buy your finacee a round trip ticket so that she does not appear to be trapped into staying. Not that you would want to encourage her to return, but the fact that she could if necessary, tends to be comforting......

I couldn't agree more.  We all want the best to happen during this 90 day fiancee visa. We hope the relationship is as wonderful in the US as it was in her country. We hope the return leg of the round trip ticket is never used. And as Ken mentioned, if she knows she has a return trip back home, is does tend to be more comfortin to her.

In reality a fair percentage of relationships during the first 90 days do not work out and many ladies do return home. I just think it's best for us guys to buy the lady a round trip ticket, just as I think it's best guys not marry their newly arrived fiancee in the first five or six days, or first one or two weeks of her arrival.

[Frank O]

... in response to good advice, posted by Jack on Jun 13, 2004

.

[Frank O]

... in response to They would have billed you later., posted by John K on Jun 11, 2004

If you go buy it CA$H how can they bill you?