One way fares rant

[derekvader]

Later this week I need to visit both Stockholm and Helsinki. Doesn't really matter which one I go to first. But I want to do both on the same trip since they're both pretty close.

Both places are served quite well by all four of SAS (Scandinavian), Finnair, Estonian Air, and BA (also Ryanair/Easyjet but their prices are steep this week too and they fly to sucky airports). But none of these carriers will give a sensible price for a round trip including both Helsinki and Stockholm, or a sensible price for flying in to Helsinki and out of Stockholm or vice versa (making my own way between Stockholm and Helsinki which I am happy to do), they all quote fares between £650 and £3500 for this, because it's too complicated for their booking systems I guess.

If I try to quote a one-way trip with Finnair to Helsinki I can only get quoted £600+ fares despite them offering a return from London to Helsinki for £300ish. huh? One way costs £300 more than a return using the same plane?

Worse though, Scandinavian does give sensible prices on one way fares. So if I quote London - Helsinki with Scandinavian, they offer me a fare of £96 inc tax, with a short change in Stockholm. OK fine, but since I don't care which I go to first, why don't I do the Stockholm first then I think, so I get London-Stockholm quoted. The lowest fare available - using the SAME PLANE on the London-Stockholm leg that the London-Helsinki one way was to use, is £320!
Yes, £96 total if I get off the first plane in Stockholm and fly on to Helsinki; £320 if I get off the same plane in Stockholm and stay there instead of flying on to Helsinki. What's that about?

If I want a one-way to Stockholm with Scandinavian for a sensible price, I have to go via Copenhagen, and then it is back to £90. But once again, if I look at Scandinavian tickets just to Copenhagen, again using the same planes/date/time, it's £300+!!!!

So why will Finnair not give sensible prices on one-way tickets at all, and what's with the totally wacky SAS pricing that essentially forces one to take two leg journeys or pay £220 penalty for going direct?

Does anybody know what will happen if I buy the £90 two-leg journey London-Stockholm-Helsinki (one way) but only use the London-Stockholm part of it? Are SAS likely to try to charge me the £220 extra if I only take the first leg and don't show for the Stockholm-Helsinki hop?

[Dushan]

Have you tried talking to a travel agent? Using the useless web sites for booking or finding fares is perfect justification for going postal, IMO.

[Avman]

In the case of restricted tickets, you will be OK if you use the coupon on your first sector and not show up for the next sector. It will not work if you fail to show for the first sector and try to use coupons on any subsequent sectors. Any coupons you use must be in the correct sequence.

[AlphaWhiskyRomeo]

In my experience, booking "dummy" returns is a very regular and necessary way of keeping short notice ticket prices low when you only want to fly one way.

[mmeteesside]

I come out with £419 with BA for LHR-MAN-ARN then HEL-LHR (mostly with Finnair, actually)

mmeteesside

[Globaliser]

Originally Posted by derekvader

What's that about?

It's about supply and demand, and it's about screwing as much money out of you as you're prepared to pay for the journey that you need to do. In today's world of deregulated air fares, that's the name of the game. All those cheap tickets that the deregulated market has produced for those who can book a long time ahead and have flexibility? They come with a price tag, paid for by those who can't. Unfortunately, you're at the wrong end of this.

Lots of creativity can mitigate the effects, though.