If someone buys a one-way ticket, does that mean they are moving?

Question

Are one-way plane tickets only for people who are moving to that location or are they bought by vacationers as well? I never really got the point of buying a one-way ticket unless you are moving to that location. Thanks for your answers!

Answer 1

Often it is due to not having a set return date, and as it is often expensive to or impossible to change cheaper non-refundable roundtrip tickets, it's cheaper to buy two one-way tickets. Airlines used to charge huge premiums to sell one-way tickets, but those days are thankfully behind us. international travel is more complex, often requiring a round trip to show your intention to leave and return home.

Answer 2

While there are any number of reasons this happens, which includes people are moving, 2 major ones come to mind. 1) college students who go out of state and don’t have a definite day they want to come back. 2) snow birds. These are the people who live in cold weather areas (like ny, Canada) who travel to place like Florida and Hawaii during the winter months. Sometimes the airlines can only acomendate a certain amount of months for a round trip. If you plan on staying in a place for (using just as an example) 5 months they won’t have fares at the 5 month mark, you will need to buy the one way ticket now and get the return trip later.

Answer 3

Back in the day a one way ticket was really expensive. Not anymore, In fact, it can frequently be cheaper.



So reasons include:

to save money (2 one way tickets)

they don't know their full plans yet

they are going to more than one place like an excursion or two (not just there and back)

Answer 4

It might. But there are dozens of other reasons why they might buy a one-way ticket.

Answer 5

There could be number of reasons: this could be a multi-city trip where a passenger visits several different destinations in one trip and returns home from the last city visited. This could be an "open jaw" trip where a passenger goes to one city, reaches another city by other means, and then returns home from he second city.

This could be a member of ship's crew flying to join the ship in port or a truck driver flying to relieve another driver or returning home.



A few years ago my family and I flew on Delta from New York to Atlanta where we visited some relatives. Then we drove from Atlanta to Memphis for my friend's birthday. After that we flew from Memphis to Tampa on Southwest, stayed at the property I owned in Florida for a few weeks and flew from Fort Myers back to New York on jetBlue. One trip - three one way flights.

Answer 6

No.

It could mean a lot of things

They could be flying on a different airline on the return or even the same airline but they bought the tickets seperate for whatever reason. I actually do this all the time. Buying a roundtrip isn't always less expensive. I also travel last minute a lot so waiting a day or two to buy the return might save me some money.

They might not have a return date yet

They may be taking the bus, train or some other form of transportation back.



I guess the main question is how would you even know if someone had a one way unless they told you or you're snooping around?

Answer 7

at least for long term

Answer 8

I have gotten one way tickets for various reasons. When I was not sure just when I would return. When I was meeting up with somebody. When I was picking up a car. When I wanted the experience of a difference from of transportation on the way back.

Answer 9

No it may mean they are not sure of a return date.

Answer 10

Umm...



















YEAH!!!

Answer 11

Not necessarily. The person may not know when they are returning or they're returning via another mode of transportation.

Answer 12

-You may want to fly one way and take a different way of transportation for the way back like driving, boat, train, etc.

-You want to fly ie Miami to L.A. but round tickets are a bit expensive, in Delta there’s a special of $120 from Miami to LA and American Airlines have a special of $200 from LA to Miami.

-You want to go to Las Vegas for 3 days but buy one way ticket just in case you decide to stay longer.

-A family member is sick and you want to take care of him/her and don’t know for how long you may need to stay...

Etc etc etc

Answer 13

I just got back from buying 2 one-way tickets. I flew to Freeport, Bahamas, spent a week there, then flew to Nassau, Bahamas, spent a week there, then flew home.



there's an example of actually 3 one-way tickets.

Answer 14

Some people fly to a location and then drive back or take another method of transportation back. Some cruises don't start and end at the same place, so people will buy a one-way ticket to the departure location and another one-way ticket home from the destination location. Sometimes it's cheaper to buy two one-way tickets. Sometimes you don't know when you're returning, or you want flexibility with your return date, so you just buy a one-way ticket. There are a lot of reasons people buy one-way tickets - I'd say moving is one of the least common reasons.

Answer 15

No it does not mean they are moving.

You could live, say in Los Angles Calif and buy a one-way air ticket to Detroit for the purpose of picking up a new car to drive back to LA.

Or you could by a one-way ticket from LA to Australia with the intentions of Sailing Back.

Or you could by a one way ticket from LA to Chicago with the intentions of taking the TRAIN back. That would mean two one way tickets.

There are many reason why people by one way tickets other than moving.

Answer 16

One buys a one-way ticket when they will use another means (car, train, bus, share a ride) to get home; or they do not know when they are going home and it will be just as cost effective to wait to buy the return ticket. Most people who are moving DRIVE, as in their cars, or a moving truck containing their stuff.

Answer 17

You may be taking a multi leg trip, consisting of several one way trips. A city, like Chicago that has two commercial airports. It may work better to fly out from one, and return to the other one.



One time, a friend of mine bought a boat, and wanted to sail it from Cleveland to St. Augustine I flew from the city I was in up to Cleveland, we sailed on lake eerie for a few days, then drove I his truck to St. Augustine. I hung out with some friends in Florida until he made his way down the coast. Once he arrived, we took his boat down to Miami, he rented a car and a couple days later he drove me to the Ft. Lauderdale airport and I took a flight back to my home town.

The two flights I took weren't even on the same airline.

Answer 18

Some vacationers or business travelers buy one way because they are not sure how long they are going stay

I've done it a few times myself

Answer 19

Either that, or they don't know when they want to return.