Round-trip vs one-way flights: Which airfare strategy saves you more money?
TOI World Desk | TIMESOFINDIA.COM | Jul 10, 2025, 00:02 IST
( Image credit : TOIGLOBAL )
Air ticket prices often confuse travellers. Round-trip tickets are usually cheaper, especially on big airlines. One-way tickets can be costly due to demand. Budget airlines sometimes have consistent prices. Flexibility is key to finding deals. Check different sites and be open to changing dates. If a price looks good, book it.
In the ever-confusing world of airline ticket pricing, one question continues to frustrate travelers: is it cheaper to book a round-trip flight or two separate one-way tickets? The short answer? It depends—but round-trip options still often edge out in savings.
Airfare pricing is notoriously unpredictable. The practice of “dynamic pricing”—where ticket costs fluctuate based on demand, timing, route competition and dozens of other invisible variables—makes finding the best deal feel like a gamble. And the airline industry prefers it that way, according to experts who study pricing models.
“The airline industry is really the pioneer of some of the most ruthless and deceptive pricing practices,” said Lindsay Owens, executive director of the Groundwork Collaborative, an economic policy think tank in Washington. “It’s not surprising that people feel really powerless and frustrated when they’re purchasing airline tickets.”
Owens is currently working on a book titled Gouged: The End of a Fair Price in America, which dives into how the airline industry shaped modern-day pricing strategies. Her research confirms what many travelers already suspect: the system is confusing by design.
The round-trip versus one-way debate
When it comes to saving money, the question of round-trip versus one-way fares continues to come up. While there’s no universal rule, round-trip tickets tend to be cheaper overall, especially on legacy airlines like American, Delta and United.
“In general, you’re going to save money on round-trips compared to two one-ways across the board,” Owens said.
A quick example: A traveler booking a flight from Washington to San Juan for August 20, returning on August 27, would pay about $20 less when booking the itinerary as a round-trip on JetBlue. While not a huge difference, this type of pricing logic plays out frequently—and sometimes with bigger savings.
Why the discrepancy? Airlines assume that passengers booking one-way tickets are either traveling for business or dealing with last-minute or emergency situations—scenarios where price sensitivity is lower. That allows airlines to push the price higher on one-ways, especially on international routes.
According to Owens, international one-way tickets often carry the steepest markups. “Someone who’s booking a one-way flight internationally is a little different than someone who is booking a two-way flight,” she explained. “The sense is they’re less price sensitive.”
However, some airlines take a more balanced approach. Budget carriers like Southwest, Breeze, and JetBlue more frequently offer pricing that’s consistent regardless of whether the itinerary is one-way or round-trip. These carriers price flights segment by segment, giving travelers more flexibility—but not necessarily lower costs.
How airlines decide what you’ll pay
Trying to decode airline pricing is a losing battle for most consumers. Prices can shift dozens of times in a single day. And despite the endless flight alerts, booking calendars, and deal-tracking websites, there’s rarely a perfect formula.
“It’s opaque because there’s really no pure logic behind it other than whatever competition is occurring today,” said William J. McGee, a senior fellow for aviation and travel at the American Economic Liberties Project. “They price based on what they can get away with.”
Before airline deregulation in 1978, fares were more predictable, determined largely by the cost of operating a route. After deregulation, however, airlines were free to set their own prices—and they began using demand-based, ever-changing pricing models that often confuse and frustrate modern travelers.
Some older pricing rules, such as the “Saturday night stay” discount, are becoming less consistent due to shifts in work culture. “The lines have blurred more,” McGee said. “Americans are working harder these days. Remote work has changed travel patterns. The Saturday night stay may not matter as much anymore.”
Instead, pricing is now influenced by variables like time of day, booking window, how full the flight is, and what competitors are charging at any given moment.
And if you think all available seats mean the prices will stay low, think again. Airlines often withhold portions of seat inventory or release them in phases, keeping prices artificially high or unpredictable.
Smart strategies for booking your next trip
So what should travelers do? According to both McGee and Owens, the key is flexibility.
“The golden rule is be flexible,” McGee said. “If you tweak the day that you’re going, the airport that you’re flying into, or the time of day, you could see a big difference in fares.”
Owens agrees. “The best way to ensure better pricing is to be flexible about all aspects of your travel,” she said. “Flexible departure day, flexible return day. And comparison shopping is essential.”
In practice, that means using multiple booking sites, checking fares across airlines, and avoiding rigid travel windows when possible. Setting up price alerts and looking at alternative airports nearby can also help uncover hidden deals.
The bottom line
While round-trip tickets generally still offer the best value—especially on major airlines—there are exceptions, particularly with budget carriers and domestic travel. And as pricing continues to evolve, staying informed, flexible, and open to adjusting your plans remains the smartest way to navigate the complex world of airfare.
If it feels like a good deal and fits your travel needs, experts say, don’t overthink it—just book it. Because when it comes to airfare, the only real certainty is that prices can and will change.
Airfare pricing is notoriously unpredictable. The practice of “dynamic pricing”—where ticket costs fluctuate based on demand, timing, route competition and dozens of other invisible variables—makes finding the best deal feel like a gamble. And the airline industry prefers it that way, according to experts who study pricing models.
“The airline industry is really the pioneer of some of the most ruthless and deceptive pricing practices,” said Lindsay Owens, executive director of the Groundwork Collaborative, an economic policy think tank in Washington. “It’s not surprising that people feel really powerless and frustrated when they’re purchasing airline tickets.”
Owens is currently working on a book titled Gouged: The End of a Fair Price in America, which dives into how the airline industry shaped modern-day pricing strategies. Her research confirms what many travelers already suspect: the system is confusing by design.
The round-trip versus one-way debate
When it comes to saving money, the question of round-trip versus one-way fares continues to come up. While there’s no universal rule, round-trip tickets tend to be cheaper overall, especially on legacy airlines like American, Delta and United.
“In general, you’re going to save money on round-trips compared to two one-ways across the board,” Owens said.
A quick example: A traveler booking a flight from Washington to San Juan for August 20, returning on August 27, would pay about $20 less when booking the itinerary as a round-trip on JetBlue. While not a huge difference, this type of pricing logic plays out frequently—and sometimes with bigger savings.
Why the discrepancy? Airlines assume that passengers booking one-way tickets are either traveling for business or dealing with last-minute or emergency situations—scenarios where price sensitivity is lower. That allows airlines to push the price higher on one-ways, especially on international routes.
According to Owens, international one-way tickets often carry the steepest markups. “Someone who’s booking a one-way flight internationally is a little different than someone who is booking a two-way flight,” she explained. “The sense is they’re less price sensitive.”
However, some airlines take a more balanced approach. Budget carriers like Southwest, Breeze, and JetBlue more frequently offer pricing that’s consistent regardless of whether the itinerary is one-way or round-trip. These carriers price flights segment by segment, giving travelers more flexibility—but not necessarily lower costs.
How airlines decide what you’ll pay
Trying to decode airline pricing is a losing battle for most consumers. Prices can shift dozens of times in a single day. And despite the endless flight alerts, booking calendars, and deal-tracking websites, there’s rarely a perfect formula.
“It’s opaque because there’s really no pure logic behind it other than whatever competition is occurring today,” said William J. McGee, a senior fellow for aviation and travel at the American Economic Liberties Project. “They price based on what they can get away with.”
Before airline deregulation in 1978, fares were more predictable, determined largely by the cost of operating a route. After deregulation, however, airlines were free to set their own prices—and they began using demand-based, ever-changing pricing models that often confuse and frustrate modern travelers.
Some older pricing rules, such as the “Saturday night stay” discount, are becoming less consistent due to shifts in work culture. “The lines have blurred more,” McGee said. “Americans are working harder these days. Remote work has changed travel patterns. The Saturday night stay may not matter as much anymore.”
Instead, pricing is now influenced by variables like time of day, booking window, how full the flight is, and what competitors are charging at any given moment.
And if you think all available seats mean the prices will stay low, think again. Airlines often withhold portions of seat inventory or release them in phases, keeping prices artificially high or unpredictable.
Smart strategies for booking your next trip
So what should travelers do? According to both McGee and Owens, the key is flexibility.
“The golden rule is be flexible,” McGee said. “If you tweak the day that you’re going, the airport that you’re flying into, or the time of day, you could see a big difference in fares.”
Owens agrees. “The best way to ensure better pricing is to be flexible about all aspects of your travel,” she said. “Flexible departure day, flexible return day. And comparison shopping is essential.”
In practice, that means using multiple booking sites, checking fares across airlines, and avoiding rigid travel windows when possible. Setting up price alerts and looking at alternative airports nearby can also help uncover hidden deals.
The bottom line
While round-trip tickets generally still offer the best value—especially on major airlines—there are exceptions, particularly with budget carriers and domestic travel. And as pricing continues to evolve, staying informed, flexible, and open to adjusting your plans remains the smartest way to navigate the complex world of airfare.
If it feels like a good deal and fits your travel needs, experts say, don’t overthink it—just book it. Because when it comes to airfare, the only real certainty is that prices can and will change.