44 Flight Booking Myths That Are Actually Wasting You Money

Myth 16: One-Way Flights Are Always More Expensive Than Round-Trip Tickets

For years, it was an accepted fact that round-trip tickets were significantly cheaper than two one-way flights, but this rule has evolved. While legacy carriers like Delta, American, and United still tend to price round-trip tickets lower on international routes, many domestic and budget airlines now price one-way flights more competitively. This means that booking two one-way flights on different airlines can sometimes save you money over a traditional round-trip ticket. For example, you might find a cheap outbound ticket on Southwest Airlines but a better-priced return flight on JetBlue. Many savvy travelers have learned to mix and match carriers to optimize savings. Additionally, low-cost carriers (LCCs) like Spirit, Frontier, and Ryanair have made one-way pricing much more affordable than in the past. This flexibility is especially useful if you’re uncertain about return dates or planning a multi-city itinerary, where a round-trip ticket wouldn’t make sense.