Purchasing airline ticket

[MarRo 2]

Our Visa was approved today! When booking the ticket to travel from Europe to the United States a round trip ticket is significantly less expensive than a one way ticket. Is it okay to book a round-trip ticket "just in case" for the unlikely event he would have to use it the return portion? I know throwaway ticketing can result in a fee if you have done this in the past but we have not. I would love input on the subject.

[Coco8 1,042]

From an immigration perspective, nobody will care.

 

You can try to get an open ticket. That way you can use the return to visit family whenever you want. 

[WandY 430]

Where are you buying your tickets? I checked Kayak and London to LAX was $506 one-way and $783 round-trip. I tried several scenarios and never found a round-trip cheaper than one flight. I'm interested to know how you are finding round-trip airfares cheaper than one-way. To answer your question, it doesn't matter. Buy the cheapest and/or easiest.

[janet3 1,170]

I travel quite a bit (and have changed travel plans quite a lot)....so you can book the round trip ticket and after you are here credit the remainder of the ticket to a different trip within the US (and if you find a sympathetic booking agent/supervisor.....they can change the  $175 to  $300 fee). The standard is that you must travel within the year  (if you change the ticket)

[geowrian 22,337]

The return ticket is fine. Be sure to cancel (or change if possible) it after arrival in the US so they don't mistakenly think you left the US and abandoned AOS. It's quite uncommon, but it wouldn't be the first time I've seen somebody saying it happened to them here.

[Crazy Cat 41,886]

29 minutes ago, MarRo said:

Our Visa was approved today! When booking the ticket to travel from Europe to the United States a round trip ticket is significantly less expensive than a one way ticket. Is it okay to book a round-trip ticket "just in case" for the unlikely event he would have to use it the return portion? I know throwaway ticketing can result in a fee if you have done this in the past but we have not. I would love input on the subject.

Congratulations!!!!  Buying a round trip ticket is fine.  

[MarRo 2]

3 hours ago, WandY said:

Where are you buying your tickets? I checked Kayak and London to LAX was $506 one-way and $783 round-trip. I tried several scenarios and never found a round-trip cheaper than one flight. I'm interested to know how you are finding round-trip airfares cheaper than one-way. To answer your question, it doesn't matter. Buy the cheapest and/or easiest.

Interesting, I could still cancel if I find something soon. We need Manchester to Michigan.

[Randyandyuni 2,682]

I too have never found a one-way ticket that is more expensive than a round-trip

[mallafri76 1,012]

In America, one-way tickets are usually cheaper. Abroad, most return-tickets tend to be the cheaper option. 

 

OP, congratulations on the approval. Traveling on a return ticket is fine.

Edited June 15, 2017 by mallafri76

[Ashley Scott 180]

20 hours ago, MarRo said:

Our Visa was approved today! When booking the ticket to travel from Europe to the United States a round trip ticket is significantly less expensive than a one way ticket. Is it okay to book a round-trip ticket "just in case" for the unlikely event he would have to use it the return portion? I know throwaway ticketing can result in a fee if you have done this in the past but we have not. I would love input on the subject.

My fiancé is flying a roundtrip ticket from London to JFK and then a completely separate one way domestic flight to me.  This was the cheapest option with what we were looking for.  It was definitely cheaper for the roundtrip to JFK than a one way and cheaper to separate the flights rather than do a connecting flight to the end airport.  Ultimately, whatever route you guys find to make it the best scenario for you will be fine.  Just make sure to cancel or change the return as everyone has stated. Congrats to you guys!

[Estibaliz 3,037]

I thought round trip tickets being cheaper than one way ones was a common thing. For mine right now, we are talking about a difference of 1000€... Crazy.

 

I've been told the airline might charge you with a cancellation fee though, so that's my concern now. But I think it would never be as much as I would be saving.

 

This thread has somehow easied my mind on the topic

[Absolutely 34]

18 hours ago, MarRo said:

Interesting, I could still cancel if I find something soon. We need Manchester to Michigan.

 

Hey, I flew Manchester to Omaha in January and booked a return trip via Expedia. A return trip was half the price of a single ticket so makes sense to buy the return ticket.

 

Make sure you cancel the return leg though - as one of the people above me has said, if you're scheduled to be on the flight and 'miss it', chances are you'll be fine but if they forget to take you off the list, it may appear you have left the country, thus messing up AOS. I also got about £100 back from Expedia as a refund for cancelling. I flew Virgin Atlantic as an fyi.

[Umka36 781]

My wife was also on a K1, and I also purchased a round trip ticket with a return flight prior to the 90 day of entering the US. The return date was selected that way in case our relationship did not work out, and to avoid an overstay. It worked out for us, and I just canceled the return flight.

[millefleur 5,046]

**Moved from IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports to Moving to the US and Your New Life In America**

[SChamb 187]

57 minutes ago, Estibaliz said:

I thought round trip tickets being cheaper than one way ones was a common thing. For mine right now, we are talking about a difference of 1000€... Crazy.

 

I've been told the airline might charge you with a cancellation fee though, so that's my concern now. But I think it would never be as much as I would be saving.

 

This thread has somehow easied my mind on the topic

I agree ive been pricing tickets for months and atleast PI to Cincinnati round trips are much cheaper!