Round trip ticketing freedom to move dates and shortcut segments.

[jhammer]

I want to fly SFO -> CAN ( I/V, get visa ), then fly CAN -> PEK -> HLH ( hang with the 'rents ), then fly HLH -> PEK-> SFO. I'll line that up here.

 

A. SFO -> CAN

 

B. CAN -> ( PEK ) -> HLH

 

C. HLH -> ( PEK ...) -> SFO

 

( HLH is in Inner Mongolia; I think you know the others ).

 

There are some great deals for round trips during the time I want to fly, but I see 2 challenges to my accomplishing the lowest fares.

 

1. I won't know the day I will need to embark to B + C until the last minute. ( Once B is known, so will C. ).

 

2. Airlines and governments and so forth seem to be obsessed with symmetrical round trip bookings. I'm not seeing a practical round trip here. My pocket book wants to buy a round trip:

 

SFO -> ( PEK ) -> CAN ;

 

return: CAN -> ( PEK ) -> SFO

 

for $1000 USD.

 

 

The rest is not too hard to work out since it's domestic.

 

1. Is it much of a problem/ financial burden changing travel dates for return flights ?

 

2. The problem is I am not willing to travel back to CAN to make the return flight, only pick it up from PEK, ( the flight will stop over./change at PEK ). Logic would dictate the airlines would be happy to sell my seat to someone else for that unused portion ( CAN -> PEK ) and welcome me at PEK. A textbook win-win. In the US this is not allowed for international destinations. I wonder what about from China to here - can I do it ?

 

1 is more important to me, but I also see some possible faux round trips for challenge 2 I could make, but I worry about dealing with different airlines and making connections that are not part of an actual end to end flight, but I could see a SFO-PEK, PEK->SFO booking, then do a domestic round trip PEK-> CAN, CAN-PEK .. go on to the hinterland, and back to PEK for SFO. That is still a compromise over the earlier idea, but perhaps less costly than doing one-ways across the pond.

 

 

Thanks for any help.

[mredmond]

I want to fly SFO -> CAN ( I/V, get visa ), then fly CAN -> PEK -> HLH ( hang with the 'rents ), then fly HLH -> PEK-> SFO. I'll line that up here.

 

A. SFO -> CAN

 

B. CAN -> ( PEK ) -> HLH

 

C. HLH -> ( PEK ...) -> SFO

 

( HLH is in Inner Mongolia; I think you know the others ).

 

There are some great deals for round trips during the time I want to fly, but I see 2 challenges to my accomplishing the lowest fares.

 

1. I won't know the day I will need to embark to B + C until the last minute. ( Once B is known, so will C. ).

 

2. Airlines and governments and so forth seem to be obsessed with symmetrical round trip bookings. I'm not seeing a practical round trip here. My pocket book wants to buy a round trip:

 

SFO -> ( PEK ) -> CAN ;

 

return: CAN -> ( PEK ) -> SFO

 

for $1000 USD.

 

 

The rest is not too hard to work out since it's domestic.

 

1. Is it much of a problem/ financial burden changing travel dates for return flights ?

 

2. The problem is I am not willing to travel back to CAN to make the return flight, only pick it up from PEK, ( the flight will stop over./change at PEK ). Logic would dictate the airlines would be happy to sell my seat to someone else for that unused portion ( CAN -> PEK ) and welcome me at PEK. A textbook win-win. In the US this is not allowed for international destinations. I wonder what about from China to here - can I do it ?

 

1 is more important to me, but I also see some possible faux round trips for challenge 2 I could make, but I worry about dealing with different airlines and making connections that are not part of an actual end to end flight, but I could see a SFO-PEK, PEK->SFO booking, then do a domestic round trip PEK-> CAN, CAN-PEK .. go on to the hinterland, and back to PEK for SFO. That is still a compromise over the earlier idea, but perhaps less costly than doing one-ways across the pond.

 

 

Thanks for any help.

JJammer, Give me an email and I will look up tickets, hotels, cars, and whatever you need for your trip if you want still. I am a travel agent business owner specializing in asia travel.