I need to book a round-trip ticket and a one-way ticket on the same flight?

Question

I'm trying to book a flight for two people including myself. My partner is flying from Manchester to Boston on the 6 November, and I'm flying back with him to Manchester on the 15 November (this date is flexible, but not any later than 16 November, because of work). Is there a way to do this so that we can be on the same flight back?

I found a round-trip flight for him that's $710. However, a one-way flight for me on this flight is around $1345. I found this price by going to the airline's website and checking those flights.

Is there some option that I'm not considering in this situation?

Answer 1

What you need to do is book a MAN-BOS return ticket for your partner and a BOS-MAN return ticket for yourself. The price should be similar. Yes you won't fly the MAN-BOS part but oh well. Unlike hidden city ticketing which someone else suggested and is doable only without checked in luggage, there's not much problems with this.

I see the flight you mention by just searching on Kayak and if I search on Kayak for BOS-MAN return with flight out Nov 15 and return Nov 25 it's the same flight out as you wanted and it costs $738. Search Wednesdays for the return date with +-3 days (since you don't care when it is), perhaps you can squeeze it a few more dollars downwards but it's close enough I think.

Here is your partner's and here is your flight.

Answer 2

There is no way to guarantee absolute success, but many people find an alternative using the "skipped lag" strategy.

This means you can try to book a flight to some random destination VIA Manchester. When the flight arrives in Manchester, you get off and forfeit the remainder of your journey whilst simultaneously enjoying a cheaper fare.

These bargains are difficult to find on the net, but you can try a site offering such a service. This site may not be around for long however, please read a pending lawsuit.

Answer 3

You may actually have to consult a travel agent for this. They have access to stuff "behind the scenes" that non-travel agents do not.

While I've not been in this particular situation before, I've had other situations where I could see the flights, see the schedules, see the fares, but could not actually book it myself because they were all part of round-trip tickets or other packages. But then I would consult with my local travel agent and she would usually be able to arrange things for me. Or at least explain why it wasn't available (a special rate on a specific route or something).

Probably not the answer you want, sorry...