Solo surcharge
The big three airlines—American, Delta, and United—have been making headlines lately, and not for the best reasons. In late May, news broke that legacy carriers are charging more when you book single tickets than when you book two or more tickets at a time, particularly on domestic one-way flights.
Typically, when you search for two tickets, they are double the price of a single ticket. But on some routes, that wasn’t the case. Instead, airlines were charging travelers almost 70% more for a single ticket. (Note: This didn’t apply to every one-way ticket.)
It’s likely that airlines were trying to target business travelers—they tend to be less price sensitive than leisure travelers, as their company is footing the bill. Some people argue it was really just a benefit for families, like a bulk discount. The ones who are most negatively impacted, though, are the solo travelers just trying to eat, pray, love their way around the US.
The good news is that United and Delta have rolled back this practice (as far as we can tell), and there is no distinct pattern to what routes the surcharge applies and when it occurs.
Going’s tip: If you’re flying one-way domestically on a big-three carrier, American in particular, compare your single ticket search to a two-ticket search to ensure you don’t overpay. If rates are significantly pricier, consider a different airline or, if possible, a different route or roundtrip rather than a one-way.
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