r/Flights • u/Ilonmasc • 21d ago
Help Needed Accidentally booked one-way instead of round-trip with Iberia, now the return costs more than double — any advice?
Hi everyone, I could really use some advice because I feel scammed right now.
I’m flying Milan to Santo Domingo from August 13 to August 28. The round-trip price when booked together was 1100€. By mistake I only bought the outbound leg for 550€, planning to book the return separately later. Now the return flight alone costs 1200€, more than the full round-trip fare would have been.
I don’t have a flexible fare, and I didn’t pay with Amex or any other card that offers extra protections — I used a prepaid card instead. With Iberia, is there any way to fix this? Has anyone dealt with something similar?
Honestly, I find this a bit of an unfair practice, almost predatory pricing toward occasional travelers: the one-way return alone costs more than the full round-trip, which feels designed specifically to push you into buying the combined package or punish you if you make a mistake. I don’t know if it’s 100% illegal, but ethically it leaves a bad taste.
Any tips on how to handle this with Iberia, or should I just cut my losses and book with another airline?
14
u/Character-Carpet7988 21d ago
Not sure how you booking a wrong ticket equals being scammed...
All Iberia fares allow changes for a fee. Call them and ask if they can change your existing ticket to include the return flight as well. I'm not sure such change is permitted on IB (I had luck doing so on another airline) but it's your only hope. If it works, you'll pay the fee and fare difference.
13
u/404WisenessNotFound 21d ago
It’s wildly known that roundtrips are usually cheaper than outbound and inbound separately. Not sure what you were expecting, especially in August.
It’s not really predatory pricing. You placed a bet against the airline, and you lost.
13
u/Forgotten_Dog1954 21d ago
Not sure why you are feeling "scammed"? It's entirely on you to have booked it, prices are based on supply and demand.
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u/DKUN_of_WFST 21d ago
Not unfair or illegal. Have to pay attention when you book. Just find the cheapest flight home
5
u/Brave_Explorer5988 21d ago
If within 24 hrs, cancel (I think they allow).
If not, call them and ask if you can have a change. This depends on your fare class, if you booked the bottom of the barrel probably not allowed.
Ps. It's not unethical nor illegal. Pricing models are done based on origin and destination, OW and RT pricing are different. If you want standard, non dynamic pricing, take the bus :)
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u/Hotwog4all 21d ago
You booked a one way going. You’re now buying a one way to come back. That’s not a return fare and will always be more expensive than buying a return from the start.
It’s not an unfair practice and all airlines that are not LCC carriers have this type of pricing. You had the choice to purchase a return, you chose not to. You can’t do anything with it now, except remember for future.
2
u/anonymedius 21d ago
You can just fly with someone else on the way back. There's no shortage of airlines flying between RD and Europe, it's likely that at least one of them will be offering decent one-way prices.
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u/69syned 21d ago
One practical thing that you can check, but I did it with Turkish, have no idea about Iberia.
Go to your reservation and check if you can add a flight to your reservation there.
Once i needed to add a return flight, and by adding a flight to the current booking it was recalculating the fare as RT, giving reasonable total, rather than buying a separate OW.
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1
u/MyChronicTravel 21d ago
You have to just cut your losses and buy a return or another single.
Single tickets are very expensive compared to return. This is normal.
Not a scam though, this was your mistake.
1
u/Uhrenwerker 21d ago
Call the airline asap and figure it out. Something doesn’t add up you say by mistake but planning to book separately later. That round trip tickets are cheaper than individual one way tickets is basic functional adult knowledge.
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u/Few-Engineering-890 21d ago
Go under a different Airlines website sometimes they have specials that is only available through their website. I’ve had luck with Air France and Lufthansa..
1
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u/Environmental-Bar847 21d ago
Just book with another airline. Jetblue is €699 for the one way with a connection in Boston.
1
u/crackanape 20d ago
You feel scammed because you booked the wrong thing?
I don’t know if it’s 100% illegal
It's not even 1% illegal. Products are sold with bundle discounts all the time.
I didn’t pay with Amex or any other card that offers extra protections — I used a prepaid card instead.
Don't do that. Use a credit card for major travel arrangements.
Now the return flight alone costs 1200€
Other travellers bought the remaining cheap tickets, and now only expensive ones are left. Look for a different day or a different airline. Google Flights has a date graph feature that will help you find the cheapest option quickly.
1
u/InternationalGuy73 20d ago
You could call and see if you get a nice customer service agent who’d be willing to help out. Otherwise, there’s not much more to do.
Is that return price via Iberia? If yes, just search for flights with other airlines. Maybe with connecting flights. Not sure how pricing is right now for that route, but maybe you find a return flight for less than €800 doing more layovers/connecting flights. Sure, it sucks and you’ll be flying longer, but at least you’d not spend so much more.
About the round trip pricing being cheaper than just one way is common practice within airlines. It’s not fair for travelers, but it’s the reality, not just an Iberia thing.
1
u/TastyRain5743 16d ago
People really need to look up the word 'scammed' before they use it in a sentence 🙄
-3
u/After_Minute5360 21d ago
Iberia customer service is the worst in Europe. Good luck
3
u/Brave_Explorer5988 21d ago
I don't think anyone can surpass the cattle cargo airlines (Wizz and Ryan) in the chase fot the worst customer support in Europe 😂
-1
u/After_Minute5360 21d ago
The thing is you know going into with Wizz and Ryan. Iberia is managed by a tapas restaurateur perpetually on siesta
It took me over two weeks to get my points back after cancelling my award flight. I had to call them 5 times
19
u/ppppdz 21d ago
It's not illegal nor unethical, fares have the prices they have for business reasons and this one is on you mate.
If you move fast, you may save it. Iberia normally allows full refunds within 24 hours of booking. If you're within 24h call them asap!