Our answer
On international flights it often is, which surprises a lot of people. A one-way business class ticket can cost nearly as much as a round trip, sometimes even more.
That’s because airlines price round trips for leisure travelers and one-ways at higher “flexible” levels. Within the US, one-way pricing is usually fairer.
A few options if you only need one way, or want business class only one way:
- Mixed cabins: you can often book business class one way and premium economy or economy the other way on the same ticket. That’s a popular way to sleep on the overnight flight and save on the daytime flight home.
- Open jaw: fly into one city and home from another, such as into Johannesburg and back from Cape Town, usually priced like a round trip.
- Separate airlines: sometimes two one-ways on different airlines beat a round trip.
We price all of these for you, so you can see which works out best.
Read next:
Answered by the Global Business Flights team, booking business and first class since 2017. Last reviewed November 2026.
Want a real price for your trip?
Tell us your route and dates. We compare airlines and private fares and send you the best business class, first class or premium economy options. Free, no obligation.
More business class questions
- If I fly business class, can I bring a friend into the lounge with me, or is it just me?
- Is business class actually worth the money on a long flight?
- How do I know if every seat has its own aisle access, or if I’ll have to climb over someone?
- How do people get cheap business class tickets without using points?
- I land early in the morning after an overnight flight. Can I use an arrivals lounge to shower and grab breakfast?
- Are discounted business class tickets from travel agents legit, or a scam?