Splitting a return reward flight - could I do this?

Just speculation at this stage (wouldn't be booking until next year for August 2016!), but I just had a play around with the current reward availability and was wondering if the following is an option?

If the reward sale is at the same time next year, then the outbound leg of my journey (Mid August MAN-MCO) will probably be released during sale time, but not the return leg (late August). If I am struggling for the non-sale miles total (it looks like they only release PE for August), can I book outbound reward seats in the sale, and my return leg seperately once released? I just looked at likely costs, and depending on the exchange rate, it was only £113 more for 4 of us to book the 2 legs seperately using miles,than to book a return, which is a lot less than it would cost me to buy the miles and book post-sale as a return?

Purely speculation, hopefully I will have the miles, but I just wanted to check as the flights are costed in $ and I wasn't sure if there were any weird rules about not doing this? Thanks

yes you can book one-way reward flights.

The risk you would be taking is that there are no reward flights released for the date you want to return on so you end up having to buy an expensive cash fare.

And yes if you book a flight from MCO back to the UK it would be priced in US $ but it is not a problem at all. I've previously booked a one way JFK-LHR miles flight with no problems (I was flying to the US on another airline using their miles)

'expensive' is the right word here. If you buy a one way fare you will pay full price which may well be more than a return fare.

'expensive' is the right word here. If you buy a one way fare you will pay full price which may well be more than a return fare.

Isn't this a situation where a combi fare could work, miles one way, revenue the other? As long as the OP isn't aiming for UC both ways (having read the post, it's not entirely clear), that should avoid getting hit with an expensive Y/W single...

'expensive' is the right word here. If you buy a one way fare you will pay full price which may well be more than a return fare.

Isn't this a situation where a combi fare could work, miles one way, revenue the other? As long as the OP isn't aiming for UC both ways (having read the post, it's not entirely clear), that should avoid getting hit with an expensive Y/W single...

Edit... I just re-read the thread and the problem isn't that there's no miles seat on the return, just that nothing will have been released at all... in which case ignore the above...

Thanks for the responses, I hadn't thought about the scenario of no return reward seats being released, which would leave me very much our of pocket! I am lurking on the VA site right now to see what happens for 2015 flights, so I'll have a bit more of an idea for 2016! Cheers

One more question for the experts! If I went for the option of reward seat for the outbound leg and paying for the return, woudl I have to pay for a full flexible fare, and could I choose an economy seat if I have a reward seat going out? Thanks

If you get to the senario of having to book a one way ticket to get home just book MCO-man-MCO which will be cheaper and just don't return to MCO or look at MCO-Lgw-MCO for cheaper fares then get the train up...
Ways around everything.

Cheers

Came across this thread whilst I was checking for some info about one-way flights.

Another option to consider could be flights from Miami into Heathrow, then either connecting to MAN on a Little Red flight or driving back. Could also check for reward flights on the Atlanta - Manchester flight currently operated by Delta but which I believe is transferring to VA, or from New York to London/Manchester. In both cases you may have to buy a ticket from Orlando/Tampa, but should be significantly cheaper than a cash one-way fare.

I am in the same position. I have enough points to pay for us to fly out with point and using free upgrades to pe. cost of taxes only BUT........
how do we get home? I don't want to pay vs prices its £4500 for a combi flight.