Why do flight booking sites sometimes split a ticket to Istanbul into two separate one-way tickets, and how to pay with a foreign card?
Based on 2 discussions with 3 participants · Last activity: 1 day ago
TL;DR
Aggregators sometimes issue a flight as two separate one-way tickets when the combined fare is cheaper; you can pay with a foreign bank card or a travel-focused card (more expensive, but works for a one-time trip), and buying at an airline office or airport adds a service fee, with price depending on how far in advance you book.
What the community said
A service fee applies when buying a ticket at an airline office or at the airport. Price also depends on how many days before departure you book — availability of cheap fares changes dynamically.
1 day ago Service fee at office/airport
Ready-made one-way tickets aren't always available, but you can pay for the flight with a foreign bank card or a specialized travel card. It costs more, but works if you only need a single trip.
1 day ago Payment via foreign card
Airlines sometimes issue a single trip as two separate tickets: aggregators display the lowest price, and if one segment is cheaper as a standalone fare than as part of a combined ticket, they split it into two to lower the total cost.
1 day ago Flight split into two tickets