With this new fare combinability rule from some of the airlines is there a formula for when it is better to take the split tickets vs one ticket?

That’s a question each client, and sometimes each traveler, will need to make for themselves. With the new rule, certain types of trips are less expensive when booked as a series of one-way tickets instead of as one ticket with all flights combined. Savings varies, but we are regularly seeing examples of as much as $1500. The risk is that each individual ticket will have its own $200 change fee. So if you accept three one-way tickets instead of one ticket with two stops and a return, you run the risk of having $600 in change fees. When the savings exceeds the potential risk it’s a no-brainer – take the savings and run. When that’s not the case a little more thought is needed. It might help to know that as an average, only about 15% of tickets are changed after they are purchased. Unless a particular trip is iffy to begin with, having an 85% chance of all savings and no risk is a pretty good deal!