Purchasing a return flight to Asian destinations may not always be cheaper than buying two singles with the same airline, according to the latest research by flight comparison site Skyscanner.

The research showed that on certain flights from London to Asia, massive savings were actually available for the exact same flights by simply booking two single journeys instead of the standard return fare.

This insider tip is only applicable on scheduled carriers; budget carriers’ pricing focuses only on single fares, allowing customers to ‘mix and match’ single tickets to create their desired return fares rather than having set fares.

The study found that passengers could save almost £350 per person by booking singles to and from Hong Kong with Qantas, instead of the return fare with the same airline. BA customers could save a massive £430 by adopting the same procedure from London-Tokyo and another £373 by booking to singles London-Beijing.

Gareth Williams, Skyscanner CEO said: “Travellers are always looking for ways to get the best deal on their flights and most would assume that a return flight would offer the cheapest option.

“However this study shows that we shouldn’t assume anything. While in most instances this is likely to be true, there are definite examples where we have proved that this is not always the case and two tickets are better than one.”