Book Round Trip or One-Way?

[AngieInOH]

How do you typically book your flights? Round Trip or One-Way? Is there any benefit from booking one over the other?

Southwest finally dropped back down to $65 each way out of Detroit. We're flying Jan 11 & Jan 21. Don't think I can wait for a Ding much longer!

 

[clkelley]

On SW, I book each person separately, and each directions separately. That gives me the most opportunity to have at least some of the fare go lower. If, for our party of 4, two seats in one direction come up for a lower fare through a Ding! or just extra discount, then I can pounce on it.

 

[sbakersub]

If the flight times and overall cost both line up better with one airline, I do the round trip thing. Usually round trip will be cheaper than two one-ways, although SW prices theirs separately anyway, don't they? For me, it's just easier dealing with one reservation and one airline.

For some trips, though, I've done combinations of one-way flights on different airlines to get better times or prices than I could get on any one round trip. There is a downside, though, if you have to change flights: two one-way flights = two change fees; one round trip ticket = one change fee.

I'd love $65 one way to MCO!!! And I saw Delta, I think, raised ticket prices again yesterday, so if it were me, I'd be buying tickets now.

 

[Sandi]

As the previous poster, for SW it's recommended to book one ways. That way, you don't mess up your whole ticket if you can find a lower price for one leg.

Detroit at $65 is pretty awesome. We're booked on SW in April and our one way NS flights for the Detroit-Orlando route were in the $150 range. We're going during spring break. Still better than the other airlines, but I'd be excited if we can get under $100.

 

[K9pal]

Yep, I book one-ways also. Learned the hard way when a got a Ding for one way only, and the price of the other way had gone up! It's a PITA, but can work out to your benefit in the long run.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Most (legacy) airlines offer better fares if you book round trip.

Airlines like Soutwest, JetBlue, and I think AirTran, selll all one-way fares - that you can obviously combine into a round-trip flight.

For the last few years, I've just booked whichever way offers the best rates. When Song still existed, sometimes I would fly that airline in one direction and JetBlue in the other.

Lately, it's just worked out better for me to book my JetBlue flights individually. For example, I had a voucher that HAD to be redeemed by October 10; since I knew for sure when I wanted to come home, I booked my return fare just before that. Then I waited. Circumstances (aka, my plans in Las Vegas) changed, and one night I checked the fares - outbound was down to $112, so I jumped on it.

Can't advise you on Southwest. All my experience is pre-Ding, so I just booked the whole trip in one transaction.

 

[AngieInOH]

Thanks everyone! I was going to book tonight and low and behold..... A Ding out of Detroit! It was for $60. I booked it. The Ding didn't work on my return flight but that still at $65. Think I'm going to wait until tomorrow to book the flight back as it seems like the Detroit Dings come in pairs. Maybe I'll get lucky!