Help!! head spinning!!! SW booking advice please!!!

[hsmamato2]

Ok, I've booked a million times before, but rates are higher this fall than in the past,and I'm getting worried and confused..... I need mid-late january, rates are still 145 each way-too high!
How long to wait before I book at a high rate, so i don't lose a flight? Now I'm reading NOT to book round trip,but one way only? Why? What makes that a better choice?
I'd rather book and get a credit if I had t ,than lose out completely....
Pleas help me with sage advice here!

 

[Ambifins]

I booked flights at 145 each way, which eventually dropped down to 59 each way (much better!). So, I booked two more tickets and cancelled the original reservation. Now I have a (basically) 300 credit on SW which I know I'll use within a year. As other posters have pointed out, SW is very good about transferring that credit (just hang onto that reservation number).
In the past, I've also booked flights at 145 that I expected to go down. But they kept going up and up and never dropped (who wants to fly to Florida in November? Go figure!). So, I'm glad I booked at what ended up being the lowest possible fare.
So, that's my advice.

 

[DVC Grammy]

I book our flights when they first come out, since it assures me of our reservations for the exact times and dates we want. Then, if a Ding does come out for either of the one-ways that we want, I can always cancel the existing ressies and book the ding fares, knowing I'll be using the credit for another trip.
The reason for one-way booking is that a ding may not be available for both ways, and if you have a RT, you have to cancel the whole thing, and maybe lose your chosen flights and dates. With OW booking, at least you can save $$ for part of your trip!

 

[hsmamato2]

Ok,so book each way separately , then I can cancel one if i have to? interesting.... I'm still freaked about the rates,and not wanting to make a mistake, then having a credit, then maybe not using it.... I'm so paranoid!

 

[krismas29]

Most likely you will get a better rate than the one you are currently seeing, but you are much better off to book now. This is especially true if you have specific flights that you need to be on. When a better fare comes out, cancel and rebook and look at the credit as a gift from SW towards your next WDW trip

 

[Rpsemont]

The reason for one-way booking is that a ding may not be available for both ways, and if you have a RT, you have to cancel the whole thing, and maybe lose your chosen flights and dates. With OW booking, at least you can save $$ for part of your trip!

THis is also true for some internet fares.
For instance, right now Internet One way for BDL-MCO is $59 for most dates in OCt, but $145 after that. A few weeks ago, it was $145 for most of Oct.
Last year I booked DD and BIL to fly around Columbus day (DH and I went down a couple days early)
I booked them on RT tickets, BDL-MCO Fri night, MCO-BDL Wed AM. at that time, the best fares - internet One way were $99 each way. About a month before our trip, they lowered the internet one way to $49, however, only the Wed return had that price. When I tried to change my return portion to the $49 fare, it wouldn't let me do it without rebooking the BDL-MCO portion; and by this time, the best fare on that Friday night was advance purchase at $155. So I would be changing a $99 and $99 fare for a $49 and $155 fare. No Savings there!. If I had booked one way, I could have easily changed the $99 to a $49 without affecting the other $99 at all. Since then, I always book one way. I also always try to book either individually or in twos. I've come across times that if I look up a fare for one person, the cheap fare is available, but if I put in four, it's not. Better to change 1 to a lower fare than none at all. The main exception is that I try to have DD (11) on an itinerary with an adult. Everyone else is on their own. (The only other exception is booking at extrememly busy times (Pres weekend) when you might not get flights at the same time for all if you don't book them together.)

 

[hsmamato2]

Here I thought I had a system for good fares, and you people put me to shame with your knowledge! I've never even considered these things!!!

 

[cats mom]

One other thing, since I re-booked to grab a ding rate just today while it warns you that your travel funds may not be available right away (and sometimes they're not) mine were in my account very quickly.

I cancelled my already booked flights, ran and picked up my DD at school, and by the time I got back (probably about 25 minutes) my funds were available and I grabbed the Ding rate.
I know it's a bit of a gamble since sometimes the Ding fares go really quickly - but it's an option if you're up for it.