Should we book 2 one way or 1 round trip?

[RainbowsMist]

We are driving from Nova Scotia to Boston and flying out Sunday March 11/07.

Right now the flights are out for the 11th. Delta has a good price of 124 USD (direct) per person (there are 5 of us). Our return flight for the 25th is not out until another 5 days or so. I assumed the return flight would be the same however I've played with dates (to use as a guide) and a return flight home the Sunday prior is coming in at 193 USD (direct) and 173 USD (1 stop). A round trip for the same dates comes in at 297 USD.

We are traveling with our 3 children (12, 11, 4) who have never flown and the direct flights are a bonus for us.

My question is...should we grab the one way fair that is much cheaper and take the time to find something cheaper coming home or should we book the round trip when it becomes available later in the week?

We had looked at Allegiant out of Portsmouth, NH however their fares have gone up and I'm too afraid booking this far in advance they may not be reliable - plus their schedule is only showing until Dec/06.

We've never flown on a US carrier before and we dont' think we should wait to book due to the price of gas and the anticipation of higher fares. By the time SW DINGS come out for those dates I'll be over stressed!

Thanks in advance for your advice!

 

[seashoreCM]

The only advantage to booking a round trip over two one ways is a cheaper fare.

But when booking one ways it is possible for the return flight to jump in price between the time you finish booking the outgoing flight and the time you click on the return flight you want because someone else took the last cheap seat of the return flight in the meantime. (Or in your case the return flight may IPO at a higher fare and now it is too late for you to cancel the outgoing flight and try a different airline.)

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm