SWA: two one ways vs. one RT??

[HappyCamperToo]

The price seems to be exactly the same, booking a round trip or booking as two separate one-way trips.

I understand that an upside of booking as two one-way trips is that if a Ding comes along, it might be easier to take advantage of it if it only impacts one leg.

Are there any advantages of booking as a round trip? Or is is smarter to always book as two one-ways?

 

[pirateparrot]

The price seems to be exactly the same, booking a round trip or booking as two separate one-way trips.

I understand that an upside of booking as two one-way trips is that if a Ding comes along, it might be easier to take advantage of it if it only impacts one leg.

Are there any advantages of booking as a round trip? Or is is smarter to always book as two one-ways?

My only concern with one-way flights is that you may have a higher liklihood of being pulled for additional screening at the airport. One-way flights are considered more likely for terrorists. That being said, I generally book 2 one-way flights and take my chances so I can cancel one part of the flight if I need to.

 

[salmoneous]

If you book RT, you only have one reservation and reservation number to keep track of. Also, there is always the tiny risk that in the moment between when you book the first 1-way segment and book the return, that the return flight you want will fill up / have a price change and then you won't want to first segment. Not that either of these are a big deal, but you did ask.

 

[Rpsemont]

On very rare occasions the RT has been cheaper than the OW, but I got burnt last fall when I had booked a RT and a lower fare came out for one leg, but it wouldn't let me change the ticket without changing (or rebooking) both legs and the leg that didn't have the lower fare was more expensive. To me it was a lesson learned. I always book OW now.

 

[Rpsemont]

If you book RT, you only have one reservation and reservation number to keep track of. Also, there is always the tiny risk that in the moment between when you book the first 1-way segment and book the return, that the return flight you want will fill up / have a price change and then you won't want to first segment. Not that either of these are a big deal, but you did ask.

OH! I almost forgot, the other risk is that you might do what I did. Booking both OW's the same way! If you book a RT it won't let you book BDL to MCO twice! I was extremely fortunate last year, when after getting burnt with not being able to take advantage of a lower fare (for OCT Trip), booked OW tickets for Dec. Sure enough a ding came out one leg of our Dec trip and I cancelled our ticket and rebooked. Unfortunately, I wasn't paying close attention and instead of booking us home (MCO-BDL) I booked another trip there! When DD and I showed up at the airport, I couldn't understand why my flight number wasn't listed to figure out the gate. When I studied the itinerary, I almost died! ALl I could think is with all my fooling around and rebooking to get a great fare, I was going to have to pay full price to get us home. We lucked out though and they allowed us to exchange our reservations without penalty (because the same fare basis was available)

But that's the other risk of booking OW

 

[MulanMom]

I had read siimilar posts stating 2 one ways were better than one round trip. However, I booked a RT when my dates first opened up. Then about three weeks ago a DING came along that would lower the first leg of the trip. I contacted SWA customer service because I wondered if I should rebook the RT as two separate one ways, making it easier when (hopefully) I got a Ding for the second leg of our trip. The CSR pointed out that you can go online to change your reservation and it allows you to change only one flight while leaving the other alone. I was able to change the first portion without any changes being made to the second. Don't know what my experience will be if and when another DING affects the second half of our trip.

 

[DonnaL]

I agree somewhat with pirateparrot about the ow's possibly causing extra scrutiny at security. However, I believe people are using ow's much more frequently these days, so, that may not be so true anymore. Lately I've been using ow's more frequently simply because if you do need to make a change it's easier. Also, sometimes a better fare comes along only for one leg of the trip and it's easier to take advantage of the better fare without changing the whole trip.

 

[MrsMud]

On very rare occasions the RT has been cheaper than the OW, but I got burnt last fall when I had booked a RT and a lower fare came out for one leg, but it wouldn't let me change the ticket without changing (or rebooking) both legs and the leg that didn't have the lower fare was more expensive. To me it was a lesson learned. I always book OW now.

This is no longer the case with Southwest. You can book a round trip and if one of the flights drops in price you can just get the credit for that flight without canceling or rebooking both flights. You can do it online, and it's very easy and (IMO) pretty much foolproof!

 

[HappyCamperToo]

This is no longer the case with Southwest. You can book a round trip and if one of the flights drops in price you can just get the credit for that flight without canceling or rebooking both flights. You can do it online, and it's very easy and (IMO) pretty much foolproof!

So does that mean there is no longer any advantage to booking 2 one way tickets?

 

[Rpsemont]

This is no longer the case with Southwest. You can book a round trip and if one of the flights drops in price you can just get the credit for that flight without canceling or rebooking both flights. You can do it online, and it's very easy and (IMO) pretty much foolproof!

How do you "get" the credit if you don't cancel or rebook?
Go through the "change air itinerary option"? Even though you're not actually making a change? That is what I did last fall - and I have done many times. However, for this one time, it would not allow me to change (or reselect) only one direction of my itinerary. I had to reselect both directions and one of the directions only had more expensive options available.
I even called SWA and they said there was no way to change it.

 

[DonnaL]

The one thing you do need to watch for is that there are seats available at the lowest fare. For instance if you are already booked on a flight and paid $89 initially for your fare on a 1:00 p.m. flight and a few weeks before your trip SW runs a sale for $49 ow during your timeframe. You go online to change your fare to the $49 sale fare, however, there are no seats showing as available at $49 on your flight only seats for MORE than you originally paid.
However, there are two other flights the same day as your 1:00 p.m. flight that have seats for $49. You can either keep your $89 fare or change your flight to one of the flights which have the $49 seats.

 

[laurabelle]

I had read siimilar posts stating 2 one ways were better than one round trip. However, I booked a RT when my dates first opened up. Then about three weeks ago a DING came along that would lower the first leg of the trip. I contacted SWA customer service because I wondered if I should rebook the RT as two separate one ways, making it easier when (hopefully) I got a Ding for the second leg of our trip. The CSR pointed out that you can go online to change your reservation and it allows you to change only one flight while leaving the other alone. I was able to change the first portion without any changes being made to the second. Don't know what my experience will be if and when another DING affects the second half of our trip.

Golly day! I have to get in practice again, waiting to book my August trip...

Anyway, this happened to me last year. The first leg of my flight was not available on a Ding fare, and I didn't want to change the time anyway. I was able to change the second leg of the flight to Ding... glad to hear it still works that way.

I just booked a flight to San Francisco this summer, two one ways on two different airlines, to get the best times and rates. I never even thought about booking it this way, but it coming up while searching on kayak.com.

 

[MrsMud]

How do you "get" the credit if you don't cancel or rebook?
Go through the "change air itinerary option"? Even though you're not actually making a change? That is what I did last fall - and I have done many times. However, for this one time, it would not allow me to change (or reselect) only one direction of my itinerary. I had to reselect both directions and one of the directions only had more expensive options available.
I even called SWA and they said there was no way to change it.

I'm going off of memory here, but I believe you go into Change Itinerary (or whatever the wording is), and put in your confirmation #. All of your flights will come up with a box next to each to "Select" that flight. After you select it (or them) the available flights will be shown. This should include the same flight you have already booked but at the lower price. You select the newly priced flight, and it will ask if you are sure you want to make this change. You click yes and it's done. I think there may even be one more screen showing your new itinerary and you click to confirm it.
That's how easy it has been for me in the past. I have no idea why you weren't allowed to change one flight without the other, unless the new combination of flights you wanted was not combinable. You will see on the SW website that not all fare classes are combinable. If that was the case, then I apologize if I mislead anyone. I always book fun fares or promotional fares and have never had a problem.

 

[HappyCamperToo]

I'm going off of memory here, but I believe you go into Change Itinerary (or whatever the wording is), and put in your confirmation #. All of your flights will come up with a box next to each to "Select" that flight. After you select it (or them) the available flights will be shown. This should include the same flight you have already booked but at the lower price. You select the newly priced flight, and it will ask if you are sure you want to make this change. You click yes and it's done. I think there may even be one more screen showing your new itinerary and you click to confirm it.

I've heard that it is just like you said for sale fares that come out. But I was under the impression that one couldn't take advantage of a Ding fare that way. That for Dings, you have to actually cancel and that rebook using the credit.

MrsMud, has it worked this way for you specifically with Dings, or just with other lower prices that might come out?

Thanks.
Sue

p.s. - I guess a related question is---if you book a RT, can you cancel just one half of it, keeping the other portion intact at the rate you have?

 

[MrsMud]

HappyCamperToo:
No, I'm sorry but I have not tried to do this with a Ding, just a fare sale on the website. However, MulanMom states above that she WAS able to replace one flight with a Ding, so it would seem it can be done. The bottom line is, if it will give you peace of mind to book two one ways, and the price is the same as for a roundtrip, I guess you might as well book the 2 one ways.

 

[mareed]

I've heard that it is just like you said for sale fares that come out. But I was under the impression that one couldn't take advantage of a Ding fare that way. That for Dings, you have to actually cancel and that rebook using the credit.

MrsMud, has it worked this way for you specifically with Dings, or just with other lower prices that might come out?

Thanks.
Sue
QUOTE]

I book & rebook for a lower rate very frequently on SW, but it was also my understanding that you had to cancel & rebook with the credit to take advantage of a Ding fare. I'd also be interested to see if this has changed (but I don't think it has).