Air fare question?

[mom2morgan]

Do round trips cost less than one way? From the searching I'm doing, it doesn't LOOK like it. I'm wondering if it would be wise to grab a good deal now on tickets TOO Orlando, but hold off on tickets FROM until something better comes along? (the current ones I'm looking at aren't that great a price, but they are a very rare direct flight which would be absolutely WONDERFUL. It usually takes us at least 12 hours to get there with a stop over).

[Fangorn]

While there was a time, not too long ago, when one-way airfare was more expensive, that's not true any longer for most flights on most airlines. More often than not, I book one-way flights precisely because I can usually get a good deal on one leg of the trip, but not so much on the other at that time. I find that my chances are good that I'll find a deal on the other leg at a different time.

This is especially true with Southwest. It also helps in the event that I need to change a flight - the cost will only change on that one leg, while the other will remain the same.

Steve

[KylesMom]

I totally agree with Steve on this one. What you're contemplating is something we've done for the past several years, whether it be United, American or Southwest. If you've found a direct flight you like and it's a reasonable price, book it. It helps break up your fare expenses into different months, too! :mickey:

[mdricks]

A flight pro may contradict me on this and if so, go with them....

It has been my experience with Southwest that they seesaw some flight prices such that one week the way down is a great deal but the most likely flight back (Sunday) is full price. Two weeks later the great deals disappear but the return “full prices” fall.

This year I bought my trip down at 80$. The return flights (Sunday) were posting at $360 the day I bought my one-way.

I waited two weeks and bought my return for $155. I saved almost $100 from the best “round trip” I could have bought.

By buying one-ways when they are screaming deals, and then waiting for the return trip once prices to stabilize I have always saved $$$ over buying a round trip ticket.

:number1:

[faline]

On a trip earlier this year, we flew to Florida from Boston on Jet Blue and back to Manchester on Southwest - flights on each side just priced out better. And...for this trip, I was luckly enough to have someone to drop me off and pick me up so didn't have to worry about using two different airports in different cities and states!