Appreciate all the useful feedback on this. I did not realize that AS was in the process of converting to OW fare codes, that makes sense. I'll plan to give it a few days.
Originally Posted by
Often1
There is no reason to book an October flight before late August or early September. All you are doing is making an interest-free loan and if it turns out that you need to make a change, but the better deal is on another carrier or it has better service, you are stuck on AS.
I do have to respectfully disagree with this. Depending on the destination, fares can bottom out several months prior to that. And with no change fees, it makes sense to buy a ticket early, and simply cancel and rebook with the same funds.