When I did ED in October of last year, I made my reservations fairly late in the game, using the Lufthansa 2 for 1 deal. I had talked to Helen, and when I made the reservation and provided her a VIN, I was told the base fare was locked. Of course, the tax portion could change, but probably not by much. I didn't have to buy tickets until a week or two before departure.

In early planning for my next ED (for this August), I called to make reservations and lock a fare. But Helen is no longer there, and the new lady mentioned that she has to have a VIN even keep the reservation (even though the Lufthansa 2 for 1 site says to make reservations before ordering the car). She also mentioned that the fares don't lock until ticketing is done. I had her talk to management to confirm, and she confirmed all of this. They are holding my reservation, but the fare isn't locked. The fare I was quoted was something on the order of $770 each from DFW - MUC. I figure if a special comes around, we can do cheaper. Of course, if I don't buy the tickets, the fare could also double. With the old system, I could adjust my fare down if rates went down, while being protected against an upswing.

Can anyone comment on this? Perhaps from a previous ED using this deal and a current one? I hate that the reservation doesn't lock. It isn't too early to reserve a seat, but it is way too early to buy a ticket. Plus, I wanted to see if fares improved, but I'm also afraid they might go up.