H1B filling options for H4-EAD

I am currently on H4-EAD and my employer is suggesting me to apply for H1B considering the uncertainty with H4. I have a travel planned to India in July/August and wanted to check on which is better between consular petition vs change of status.

A few folks have suggested consular petition is better. In that case,

  1. If my H1B application gets picked up in lottery, can I get H1-B stamped in July/August itself and enter the country on H4-EAD even though I have a H1-B visa (that is valid from Oct1)

  2. If I choose not to get my H1 stamped in August, can I enter the country on H4 and remain working till next visit to India (in 2018) or is it mandatory that I exit the country before Oct1 2017, get the visa stamped and enter on H1B?

Will change of status application be useful in any way considering I have a travel planned?