How do the airlines get away with this?
 

And how do we get around it?

I was looking at flights for DFW to Rome, roundtrip, for early November this year. I was looking for best fares on a particular large airline.

As it turned out, the best fare was to change planes in Chicago both going and returning home. Total fare was $789. This was great, as I want to travel with my sister who lives in Chicago area.

So then I went to see how much it would cost her to travel on the same flights with me from Chicago-Rome and Rome-Chicago. Oh, the fare going out is the same ($380ish), but the fare for her return flight (the same one that would get me all the way to DFW for $470) is showing up as $1098!!!

How can the airline charge me 470 from Rome to Chicago to Dallas and charge her 1098 from Rome to Chicago on the same first flight??

Can someone tell me how they can get away with that? And what would happen if we just booked two tickets from DFW to Rome, changing planes in Chicago, and she just boarded there and left there?

Anyone???

(PS I'm posting this in Lounge too)

>>And what would happen if we just booked two tickets from DFW to Rome, changing planes in Chicago, and she just boarded there and left there?<<

When she failed to show up at DFW, her ticket Chicago-Rome and return would automatically be cancelled.

It's all about supply and demand. Tell me about it. I often look at flying from Ft. Myers to New York on American. The flights go through Miami and would often cost around $200 round trip. But if I drive to Miami, avoiding that Ft. Myers to Miami flight and the connection, and although my total trip is shorter, the fare invariably seems to be $100 more!

But if your sister had a ticket from Dallas to Rome, and wasn't on the Dallas to Chicago flight, I can almost guarantee you that she won't be able to board in Chicago. Her ticket will already be cancelled by her missing the actual flight she was scheduled for.

Can you book her from Chicago-Rome and then return Rome-DFW? Does that net the cheaper fares? If so, she would just be dropping the last leg and wouldn't have anything cancelled. Maybe????

The other passengers on your departing flight won't have paid the same price you did, either. Remember how everyone's always looking for the best price? That price changes from flight to flight and seat to seat. It's what they do.

I would look into what Kellye suggests.

I am confused, guess I am having a dense night sarge, sorry.

You say that a R/T ticket from DFW to Rome with a change of planes in Chicago and Rome to DFW with a change of planes in Chicago will cost you $789.

But than you say for your sister her flight from Chicago to Rome (same flight as yours) and Rome to Chicago (same flight as yours) will cost her will cost her $380 going to Rome and $1098 returning from Chicago. If she has a R/T ticket how do you know what the cost are Chicago to Rome and what the cost is Rome to Chicago? What is the total of your sister's R/T ticket Chicago to Rome and Rome to Chicago.
Is it $380.00+ $1098? Even so, how are you able to break down the two prices? A R/T ticket gives just one price. But like I said maybe I am being dense.

US Air shows each price as you go thru the booking...

LoveItaly- You get to pick your flights by price, so I know exactly what the outbound flight costs and what the inbound costs. So, yes, the total of my ticket would be $789 for DFW-ORD-FCO-ORD-DFW. And hers would be $1450 for ORD-FCO-ORD! :(

Once again, supply and demand and competition.

Fares are not based on distances, number of connections, routes, etc.

Fares are based on what the other guy is charging, or what can I get away with, period.

Fares are fluid, changing day-to-day depending on what's going on between the origin and destination city. It's pure capitalism. Nobody is getting away with anything.

I think it was at least 15 years ago, when I first read in a travel guide about the "hidden city" phenomenon in US air travel. I.e. that there can be cases when it will be cheaper to fly from (all examples purely ficticious) Miami to Chicago via Atlanta than with the same airline only from Miami to Atlanta - e.g. due to different levels of competition for either connection. I'm not really sure when I got that info, but it seems kinda long ago. So I guess it must be something quite common for the US market for years when it already got mentioned in foreign travel guides.

Hi sarge, may I ask what airline this is? Travelnut mentioned US Airways, I have never flown with them.

Is there any chance (probably a stupid questions) that it would be cheaper in the long run if your sister flew down to take your flight out of DFW? If so she could have the same tickets that you do including back to DFW, but NOT fly from Chicago back to DFW..that shouldn't be a problem as that would be the last leg of the flight. I am not the expert, but just wondering.

There is nothing unusual about this. This has been going on for a long time. Kellye's idea will work as long as she does not check any baggage.

<<< Kellye's idea will work as long as she does not check any baggage. >>>

At Chicago everyone has to get off the plane and collect their luggage - so all sis has to do is not get back on the plane

Opps! You are right.

<i>Can you book her from Chicago-Rome and then return Rome-DFW? Does that net the cheaper fares? If so, she would just be dropping the last leg and wouldn't have anything cancelled. Maybe????</i>

Unfortunately that route, at least on AA, will net her a higher fare, ~$1600. For some reason the direct ORD-FCO route is quite high. The best one from Chicago is for her to layover at LHR or JFK which will cost her only $738 but that would mean traveling separately from you.

Sorry,but I may not be clear..... the fare I quoted $738 is round trip ORD-LHR-FCO-LHR-ORD or through JFK both ways.