Newsstand - Back to Back Ticketing

Is it me or did this 'expert' miss the main premise of using back to back tickets?

http://www.usatoday.com/news/comment/2002/07/15/ncguest1.htm

I think that this guy's understanding of how back-to-back ticketing works is about as good has his understanding of how the pricing model works. What he seems to describe is throw-away ticketing, not back-to-back, but he doesn't even get throw-away described correctly. Considering he's a regular travel columnist makes one wonder.

Hmm...I fly regularly from City A to City B and back to City A, and I don't want to stay overnight but I hate getting ripped off by the airlines? So...I fly out on Delta, come home on United, fly back out on United, come back home on Delta. What's wrong with that? I didn't know that the airlines could police my travel on other airlines. Would the airlines get all bent out of shape if I drove? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

Until the airlines start sharing ticketing and passenger information with each other and they devise a method to data mine the zillions of possible combinations of flights and passengers, I think we are safe for the foreseable future.

Yup...the only business I know where they charge you more money for less service (one way vs. roundtrip).

Yields are down because businesses are not willing to be gouged any longer, and until fare structures are rationalized, this battle will go on.