DesertNomad

I am looking at a trip to PRG with a stopover in ZRH on the return.

1. SFO-ZRH return is $1270.

2. SFO-ZRH-PRG / PRG-ZRH-SFO is $1176 ($94 dollars less to add the Prague segments!)

3. SFO-ZRH-PRG / PRG-ZRH / ZRH-SFO is $1835

4. SFO-ZRH-PRG / ZRH-SFO is $1192 and a OW PRG-ZRH is $275 = $1467.


So 3 & 4 are the exact same flights but are $368 different in price? That makes no sense (I get that fares do not have to make sense but this one seems like it should for the exact same flights)

They don't seem to want me to stop in Zurich and spend some money in their country?

kanor

Will probably be cheaper if instead a oneway you buy a PRG-ZRH return.
Such is life, stop complaining.

Tyrolean

Welcome to the World of Airline pricing!

Forrest Bump

On the example 3 and 4 your itinerary probably breaks the fare rules (lenght of stopover etc.).
For the n.2, adding a segment more often than not reduces the price.
Look at it differently: a convenient direct flight turns to be a 1 stop flight to a non hub destination, hence the fare must be more attractive.
Of course there are commercial and more technical reasons behind that, and in all fairness I'm sure even airlines get mad with their pricing model, but playing with it on ITA Matrix may return you some interesting results to minimize costs.

Try also some other eastern/central Europe LX/LH final destination, providing you will not skip any segment.
O/W is insanely expensive; in this case pick among a low cost, train or even a return flight throwing the 2nd segment in the bin.

Flying Lawyer

SFO to Prague is obviously a market different from SFO to ZRH. And obviously they can charge more for a direct flight to ZRH than they can charge for an direct flight to PRG where they have to compete with other carriers. You do not pay for segments but for a destination. And LX is an airline and not the tourist authority of Switzerland: they could not care less whether you spend money in ZRH downtown. The only issue they might be interested in is you spending money at the airport.

IAN-UK

The way to go is your option 4. Though check the one-way fare, it looks awfully expensive - you don't need to fly SWISS

If you can't find a significantly cheaper one-way, check out the round-trip fares, but throw away the return (unless you really want to go the option 2 route, and fly the extra sectors).

Unless you are wedded to air travel, check the rail connections - I think there is a night service between Prague and Zurich, so (depending on your sleeping arrangement) you could save a night's hotel cost. And there's certainly a bus

Once you've bought a ticket SWISS couldn't give a fig where you spend your money.

DesertNomad

There is a train... 6 hours to Munich and another 4 or so to Zurich. I've done it several times. Czech Airlines also flies the route for about the same price, but they don't give you nice chocolate like Swiss does.

I am just starting to use Swiss since DL's SkyPeso program is moving to dollars spent whereas Star Alliance still does miles flown (at least on non-USA carriers).

s0ssos

Haha. Go look at the trick-it thread. This is the normal course.

Viennafly

Even weirder:

1. ZRH-ORD
2. GVA-ZRH-ORD
3. GVA-ZRH-ORD-DEN

(all on LX, ORD-DEN codeshare with UA). Guess the order of pricing in Z class:

3: cheapest
2: in the middle
1: most expensive

airoli

My guess:

$ = 3 < 2 < 1

Often1

OP - Do you mean stopover or connection?

Viennafly

indeed correct!

Andie007

For me, this rate structure absolutely makes sense

warakorn

I guess we need to explain the OP how airline yield management works.

DesertNomad

I understand yield management, but what does not make sense is that:

SFO-ZRH-PRG / PRG-ZRH / ZRH-SFO is $1835

SFO-ZRH-PRG / ZRH-SFO is $1192 and a OW PRG-ZRH is $275 = $1467.

These are the same flights, no hidden cities or lost segments, with two very different prices. I completely understand that PRG-ZRH-SFO might be cheaper than ZRH-SFO, but the above example are the same flights, same fare basis, different prices, even when bought at the same time.