This looks to be at least partly related to something posted a couple weeks ago on the
mysterious black box thread:
Originally Posted by
ftnoob
Today I have run into several anomalies with the custom connection/fare merging/coupon charging black box...
On a completely different route I noticed a one-stop direct flight in December that, surprisingly, took 45 minutes longer than a connecting flight on the same route...[because] I'd be flying 50% more miles as compared to the connecting flight option. I'd never noticed such an indirect path on this route before.
I was going to post an update on that thread yesterday after noticing some bizarre connections on other itineraries, but was too busy getting everyone I know to book tickets on SWA and trying to work out our own travel plans! (Actually some of the bizarre connections are ones I have tried to use for a custom A-B-C OW award booking in the past, but could not do so; in those cases, the "bizarre" routings actually had advantages, such as time of day, over the limited published options on some routes.)
Suggestions along these lines have been made on this board, but I don't have time to hunt them down. It is interesting that the announcement mentions it is part of the search for more revenue opportunities. Did this project contribute to the delay of the codeshare project? Is it a factor in the size of the new schedule book, or are the new routings not in the hard copy?
Anyway, one thing this means is that a bunch of custom itinerary "hidden" award seat booking opportunities have become accessible to all. Considering this excerpt from the intro to the Wiki,
Those who read this Wiki become "instant elite" on Southwest. You see, elite status on Southwest in conferred by knowledge, not mileage.
another way of looking at it is that in one respect "elite" status has just been devalued!
(I haven't had time to test it, but I think there may still be some usefulness to the A-B-C booking technique for custom connections.)
The nugget that needs to be added to the black box thread and eventually to the Wiki:
it may be time to throw out most of what we previously "knew" about routings that would be invalid for custom connections due to backtracking.
This change will save us an enormous number of seat hunting hours, which truly will be appreciated!