A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,417
You seem to be looking only at the price of the first ticket. The M fare on the 29th for outbound on the second ticket will increase its price greatly compared to what it otherwise would cost, even though if it hasn't been purchased yet, you avoid paying the change fee on this ticket. It's hard to see how this does very much other than shift a lot of the expense from the first ticket to the second ticket. You still pay the M fare for travel on the 29th if that's the cheapest inventory that's available for that date.