Thanks everyone for your replies. What ended up happening is at the airport they simply dropped the last segment of the flight for me, for no additional charges. Though I wont do this again as it was kind of a pain, I saved around 700 dollars for my trip. Back to my capitalism point, it's really not something to laugh at, yet something to respect. I think that using common sense, a flight to Orlando should cost more than a flight 1 hour away, considering airline expenses. However, obviously pricing has nothing to do with mileage/gas, but only with competition/economics. I believe that what I practiced is capitalism, though I understand that I agree to a contract with the airlines when I purchase their product. Just as the airlines find "tricks" to charge more, being pricing more due to less competition per route or by charging for luggage, I have every right to find "tricks" that save me money (as long as it's not against US law, and as long as it doesnt hurt me), thus it's a free market. All in all, this trip taught me a lot, and I will always look to find what suits me best, in the air and on the ground

Thanks all for clarifying this for me, and happy flying!