Originally Posted by
DaDaDan
Separately, looking at your algorithm, I don't think it is comprehensive. If the problem is to fly AAA to BBB, there are also round trip fares from AAA to NNN that allow an open jaw where the "return" can be to BBB. If you price AAA-NNN alone, as suggested in your Step 2, the price could be a high OW fare, at which point your algorithm will stop exploring this option. Only by adding the segment NNN-BBB, do you find that it qualifies as a RT with OJ.
This is at least one way where searching fares progressively fails. At least one other one is creating an itinerary that, by adding a leg, qualifies for RTW pricing.
(With the caveat that I'm really only thinking about domestic flights and not all the crazy extra fees and complexity for Intl)
I think that once again you're not talking about broken fares but fares from origin to destination, and that type of fare (married segments if connecting) is exactly the logic that would be in step 1 of what I outlined, and is what Delta.com already does.
And