Get this.... This morning AA.com gave a fare for DXB-SEA-TUL-DXB of about $1300 (without taxes). A few hours later the price jumped to over $3700.

I eventually figured out I could do 2 tickets: 1) DXB-ORD-TUL-DXB for $1056 and 2) ORD-SEA-ORD for $256. Just a bit higher than the original price.

Are there any problems doing this? If so, what are the risks? Can I check my bags through on both tickets, or is it better to claim it and re-check it?

Clearly I won't pay $3700 for an economy ticket like this, especially when the price was $1300 a few hours earlier.