Crazy Pricing? (PDX-FCO 3x PHL-FCO)
Mar 27, 2019, 8:53 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Portland, OR.
Programs: AA PPro
Posts: 605
Crazy Pricing? (PDX-FCO 3x PHL-FCO)
I found a SWU from PHL-FCO in october for my wife and myself. But my home airport is PDX.
the pricing is asl follows
PHL-FCO $1200
DFW-PHL-FCO $1400
PDX-DFW-PHL-FCO $3600
Not sure why the price almost triples from PDX and yet I can book a RT from PDX-DFW for about $275 and make the connection to PHL.
Thoughts are appreciated.
the pricing is asl follows
PHL-FCO $1200
DFW-PHL-FCO $1400
PDX-DFW-PHL-FCO $3600
Not sure why the price almost triples from PDX and yet I can book a RT from PDX-DFW for about $275 and make the connection to PHL.
Thoughts are appreciated.
Mar 27, 2019, 8:58 am
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: HH Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Gold, Hyatt something
Posts: 33,532
I found a SWU from PHL-FCO in october for my wife and myself. But my home airport is PDX.
the pricing is asl follows
PHL-FCO $1200
DFW-PHL-FCO $1400
PDX-DFW-PHL-FCO $3600
Not sure why the price almost triples from PDX and yet I can book a RT from PDX-DFW for about $275 and make the connection to PHL.
Thoughts are appreciated.
the pricing is asl follows
PHL-FCO $1200
DFW-PHL-FCO $1400
PDX-DFW-PHL-FCO $3600
Not sure why the price almost triples from PDX and yet I can book a RT from PDX-DFW for about $275 and make the connection to PHL.
Thoughts are appreciated.
Mar 27, 2019, 9:03 am
#4
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: USA
Programs: Chase Sapphire Reserve, WFBF
Posts: 1,573
I found a SWU from PHL-FCO in october for my wife and myself. But my home airport is PDX.
the pricing is asl follows
PHL-FCO $1200
DFW-PHL-FCO $1400
PDX-DFW-PHL-FCO $3600
Not sure why the price almost triples from PDX and yet I can book a RT from PDX-DFW for about $275 and make the connection to PHL.
Thoughts are appreciated.
the pricing is asl follows
PHL-FCO $1200
DFW-PHL-FCO $1400
PDX-DFW-PHL-FCO $3600
Not sure why the price almost triples from PDX and yet I can book a RT from PDX-DFW for about $275 and make the connection to PHL.
Thoughts are appreciated.
So book the separate ticket if that's the itinerary you want... it's not against the rules.
Mar 27, 2019, 9:24 am
#5
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 1,285
This is not crazy pricing, it's standard revenue management. Ticket prices are based on origin and destination, so it's entirely possible that the base fare for PDX-FCO is much higher than for DFW-FCO. It's also possible that there is a discount PDX-FCO fare but the proposed connection points are not allowed on that fare (or there are too many segments, exceeding the maximum permitted mileage, etc). Everything I mentioned is speculation of course, but there's lots of reasons why this can happen.
So book the separate ticket if that's the itinerary you want... it's not against the rules.
So book the separate ticket if that's the itinerary you want... it's not against the rules.
Mar 27, 2019, 9:29 am
#6
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
Perhaps this ought to be merged with the several hundred threads, some old and some new, raising the same question about some other route on some carrier. The answer is and will remain the same it has been for the past 25+ years, e.g. that carriers do not price per mile, but rather by market.
Put simply, AA believes that someone will buy that $3,600 ticket. Or it can sell the component parts of that ticket, e.g. PDF-PHL and PHL-FCO for more.
Put simply, AA believes that someone will buy that $3,600 ticket. Or it can sell the component parts of that ticket, e.g. PDF-PHL and PHL-FCO for more.
Mar 27, 2019, 9:37 am
#7
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: New York City + Vail, CO
Programs: American Airlines Executive Platinum, Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador Elite
Posts: 3,223
If you call AA they can do revenue + award tickets in one PNR allowing baggage to get checked through. Might be a good option.
Mar 27, 2019, 10:18 am
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Location: Bye Delta
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Mar 27, 2019, 10:24 am
#9
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Economy, mostly :(
Programs: Skywards Gold
Posts: 7,801
Makes sense to me. You want to fly from Portland to Rome that's an entirely different market and value proposoprop than Portland to Philadelphia or Philadelphia to Rome. Many industries base prices in what consumers are willing to pay rather than raw cost. E.g. Spotify, netflix, etc
Mar 27, 2019, 10:25 am
#10
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Makes sense to me. You want to fly from Portland to Rome that's an entirely different market and value proposoprop than Portland to Philadelphia or Philadelphia to Rome. Many industries base prices in what consumers are willing to pay rather than raw cost. E.g. Spotify, netflix, etc
Mar 27, 2019, 11:35 am
#12
Join Date: Oct 2016
Programs: DL Gold, AA Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 253
Tix 1 = PDX - DFW
Tic 2 = DFW - FCO.
And then if I miss the connection from DFW - FCO, AA will rebook me? I don't think this is right anymore.
Mar 27, 2019, 11:39 am
#13
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Economy, mostly :(
Programs: Skywards Gold
Posts: 7,801
Is this right? I thought OW obliterated that policy a few years back. You're saying I can still book separate tickets on OW airlines and have protection against misconnects? For example, if I book:
Tix 1 = PDX - DFW
Tic 2 = DFW - FCO.
And then if I miss the connection from DFW - FCO, AA will rebook me? I don't think this is right anymore.
Tix 1 = PDX - DFW
Tic 2 = DFW - FCO.
And then if I miss the connection from DFW - FCO, AA will rebook me? I don't think this is right anymore.
Mar 27, 2019, 12:34 pm
#14
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It’s the same as saying you can buy a hamburger, and you can buy a slice of American cheese, but if you want a cheeseburger, that’s an entirely different value proposition and it will cost you 3x as much as buying the hamburger and slice of cheese separately.
Last edited by javabytes; Mar 27, 2019 at 12:44 pm
Mar 27, 2019, 12:46 pm
#15
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Economy, mostly :(
Programs: Skywards Gold
Posts: 7,801
The example is that PDX-DFW + DFW-PHL-FCO != PDX-DFW-PHL-FCO.
It’s the same as saying you can buy a hamburger, and you can buy a slice of American cheese, but if you want a cheeseburger, that’s an entirely different value proposition and it will cost you 3x as much as buying the hamburger and slice of cheese separately.
