Same flight number for outbound and return
Jan 5, 2012 | 9:21 pm
#16
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: WAS-ish
Programs: UA 1K-MM + UC, Marriott Plat, National Exec
Posts: 1,343
Hmm, dunno about IAH-SNA-EWR, but I do see the direct flight IAH-CLE-EWR that nets an extra 191 miles for an elite member and is a permitted component of an -iah-ewr- routing: LAX-IAH-CLE-EWR-BWI is allowed on a UA K fare (but not the equivalent CO fare with -IAH-EWR- routing).
).However, I did find a number of XXX-IAH-(TPA)-EWR-BWI routings, with IAH-TPA-EWR on CO1552 -- and confirmed that those routings are bookable on .bomb. So I'm inclined to think that the SNA routing would be legit if I could find it on ITA.
(Interesting side point -- "direct" flights of that sort seem to screw up ITA's cents-per-mile functionality. Matrix shows the correct mileage for the fare, but uses the direct mileage internally to calculate cpm.)
Jan 5, 2012 | 9:45 pm
#17
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: LHR (sometimes CLE, SFO, BOS, LAX, SEA)
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However, I did find a number of XXX-IAH-(TPA)-EWR-BWI routings, with IAH-TPA-EWR on CO1552 -- and confirmed that those routings are bookable on .bomb. So I'm inclined to think that the SNA routing would be legit if I could find it on ITA.
(Interesting side point -- "direct" flights of that sort seem to screw up ITA's cents-per-mile functionality. Matrix shows the correct mileage for the fare, but uses the direct mileage internally to calculate cpm.)
(Interesting side point -- "direct" flights of that sort seem to screw up ITA's cents-per-mile functionality. Matrix shows the correct mileage for the fare, but uses the direct mileage internally to calculate cpm.)
(I had no idea about http://matrix.itasoftware.com/?showPricePerMile=true ! Makes sense that they'd use the direct mileage, since some carriers will only credit you the direct mileage.)
Jan 5, 2012 | 9:48 pm
#18
Original Poster
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Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,887
Well, sounds like it would be the correct cpm if you were booking this with AA, which awards direct/1-stop mileage based on the direct route from origin to destination. I guess ITA can't account for each FFP's peculiarities.
Jan 5, 2012 | 9:55 pm
#19
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: WAS-ish
Programs: UA 1K-MM + UC, Marriott Plat, National Exec
Posts: 1,343
(I had no idea about http://matrix.itasoftware.com/?showPricePerMile=true ! Makes sense that they'd use the direct mileage, since some carriers will only credit you the direct mileage.)
)
Jan 5, 2012 | 10:23 pm
#20
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: LHR (sometimes CLE, SFO, BOS, LAX, SEA)
Programs: Dunkin' Rewards Boosted
Posts: 5,915
For example, back in the day sea:: o:ua,co+ => cdg would readily return SEA-DEN-ORD-YUL-CDG, which is a valid routing on the cheapest SEA-CDG fare. (Or SEA-IAH-TPA-EWR-CDG, which is allowed because of the single-flight-number reason identified here.)
These days, you need to specify sea:: ua ua ua => cdg to get the same results.