Why is flight cheaper with additional leg?
 

Hi all, sorry if this has already been covered but I need help understanding something - I am flight shopping for a friend who wants to go IAH-BDA in December. Why would it be over $100 cheaper to go AUS-IAH-EWR-BDA than just IAH-EWR-BDA? Can my friend just buy the AUS-BDA ticket and just not board in AUS (we are in Houston), or is there some sort of penalty for that?

TIA :cool:

Your ticket will be cancelled as a no-show.

?
 

So does this mean the entire itinerary would be cancelled? And, I should not encourage my friend to do this and instead go ahead and buy the more expensive ticket without the AUS leg?

Yes.

Yes.

The only alternative is to buy the ticket out of IAH, go to IAH to start the journey there, and then on the return drop the last leg AUS-IAH.

This might still yield some savings (or not) at the cost of some inconvenience.

The AUS ticket is cheaper because CO is competing with more carriers and the offer a cheaper price than from their hub at IAH. From their hub they offer the convenience of the most direct flight, and so they charge a premium for it.

The question then is, is the AUS ticket cheap enough to bother going to AUS and getting on that flight, or would you rather have the ease of leaving from IAH.

Though we are IAH based, we often fly out of SAT, connecting in Houston and saving, believe it or not, up to $100 per ticket. I believe its called the "HUB penalty". We actually saved $150 a ticket to Costa Rica last year. We have reasons to be in SA often, and find the airport so convenient, parking reasonable, Pres Club people great, and baggage claim almost instantaneous. So when its possible, we time our flights to coincide with our trips to SA. Its worth the drive.