Adding a segment to lower price
Jun 2, 2014 | 1:02 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Anchorage, Alaska
Programs: MVP75K, UA Gold,
Posts: 99
Adding a segment to lower price
Many times if I add a segment after my desired final destination the price drops. For instance I wanted to go to Houston so I added Austin (connection through Houston) and the price went down. Any reasons for this?
Jun 2, 2014 | 3:20 am
#4
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Canada, USA, Europe
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 31,439
Adding a segment to lower price
It's a well known phenomenon of ticket pricing and fare construction. You could drop Austin, unless this is your return city as well, in which case the rest of the itinerary would get cancelled. Do it too much and the airline will get on your case about breaking fare rules.
Jun 2, 2014 | 8:31 pm
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2000
Programs: UA Million Miler (lite). NY Metro area.
Posts: 15,430
I thought this was a FD (fuel dump) thread. There, I said it out loud. 
Now there's no hidden meaning in what I wrote. The OP (original poster/post) said it short and sweet.
dh
Now there's no hidden meaning in what I wrote. The OP (original poster/post) said it short and sweet. dh
Jun 4, 2014 | 8:36 am
#6
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: DL PM; Hilton Dia; Marriott Titanium/LT Gold
Posts: 8,496
Adding a segment to lower price
Actually, throwaway and hidden city ticketing are not the same as fuel dumps. A fuel dump typically involves adding another leg to a different country than your intended final point in order to get rid of a fuel surcharge. Adding a flight from a hub to a nonhub within the same country doesn't have any effect on fuel surcharges, but rather prices as a different fare. The base fare from NY to Houston and the price from NY to Dallas may be different, even though one valid routing to get to Dallas will entail connecting in Houston.