Route Expander - manually expanding using routing rules
 

OK folks...
What I've found is that a good majority of the time, Fare Metric's Route expander (http://www.faremetrics.com/) does not work.

When all else fails, pen, paper and a guide (elsewhere here) for manually expanding routes using the routing rules would seem fail proof.

Here are the rules:

1) You get to choose one FROM, one TO, and optionally one VIA from the OR's.

2) When you see a slash ("/") that means you get to choose exactly one of the cities that are slashed together (that's why MSP-DFW fails)

3) You can exclude connection points that exist in the routing - eg. if it says AAA-BBB-CCC, you can go AAA-CCC (provided there isn't some other explicit rule like "All flights from AAA to CCC must be via BBB").

4) You need the carrier to fly direct between the points on your route - e.g. a lot of SFO routes will say something like SFO-UA-SJC/OAK-ORD. But there are no direct flights from SFO to SJC or OAK so they are useless to you.

5) There of course needs to be inventory in the appropriate bucket for the fare.

6) When you notice a loophole in a routing, you should not post about it as it risks the loophole being closed. e.g. if you find out that MIA-BOS-FLL-SEA-SAN-PDX is a valid routing (Im rather sure it's not), don't give it any unwanted attention as the airline lurkers may decide to "fix" it (much the way cats and dogs are "fixed" by the vet. Feel free to make vague references and to PM your friends and tell folks at do's just don't make it easy for someone to cut and paste your post into an email to the fare desk.

However, I get the feeling that either I'm flaming stupid or the above guide needs some touch up. Additionally, what I haven't seen is too many real life good examples in application.

So.. I've established this thread for folks to paste some routing rules along with possible routes (the goal here is to construct the longest, most complex routes known to mankind!)

Rules of engagement:
To prevent concerns under rule #6 above, please do a search and replace on ALL airports and replace them with AAA, BBB, CCC, DDD, EEE, FFF, etc.

Let the fun begin!

First example route (from Continental):

FROM
AAA-CO-BBB-CO-

VIA CCC-CO-
OR
VIA DDD-CO-EEE/FFF/GGG/HHH-CO-

TO III-CO-JJJ*
OR
TO FFF-CO-KKK-CO-JJJ*
OR
TO KKK-CO-LLL/MMM-CO-JJJ*
OR
TO FFF-CO-LLL/MMM-CO-JJJ*
OR
TO NNN-CO-JJJ*

Second example route (Continental):

FROM
JJJ-CO-NNN-
OR
FROM JJJ-CO-MMM/LLL-CO-FFF-
OR
FROM JJJ-CO-MMM/LLL-CO-KKK-
OR
FROM JJJ-CO-KKK-CO-FFF-
OR
FROM JJJ-CO-III-

VIA
CO-HHH/GGG/FFF/EEE-CO-DDD-
OR VIA
CO-CCC-

TO CO-BBB-CO-AAA*

Unless I'm mistaken, the above should return the following routes:
AAA BBB CCC III JJJ
AAA BBB CCC FFF KKK JJJ
AAA BBB CCC KKK LLL/MMM JJJ
AAA BBB CCC FFF LLL/MMM JJJ
AAA BBB CCC NNN JJJ
AAA BBB DDD EEE/FFF/GGG/HHH III JJJ
AAA BBB DDD EEE/FFF/GGG/HHH FFF KKK JJJ
AAA BBB DDD EEE/FFF/GGG/HHH KKK LLL/MMM JJJ
AAA BBB DDD EEE/FFF/GGG/HHH FFF LLL/MMM JJJ
AAA BBB DDD EEE/FFF/GGG/HHH NNN JJJ

Where the airports separated by slashes (e.g. EEE/FFF/GGG/HHH) means choose one (e.g. EEE or FFF or GGG or HHH).

Removal of airports separated by slashes further expands to:
AAA BBB CCC III JJJ
AAA BBB CCC FFF KKK JJJ
AAA BBB CCC KKK MMM JJJ
AAA BBB CCC KKK LLL JJJ
AAA BBB CCC FFF LLL JJJ
AAA BBB CCC FFF MMM JJJ
AAA BBB CCC NNN JJJ
AAA BBB DDD EEE III JJJ
AAA BBB DDD FFF III JJJ
AAA BBB DDD GGG III JJJ
AAA BBB DDD HHH III JJJ
AAA BBB DDD EEE FFF KKK JJJ
AAA BBB DDD FFF KKK JJJ
AAA BBB DDD GGG FFF KKK JJJ
AAA BBB DDD HHH FFF KKK JJJ
AAA BBB DDD EEE KKK LLL JJJ
AAA BBB DDD EEE KKK MMM JJJ
AAA BBB DDD FFF KKK LLL JJJ
AAA BBB DDD FFF KKK MMM JJJ
AAA BBB DDD GGG KKK LLL JJJ
AAA BBB DDD GGG KKK MMM JJJ
AAA BBB DDD HHH KKK LLL JJJ
AAA BBB DDD HHH KKK MMM JJJ
AAA BBB DDD EEE FFF LLL JJJ
AAA BBB DDD EEE FFF MMM JJJ
AAA BBB DDD FFF LLL JJJ
AAA BBB DDD FFF MMM JJJ
AAA BBB DDD GGG FFF LLL JJJ
AAA BBB DDD GGG FFF MMM JJJ
AAA BBB DDD HHH FFF LLL JJJ
AAA BBB DDD HHH FFF MMM JJJ
AAA BBB DDD EEE NNN JJJ
AAA BBB DDD FFF NNN JJJ
AAA BBB DDD GGG NNN JJJ
AAA BBB DDD HHH NNN JJJ

Building Posts?
 

I guess this is one way to get your post count to grow. It's kinda like an inner-personal conversation. :cool:

This makes three of us

This does help giving you all the possible routings but doesn't help much if you don't know which one is the longest routing because you don't know where the airports are.It's good for segment runs though.

Guess he's found one way to NOT participate while still posting.

Well, the three of you (in first person, I'll presume it's me, myself and I), feel free to pitch in with an opinion of correctness or routing rules of your own.

Great.. a few spoil-sports... It's a GAME... It isn't meant to give anyhing meaningful other than to validate the ability to understand the game and successful application of the rules.

I'm not even so sure I did it right.

Well, I for one think it's cool and am glad that you did started this interesting thread. Not that I have anything to contribute at this point, other than to say - good work, keep it coming! And thanks!!

What imaliveru said. This is one of the reasons we have FT. Let's hold off on the personal remarks and stick to the posted information. ;)

MACH81, I think the www.faremetrics.com site does provide the longest routing, not just max segments.

Bubba