$0 {segment} fares
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: BWI
Programs: UA S/AGR S+/MR G/SW CP/AA Plat
Posts: 280
$0 {segment} fares
I found some $0 fares MIA-BWI for next week and first class as low as $104. Am wondering if the fares are an error from some sort of changes they are doing because of Harvey waivers? Unfortunately I need to leave later than the last flight on United on Friday so I cannot book these.
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,395
I found some $0 fares MIA-BWI for next week and first class as low as $104. Am wondering if the fares are an error from some sort of changes they are doing because of Harvey waivers? Unfortunately I need to leave later than the last flight on United on Friday so I cannot book these.
In this particular case, it looks like it's re-faring the outbound segment if you select the "cheap" return segment. I was able to reproduce it by selecting first class on 9/7 in Z class. When I clicked on the "$0" return, the outbound was re-priced into P class.
If you look at the details panels on the itinerary confirmation screen, you can see that the PQD are split between the outbound and the return. That's a much better approximation of the way the fares are breaking down.
I have no idea why UA isn't just showing the P fare in the first place, but I've seen this before -- albeit, usually with more complicated itineraries.
#3
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Join Date: Nov 2014
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Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
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It's more of an artifact of the way that UA attempts to show one-way pricing even though that's not the way airfare is priced.
In this particular case, it looks like it's re-faring the outbound segment if you select the "cheap" return segment. I was able to reproduce it by selecting first class on 9/7 in Z class. When I clicked on the "$0" return, the outbound was re-priced into P class.
If you look at the details panels on the itinerary confirmation screen, you can see that the PQD are split between the outbound and the return. That's a much better approximation of the way the fares are breaking down.
I have no idea why UA isn't just showing the P fare in the first place, but I've seen this before -- albeit, usually with more complicated itineraries.
In this particular case, it looks like it's re-faring the outbound segment if you select the "cheap" return segment. I was able to reproduce it by selecting first class on 9/7 in Z class. When I clicked on the "$0" return, the outbound was re-priced into P class.
If you look at the details panels on the itinerary confirmation screen, you can see that the PQD are split between the outbound and the return. That's a much better approximation of the way the fares are breaking down.
I have no idea why UA isn't just showing the P fare in the first place, but I've seen this before -- albeit, usually with more complicated itineraries.
It boggles my mind that the website can do either of these things, but what do you know...
(This is a similar T to K pricing discrepancy on the CHI-MIA segment.)
#4
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Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Bay Area, CA
Programs: UA Plat 2MM; AS MVP Gold 75K
Posts: 35,068
They've already quoted you an outbound fare. The inbound is in addition to the outbound. So long as they quoted you > $0 for the outbound, it's not a $0 fare as your headline suggests.
Safeway had BOGO cereal the other day. I couldn't just get the second (free) box without buying the first (paid) one.
Safeway had BOGO cereal the other day. I couldn't just get the second (free) box without buying the first (paid) one.
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: BWI
Programs: UA S/AGR S+/MR G/SW CP/AA Plat
Posts: 280
It has something to do with the fact that KAA7AWFN on BWI/CHI permits multi-component circle trips, whereas KAA7AWEN does not (only 2-component circle trips). Somehow, the search engine fetches (correctly) QAA7AKEN as the lowest legal Economy fare, but then uses that to conclude (incorrectly) that the lowest legal First fare is QAA7AKFN. And then somehow the validator on the return segment is capable of figuring out that the first page was wrong, and post-fixing the entire pricing.
It boggles my mind that the website can do either of these things, but what do you know...
(This is a similar T to K pricing discrepancy on the CHI-MIA segment.)
It boggles my mind that the website can do either of these things, but what do you know...
(This is a similar T to K pricing discrepancy on the CHI-MIA segment.)