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LGA-CLE-EWR-China routing

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Old Apr 24, 2019, 2:23 pm
  #1  
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LGA-CLE-EWR-China routing

I found that on the dates I wanted, this routing LGA-CLE-EWR-PEK produces a much lower fare than EWR-PEK alone. I've also seen LGA-IAD-EWR routing on some days with the cheapest fare.

Anyone has experience with connections that basically takes you no where? Will UA be willing to get rid of the LGA-EWR connections and let me fly from EWR?
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Old Apr 24, 2019, 2:26 pm
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Originally Posted by kchanbeki
Will UA be willing to get rid of the LGA-EWR connections and let me fly from EWR?
Not unless there is a delay or a schedule change that makes it impossible to make your connections. The pricing reflects the desirability of nonstop travel; they don't want to sell the nonstop flight at the lower price.
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Old Apr 24, 2019, 3:01 pm
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UA once had a Hong Kong fare that required travel through ATL. IIRC the fare was broken up: IAH - ATL, ATL - EWR- HKG. I had booked pretty far out so at the first minor schedule change, I found an agent willing to change my flight to IAH-SFO - HKG.
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Old Apr 24, 2019, 3:16 pm
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This is one of the better examples I've seen of how irrational airline fare pricing can sometimes be.
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Old Apr 24, 2019, 6:54 pm
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Originally Posted by kchanbeki
Will UA be willing to get rid of the LGA-EWR connections and let me fly from EWR?
Unless you need the PQD, my response would be: how dare you contemplate giving up the extra PQM (and PQS, if that matters for you)!
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Old Apr 24, 2019, 7:40 pm
  #6  
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Originally Posted by Kacee
This is one of the better examples I've seen of how irrational airline fare pricing can sometimes be.
it looks to me no different than any nonstop premium, with the added item that there is no way to get a nonstop LGA-EWR, so they add the extra connection.

Is it really any different, than say, BOS-EWR-PEK being cheaper than EWR-PEK (I didn’t check fares, so a totally made up example, but you get the point).
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Old Apr 24, 2019, 8:06 pm
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That's odd to me because I thought they set fares based on markets. NYC-PEK. So if inventory buckets are avail, shouldn't LGA CLE EWR PEK price the same as EWR PEK. and inventory buckets should be the same between EWR PEK, so i'm actually confused
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Old Apr 24, 2019, 8:10 pm
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Originally Posted by deskover54
That's odd to me because I thought they set fares based on markets. NYC-PEK. So if inventory buckets are avail, shouldn't LGA CLE EWR PEK price the same as EWR PEK. and inventory buckets should be the same between EWR PEK, so i'm actually confused
No, because of married segments, and/or end on end construction.
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Old Apr 24, 2019, 9:02 pm
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Originally Posted by deskover54
That's odd to me because I thought they set fares based on markets. NYC-PEK. So if inventory buckets are avail, shouldn't LGA CLE EWR PEK price the same as EWR PEK. and inventory buckets should be the same between EWR PEK, so i'm actually confused
EWR and NYC are separate markets. (The city code for Beijing is actually BJS, btw . However, a quick check of the fare table for EWR-BJS shows that the lowest current UA fare for EWR-BJS is a $0 add-on to the NYC-BJS fare.

Originally Posted by mduell
No, because of married segments, and/or end on end construction.
Right. Either UA is providing inventory on LGA-CLE-EWR-PEK that they're not providing on EWR-PEK, or there's a fare break at CLE and it's pricing as LGA-CLE + CLE-EWR-PEK. If OP provides dates, we could figure it out -- but the original point still stands. In order to get the cheaper fare, UA is going to require that you fly all of the legs.
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Old Apr 24, 2019, 10:00 pm
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Originally Posted by jsloan
EWR and NYC are separate markets. (The city code for Beijing is actually BJS, btw . However, a quick check of the fare table for EWR-BJS shows that the lowest current UA fare for EWR-BJS is a $0 add-on to the NYC-BJS fare.


Right. Either UA is providing inventory on LGA-CLE-EWR-PEK that they're not providing on EWR-PEK, or there's a fare break at CLE and it's pricing as LGA-CLE + CLE-EWR-PEK. If OP provides dates, we could figure it out -- but the original point still stands. In order to get the cheaper fare, UA is going to require that you fly all of the legs.
I'd love to get the insight here, so hoping OP gives dates. This stuff is fascinating to me to learn. and totally makes sense. I am highly doubtful that it's a fare break. PEK fares are so low, and i don't think nyc cle is a cheap fare. just a guess. but can't wait to see someone decode the fare construction.

and yes, i think most of us knew you have to fly it all. or irrops. if your conx is tight, or there's a drizzle, you can usually get them to dump the other 2 legs and hopefully get ORC if it's a legit delay or misconnect.
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Old Apr 25, 2019, 6:58 am
  #11  
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Originally Posted by emcampbe
it looks to me no different than any nonstop premium
Except you fly about 830 miles to get from LGA to EWR. That actually makes sense to you? How interesting.
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Old Apr 25, 2019, 8:27 am
  #12  
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Originally Posted by Kacee
Except you fly about 830 miles to get from LGA to EWR. That actually makes sense to you? How interesting.
lots of people on this board would love that😀. I’ve certainly done longer mileage runs than 800 miles out of the way.

The OP was wondering why they couldn’t get the same fare on the nonstop from EWR. And my point was it’s essentially the same as any non-hub-international itinerary vs. hub-international - the latter is often more expensive - sometimes significantly so. LGa-CLE-EWR certainly is farther than normal, but I’d think the only closer way to do it out of LGA is to go via IAD (or take the flight ORD-PEK), given there’s no LGA-EWR flights. But those lower fares may not have been available.

I’ll also say I’ve done stuff like CVG-IAH-YYZ before, not for price reasons, but because I needed to get out the next morning last minute, and the only seat UA would even sell out of CVG that morning was a single F class seat on that CVG-IAH flight (and got it as a saver award, to boot). So I flew 870 miles south even though I was really going NE, and to boot, the IAH-YYZ segment basically overflies CVG directly.
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Old Apr 25, 2019, 8:29 am
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Originally Posted by jsloan
EWR and NYC are separate markets. (The city code for Beijing is actually BJS, btw . However, a quick check of the fare table for EWR-BJS shows that the lowest current UA fare for EWR-BJS is a $0 add-on to the NYC-BJS fare.


Right. Either UA is providing inventory on LGA-CLE-EWR-PEK that they're not providing on EWR-PEK, or there's a fare break at CLE and it's pricing as LGA-CLE + CLE-EWR-PEK. If OP provides dates, we could figure it out -- but the original point still stands. In order to get the cheaper fare, UA is going to require that you fly all of the legs.
And the irony of the "separate markets" angle is UA's timetable lists plenty of connections that involve EWR-LGA airport transfers.
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Old Apr 25, 2019, 8:55 am
  #14  
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Originally Posted by JimInOhio
And the irony of the "separate markets" angle is UA's timetable lists plenty of connections that involve EWR-LGA airport transfers.
Back when I listed DAL as my home airport I found out how *fluid* UA definition of co-terminal is

UA leased their two DAL gates to WN, and since they no longer flew from DAL, without notice changed my DAL-DEN to DFW-DEN at a completely different time

But try to change to a co-terminal - only possible during IRROPS.

Ah, the Golden Rule .... He who has the Gold makes the Rules @:-)

But OP reminds me of California - California via Hawaii on a route to East Coast a few years back And that was when UA was still miles and not $$$ based for RDM
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Old Apr 25, 2019, 9:51 am
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I believe this was set up by the Cleveland Tourist Bureau as a way to force more people to travel to Cleveland even if it is only for an hour or two. Just kidding I love Cleveland and use to live there so I can make fun of Cleveberg....

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