Airline Ticket Cost Differences

[csxjohn]

How in the world is a flight from Cleveland to Las Vegas with a stop in Los Angeles cheaper than taking the same flight to LA?????

They are giving me a discount to stay on the plane and continue on to LV!!

I'm just starting to look at a possible trip to Cali this May and ran across that.

I have the choice of many airports to use maybe two different ones but I think when I get into the car rental prices I will be better off using a single airport.

As is usually the case for me, finding two back to back weeks with DAE is the easy part.

Who the heck figures out the pricing, timeshare sales people??

One week at Big Bear Lake, one night in Seabastopol then a week at Lake Tahoe. I'll probably let the holds on those week go though. It's starting to look pricey.

 

[PigsDad]

The price the airlines charge for a ticket has nothing to do with their costs for that flight. You see this all the time. In your case, there are probably more seats available (less demand) on the Cleveland to LA flight, and they can charge more for those who want the direct Cleveland to Las Vegas flight -- so they do.

As for the rental car, don't assume it will be more expensive to drop off at a different airport. I do this quite often, and these days there is usually no difference in price (and sometimes even cheaper).

Kurt

 

[natarajanv]

That is what https://skiplagged.com is exposing, calling it a hidden city ticket pricing

Sent from my SM-G928V using Tapatalk

 

[csxjohn]

...
As for the rental car, don't assume it will be more expensive to drop off at a different airport. I do this quite often, and these days there is usually no difference in price (and sometimes even cheaper).

Kurt

I have found in Fla it's no problem but the last time I went to Cali it was outrageous. I will look into it, thanks.

 

[csxjohn]

That is what https://skiplagged.com is exposing, calling it a hidden city ticket pricing

Sent from my SM-G928V using Tapatalk

Thanks, I will check this out.

 

[csxjohn]

As for the rental car, don't assume it will be more expensive to drop off at a different airport. I do this quite often, and these days there is usually no difference in price (and sometimes even cheaper).

Kurt

Just a quick look through Costco and it's cheaper to pick up in LA and drop off in San Fran than to pick up and drop off at LA.

Crazy stuff.

 

[csxjohn]

We have decided not to take this trip.


Thanks for all the comments.

I've got some new ideas from this thread.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Whether or not you pay a premium for a one-way rental depends on how cars move around in the system. If there is a net movement of cars from Los Angeles to San Francisco, then they will charge you a premium to pick up in Los Angeles and drop in San Francisco because you are throwing their inventory out of whack.

But if you do the reverse there will be no premium, and you might actually get a cheaper rate because they want that car to go back to Los Angeles. They might even give you a significant free upgrade if there is a specific class of car that they need to get moved. Happened one time to a friend of mine; he got upgraded from a compact to a full-size SUV for his one-way rental, even though the lot was filled with available compact cars.

 

[brownhaired_girl]

That is what https://skiplagged.com is exposing, calling it a hidden city ticket pricing

Sent from my SM-G928V using Tapatalk

Skipplagged is great. Be aware that you need to do carryons if you are not flying all the way to ticketed destination. Any checked bags will fly on to the final destination listed on the ticket.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Skipplagged is great. Be aware that you need to do carryons if you are not flying all the way to ticketed destination. Any checked bags will fly on to the final destination listed on the ticket.

Don't airlines verify that the number of passengers on the plane matches the passenger manifest? Isn't that required by TSA?

On a flight last week we sat at the gate for about half an hour because the passenger count and the manifest didn't agree.

 

[Kal]

If you use that technique the airline will often cancel your return flight.

 

[x3 skier]

If you use that technique the airline will often cancel your return flight.

Often means almost always. They also will occasionally close your FF account if you use this trick more than once.

Cheers

 

[Kal]

I used to use that non-hub airport technique in the "dark ages" along with other tricks involving short stays (less than 7 days). The later was when tickets were cheaper for longer stays rather than short term. Of course now with all the TSA issues I wouldn't even think about such tricks.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

I used to use that non-hub airport technique in the "dark ages" along with other tricks involving short stays (less than 7 days). The later was when tickets were cheaper for longer stays rather than short term. Of course now with all the TSA issues I wouldn't even think about such tricks.

Yeah - I would hope that if someone gets off a plane mid-flight, that would trigger security procedures. Because if someone had managed to get a bomb on board and didn't want to kill themself, they would set up the detonator to trigger after the second takeoff, and they would exit the plane at the first stop.

 

[SMHarman]

Yeah - I would hope that if someone gets off a plane mid-flight, that would trigger security procedures. Because if someone had managed to get a bomb on board and didn't want to kill themself, they would set up the detonator to trigger after the second takeoff, and they would exit the plane at the first stop.

Direct flights with a stop on the way are rare. Normally you change planes in the hidden city.

 

[csxjohn]

Direct flights with a stop on the way are rare. Normally you change planes in the hidden city.

I don't fly a lot but I've seen this a few times. My plan was to do this on my way back from Cali a few yrs ago. My flight was going to stop in Cle then continue to Pittsburgh. I was going to get off in Cle where I live. I would have told them I was not continuing on though.

Hurricane Irene change the whole thing and I ended up with a nonstop to Cle.

 

[Kal]

...I would have told them I was not continuing on though...

That's a good idea. Probably say you're ill and can't continue the flight. Therefore no drama or calling out the pit bulls to find a potential terrorist.

 

[deemarket]

That is what https://skiplagged.com is exposing, calling it a hidden city ticket pricing

Natarajanv,

Thanks for the link. I checked it out and it has the search options/views I have always wanted to be able to see.

 

[mdurette]

I have taken advantage of this "hidden city" pricing on Southwest a couple of times. It is ok with them, but they do request that you tell the FA when you depart so their count is correct and they are not looking for you on the next leg.

Only issue is you can't check luggage.

 

[csxjohn]

I have taken advantage of this "hidden city" pricing on Southwest a couple of times. It is ok with them, but they do request that you tell the FA when you depart so their count is correct and they are not looking for you on the next leg.

Only issue is you can't check luggage.

When we made the trip out west the airline charged for checked bags but carryons were free so we each did that. We actually saved a few hundred by flying out of Pittsburg on the plane that stopped in Cle then continues on. We went to Pitts by mega burs for $5 for 2 RT tix. The bus ride to the airport cost is $3.40 each from downtown.

Funny thing is we got over Cle and couldn't land because of a storm so they took us back to Pitts and we stayed in the airport overnight. The flew us to NJ then on to Vegas the next morning. Then of course Hurricane Irene (my mother in laws name) changed up everything on the way home. We ended up spending the night in Vegas and got a non stop to Cle in the morning.

 

[Sugarcubesea]

That is what https://skiplagged.com is exposing, calling it a hidden city ticket pricing

Sent from my SM-G928V using Tapatalk

Thank you for providing this link...