Airline question

[bjfinste]

I'm wondering if anyone knows why this is. For some reason flights out of Dallas/Ft.Worth to Las Vegas are ridiculously high compared to flying there from other places and going from here to other places. That alone has me interested, but I just saw this.

If I were to fly to Vegas from Waco (about a 100 miles from here), which would connect both ways through DFW, it's $150 cheaper than just flying direct on the EXACT SAME FLIGHTS minus the DFW-Waco legs each way.

Why is that? Doesn't that make absolutely no sense? I figure I could catch a ride to Waco and then on the way back just not get on the connecting flight, but I really don't understand it.

 

[acehistr8]

Just the way the hub and spoke system works sometimes and frankly even the airlines know it makes no sense. I had a class taught by the ceo of atlantic coast on airline economics, he started off the first class by saying look I would like to lie to you and say most of this will make sense by the end of the semester, but it wont.

Basically its simple supply and demand. I dont know the figures but lets just say its $300 from DFW and $150 from Waco. The first question would be why wouldnt everyone drive to Waco from DFW? Well they just wont, airlines could kill you with statistics about how far people will drive to save $100, btu suffice it to say the wont drive 100 miles if the fair out of DFW is reasonable. Second is they want to make it cheap to have Waco serve as a feeder into their hub and spoke system. Say theres that family that lives in Waco but say normally drives to DFW, now they see a cheap fare out of Waco, hey maybe now when they fly to grandmas for Christmas they will remember Waco instead of DFW. Anyway, I've probably done a pretty bad job explaining the hub and spoke system, I'm sure there are better explanations out there.

 

[bjfinste]

Thanks Ace, that does at least give me a little better idea. I figure if we did it, we'd get a ride to Waco for the flight out since we have some friends that just graduated from Baylor and they still go down there. Then on the return flight, just stay at DFW and not get on the connecting flight back to Waco.

It does seem silly and stupid to me, but like you said, not a lot of things about the airline industry make sense.

 

[Blitz]

Do you have to get the first flight in Waco?
I don't know if you can do it but what if you don't drive to Waco and just take the connecting flight at DFW to LV...:shrug:

 

[Penguinfan]

Do you have to get the first flight in Waco?
I don't know if you can do it but what if you don't drive to Waco and just take the connecting flight at DFW to LV...:shrug:

Was wondering the same thing, but it seemed too easy.

Penguinfan

 

[bjfinste]

A friend of mine said they wouldn't let you past security because you'd have to check in at the Waco airport since that's where the flight is booked out of. Otherwise that would easily be the way to go. But on the way back it's no problem because you can just not get on the connecting plane.

 

[BahamaMama]

don't check any luggage if you plan on skipping the last segment of your return flight.