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No the rationale behind it is very different from the Uber case. The reason behind hidden city fares is, the price of SFO-NYC-BTV is for the SFO-BTV market, to

No the rationale behind it is very different from the Uber case. The reason behind hidden city fares is, the price of SFO-NYC-BTV is for the SFO-BTV market, to compete with other airlines' SFO-ATL-BTV, SFO-ORD-BTV, SFO-Whatever-BTV or SFO-BTV direct flight. It has nothing to do with SFO-NYC market, just for this particular airline it happens to route through NYC. It discounted more than SFO-NYC market because competitions on that market. That's why competition is good for customers (history has shown us that when an airline has monopoly on a market, you can only expect the fares on that market to go up). That's also why it's against the contract of carriage you have with the airline and the airlines are working very hard to avoid customers doing that (if you associate your frequent flyer number with hidden city bookings, they might cancel your account. they might also put you on a blacklist if you are caught doing this frequently). The airline practice similar to the Uber one is charging more for frequent flyers. United was caught doing that a few years ago (maybe they are still doing that).

philipodonnell 9y ago
> The reason behind hidden city fares is, the price of SFO-NYC-BTV is for the SFO-BTV market, to compete with other airlines' SFO-ATL-BTV, SFO-ORD-BTV, SFO-Whatever-BTV or SFO-BTV direct flight. It has nothing to do with SFO-NYC market, just for this particular airline it happens to route through NYC. It discounted more than SFO-NYC market because competitions on that market. In price disparity situations as an outsider, its impossible to determine whether the lower price is because based on competitive pressure (as you claim) or whether the higher price is based on customer's willingness to pay (as I claim), because both imply that the other is the "normal" price absent those features. Its likely a little bit of both. What is the same is the economics: costs in both industries are primarily based on miles that they took you. Prices are based on what they think they can get away with charging you. The more they know about you (or infer based on the data they have and what you are trying to do) the more chances they have to charge you higher prices because they think you can afford it.
- fishywang 9y ago
  It's always based on customers' willingness to pay, that's how capitalism works. It's just that the competition will make customers less willing to pay more.

philipodonnell 9y ago

> The reason behind hidden city fares is, the price of SFO-NYC-BTV is for the SFO-BTV market, to compete with other airlines' SFO-ATL-BTV, SFO-ORD-BTV, SFO-Whatever-BTV or SFO-BTV direct flight. It has nothing to do with SFO-NYC market, just for this particular airline it happens to route through NYC. It discounted more than SFO-NYC market because competitions on that market. In price disparity situations as an outsider, its impossible to determine whether the lower price is because based on competitive pressure (as you claim) or whether the higher price is based on customer's willingness to pay (as I claim), because both imply that the other is the "normal" price absent those features. Its likely a little bit of both. What is the same is the economics: costs in both industries are primarily based on miles that they took you. Prices are based on what they think they can get away with charging you. The more they know about you (or infer based on the data they have and what you are trying to do) the more chances they have to charge you higher prices because they think you can afford it.

fishywang 9y ago
It's always based on customers' willingness to pay, that's how capitalism works. It's just that the competition will make customers less willing to pay more.