why does my return airport affect my outbound flight?

Just wondering why where I fly back from should affect my outbound trip,
although expecting logic from airline booking systems is maybe asking too
much. I've been looking at

MAN-ORD outbound
MSP-MAN return

If I check MAN-ORD as a complete return trip there are direct flights, but
as soon as I change the return airport to MSP then my direct outbound option
disappears and I have to fly MAN-London-ORD instead. Checked Expedia,
Ebookers and AA's own website and all 3 behave the same.

I suppose I could book MAN-ORD return and a single from MSP-ORD, but it
seems strange that I would have to if this option exists within the AA
schedules.

Ebookers and AA's own website and all 3 behave the same.

At AA try clicking on "Multi-City" and enter your stuff.

s

"Gerard Farrell" wrote in message
...
Just wondering why where I fly back from should affect my outbound trip,
although expecting logic from airline booking systems is maybe asking too
much. I've been looking at

MAN-ORD outbound
MSP-MAN return

If I check MAN-ORD as a complete return trip there are direct flights, but
as soon as I change the return airport to MSP then my direct outbound
option disappears and I have to fly MAN-London-ORD instead. Checked
Expedia, Ebookers and AA's own website and all 3 behave the same.

I suppose I could book MAN-ORD return and a single from MSP-ORD, but it
seems strange that I would have to if this option exists within the AA
schedules.

I think it's probably because MAN/MSP is operated by Delta and ORD/MAN by
American. It is possible to buy those two flights on one ticket but the
airlines would prefer you travel on just one airline (or one alliance).
Get on the phone to one one of the companies that advertises in the Sunday
Times (e.g. Trailfinders), in a case like this the internet is not always
your friend.

In message someone claiming to be
"Gerard Farrell" typed:

Just wondering why where I fly back from should affect my outbound trip,
although expecting logic from airline booking systems is maybe asking too
much. I've been looking at

MAN-ORD outbound
MSP-MAN return

If I check MAN-ORD as a complete return trip there are direct flights, but
as soon as I change the return airport to MSP then my direct outbound option
disappears and I have to fly MAN-London-ORD instead. Checked Expedia,
Ebookers and AA's own website and all 3 behave the same.

I suppose I could book MAN-ORD return and a single from MSP-ORD, but it
seems strange that I would have to if this option exists within the AA
schedules.

Try you luck with http://www.hipmunk.com/ ? I've never had trouble
juggling unusual combinations of flights like that using Hipmunk.

If I check MAN-ORD as a complete return trip there are direct flights, but
as soon as I change the return airport to MSP then my direct outbound option
disappears and I have to fly MAN-London-ORD instead. Checked Expedia,
Ebookers and AA's own website and all 3 behave the same.

It just seems buggy. If I go to AA's web site and ask it to show
flights by schedule rather than price, it offers the nonstop along
with the connections.

R's,
John

Gerard Farrell wrote:

MAN-ORD outbound
MSP-MAN return

You're asking for an open-jaw. Not all fares support open jaw
itineraries. It is possible that one or both or those legs no long have
availability in the booking classes that support open jaw fares. Or that
the travel agency web site doesn't work with open jaw itineraries.

On 3/15/2011 12:03 AM, DevilsPGD wrote:
In someone claiming to be
"Gerard typed:

Just wondering why where I fly back from should affect my outbound trip,
although expecting logic from airline booking systems is maybe asking too
much. I've been looking at

MAN-ORD outbound
MSP-MAN return

If I check MAN-ORD as a complete return trip there are direct flights, but
as soon as I change the return airport to MSP then my direct outbound option
disappears and I have to fly MAN-London-ORD instead. Checked Expedia,
Ebookers and AA's own website and all 3 behave the same.

I suppose I could book MAN-ORD return and a single from MSP-ORD, but it
seems strange that I would have to if this option exists within the AA
schedules.

Try you luck with http://www.hipmunk.com/ ? I've never had trouble
juggling unusual combinations of flights like that using Hipmunk.

They have the name of the airport in El Salvador that has not been used
for commercial aviation for more than 20 years. Are you sure they are on
top of things?

MAN-ORD outbound
MSP-MAN return

You're asking for an open-jaw. Not all fares support open jaw
itineraries. It is possible that one or both or those legs no long have
availability in the booking classes that support open jaw fares. Or that
the travel agency web site doesn't work with open jaw itineraries.

In this case, the booking engines are just buggy. I went to AA's web
site and told it to search by schedule rather than by fare, and I
found that it offered reasonable itineraries with the nonstop
outbound, and usually computed a reasonable fare for it, too.

On these routes, it would be very unusual to find a fare that wasn't
combinable.

R's,
John

In message someone claiming to be
Sancho Panza typed:

On 3/15/2011 12:03 AM, DevilsPGD wrote:
In someone claiming to be
"Gerard typed:

Just wondering why where I fly back from should affect my outbound trip,
although expecting logic from airline booking systems is maybe asking too
much. I've been looking at

MAN-ORD outbound
MSP-MAN return

If I check MAN-ORD as a complete return trip there are direct flights, but
as soon as I change the return airport to MSP then my direct outbound option
disappears and I have to fly MAN-London-ORD instead. Checked Expedia,
Ebookers and AA's own website and all 3 behave the same.

I suppose I could book MAN-ORD return and a single from MSP-ORD, but it
seems strange that I would have to if this option exists within the AA
schedules.

Try you luck with http://www.hipmunk.com/ ? I've never had trouble
juggling unusual combinations of flights like that using Hipmunk.

They have the name of the airport in El Salvador that has not been used
for commercial aviation for more than 20 years. Are you sure they are on
top of things?

Are you finding flights to/from that airport?

On 3/16/2011 8:16 PM, DevilsPGD wrote:
In someone claiming to be
Sancho typed:

On 3/15/2011 12:03 AM, DevilsPGD wrote:
In someone claiming to be
"Gerard typed:

Just wondering why where I fly back from should affect my outbound trip,
although expecting logic from airline booking systems is maybe asking too
much. I've been looking at

MAN-ORD outbound
MSP-MAN return

If I check MAN-ORD as a complete return trip there are direct flights, but
as soon as I change the return airport to MSP then my direct outbound option
disappears and I have to fly MAN-London-ORD instead. Checked Expedia,
Ebookers and AA's own website and all 3 behave the same.

I suppose I could book MAN-ORD return and a single from MSP-ORD, but it
seems strange that I would have to if this option exists within the AA
schedules.

Try you luck with http://www.hipmunk.com/ ? I've never had trouble
juggling unusual combinations of flights like that using Hipmunk.

They have the name of the airport in El Salvador that has not been used
for commercial aviation for more than 20 years. Are you sure they are on
top of things?

Are you finding flights to/from that airport?

Not Ilopango.