Planes, “Planes”, and Automated Fare Pricing
United Airlines is apparently code-sharing with Amtrak’s passenger railroad service to get you to Philadelphia. They’re also referring to Philadelphia’s 30th Street Rail Station (that’s what ZFV stands for) as an airport. Do you think the conductor announces that train as “United flight 3174”? Man, I hope so.
But the wacky train-instead-of-plane isn’t even the half of it. Take a look at the first half of this itinerary, and compare it to the original search. It’s the exact same flight!
This type of airline pricing nonsense is not entirely uncommon. Opting for the lower fare and then getting off at Newark even has a name, “Hidden city ticketing”. Still, it’s not very often that you can save over $200 just by missing a train.
