Why is a flight with a connection cheaper than flying directly to the city you are connecting through

Why is a flight with a connection cheaper than flying directly to the city you are connecting through?
For example, on United, a flight from Manchester, NH to Indianapolis through O'Hare is cheaper than flying on the first leg from Manchester, NH to O'Hare. On Southwest, the flight from Manchester to Indianapolis through Midway is again cheaper than flying the first leg to Midway. This doesn't make any sense as the airline is charging you less when they are spending twice as many resources.
Air Travel - 4 Answers
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1 :
They are not spending more resources as those planes are making "non-stop" flights to the cities. You are the one spending more resources and time dealing with a connecting flight. So many things can go wrong that would cause you to not make your final destination. The reason why Non-stops are more is because they are premium flights. Almost everyone wants to get there with as little hassle as possible. Well, the passenger will pay more for that. Not as many people want to deal with the possible weather delay/cancellation, lost luggage in the connecting city, mis-connecting because you got to the hub too late, and then waiting on standby if you've missed a flight. For the people who want to deal with that stress, then those are the ones who will ultimately save a lot more money when flying!
2 :
Most airlines use a Hub and Spoke system. The airlines fly from the various cities to and from one or more hub cities. For United, Ohare is a Hub. When they quote you a price from anywhere that is served by the Ohare hub, they are figuring in the cost of flying through the hub. When they sell the seats, they can't sell too many that originate or terminate in the hub or they won't have enough for the other cities. The hub and spoke system is more efficient because it reduces the number of routes they have to operate. Instead of flying between every city and every other city, they only need to fly between every city and the hub and they can fly you from city to hub to city.
3 :
That's not unusual, nor is it illogical. It's simply supply and demand as well as the level of competition. Airfares are not set exclusively by distance as many people seem to think. O'Hare is a hub for United and they have a monopoly on nonstop service from Manchester. (The US Airways flight that shows in schedules is actually a United flight with a duplicate US Airways flight number.) Therefore, they will charge as much as they can because you have to change planes if you don't like the price. Southwest can do the same to Midway. On the other hand, Manchester to Indianapolis has no nonstop service. You must change planes. And, you have a choice of several different airlines so there is competition for your business. United must keep their prices at the same level or lower than their competitors even though they fly you through a more expensive city. If they charged more on the grounds that they "are using more resources", then no one would take their flights. Everyone would switch to other airlines that don't fly through more expensive cities and charge less. I worked in the travel industry for years and saw examples like this all the time.
4 :
While it looks complicated, and actually is. It is really a supply/demand situation. It is more popular to travel to Chicago compared to Indianapolis. So the ticket to Chicago is more expensive. As many airlines use the hub/spoke system, you can certainly "cheat" the system by booking a ticket to Indianapolis but bail out in Chicago. However there are some risks: 1. Flight may be delayed and you risk being rerouted. Remember, the airlines responsibility is to get you to Indianapolis regardless where (and if) you connect. 2. You can't check baggage as they will be tagged Indianapolis.

How long is the flight from Calgary, Alberta, Canada to Indianapolis, Indiana

How long is the flight from Calgary, Alberta, Canada to Indianapolis, Indiana?

Air Travel - 2 Answers
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See www.Expedia.com
2 :
There are no nonstop flights, so it will depend on where you change planes, and how long you're on the ground for. Rather than relying on someone here to be able to give you a reliable answer, you'll probably be better off looking up the various options for yourself at a site such as orbitz.com, travelocity.com, etc.

I am looking for the cheapest flight from Fort Lauderdale, FL to Indianapolis, IN for over Christmas

I am looking for the cheapest flight from Fort Lauderdale, FL to Indianapolis, IN for over Christmas?
It can also be out of West Palm Beach, Florida as well, and the dates just need to cover the Christmas holidays and few days after.
Air Travel - 4 Answers
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try this http://www.skyscanner.net/
2 :
You can check http://www.DaileyEscapes.com and select book travel. Their prices are very competitive. I saw prices ranging from $189 to $268 depending on when you leave. The $189 was for travel on 12/22 - 12/31 and the $268 was for travel on 12/23 - 12/30. Good Luck :)
3 :
Look at Spirit Airlines and Northwest to see if you can find anything. You can also try http://www.airfarewatchdog.com
4 :
You really need to book it soon, like ASAP. Your best bet is BookMe.com. You can compare ALL the reputable travel sites, and save money. Good luck!

How long is the flight from Charlotte North Carolina to Indianapolis

How long is the flight from Charlotte North Carolina to Indianapolis?

Other - United States - 1 Answers
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A little more than an hour and a half non-stop. Half the day if you don't have a non-stop flight.