On my next trip to Villa Park we're flying to Manchester. If I go to www.nationalrail.co.uk and search for a train journey from Manchester Airport to New Street Station on Saturday morning, I get a journey where I have to change train in Crewe. The total trip costs £54.40. There's a departure from the airport at 09.01 and arrival in Birmingham at 10.48.
If I split the trip in two, the result is different. Still I get a departure from Manchester Airport at 09.01 with arrival in Crewe at 09.39 and that ticket costs £5.90. If I search for the second part of the journey, I get a departure from Crewe at 09.49 and again with arrival in Birmingham at 10.48 and a ticket costs £16. So a total price of £21.90. It's less than half of what it costs if I buy a ticket for the whole trip at once.
Am I missing something here?