Can I drop the last leg of a flight?

If you are flying within the USA and have no checked baggage to a final destination, then skipping the final leg of a journey is usually fine. There's no penalty for cancelling (as the missed leg is the end of your trip), and you can just leave the flight with hand luggage without any worries.



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The airline will most likely cancel the remaining portion of your trip. So, if you have a return leg, it will be cancelled. If you're a frequent flier, and do this often, the airline could ban you, or take away your points.

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If you do it once/occasionally, no problem. If you do it consistently, you run the risk of getting your account flagged/suspended. No other major issue.

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“Skiplagging — or 'hidden-city ticketing' — is booking a trip where you plan on getting off at a layover city and throwing away the last leg or legs of a flight,” explains Clint Henderson, an industry expert and a managing editor for the Points Guy.

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Skiplagging is not illegal. But most major airlines, including American, Delta Southwest and United, don't allow it. For one thing, airlines lose money on the practice, says Tim Huh, a professor at the University of British Columbia's Sauder School of Business, who co-authored a study on skiplagging last year.

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“Hidden city ticketing,” or booking a flight with the intention of getting off at the layover city rather than the final destination, is perfectly legal, but there are some factors to consider before making it a habit. According to Business Insider, hidden city ticketing is a sneaky way to save money.

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You can't just skip it, no, because then they'll invalidate the remainder of the itinerary. You can, however, call them prior to the first flight closing, and change your ticket to remove the first leg, paying any change fee that's due, and paying or collecting any difference in fare.

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The “empty leg”, also referred to as “repositioning flight” refers to a situation when the airplane is sent on a mission without any passengers.

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Other ways to skip the TSA lines without paying. Making a reservation in advance is a great way to skip TSA's sometimes exorbitantly long lines. However, if you're flying out of an airport that doesn't have this program, you may instead want to consider enrolling in TSA PreCheck or Clear.

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9 ways to avoid airport lines
  1. Check in online. ...
  2. Ditch checked baggage for a carry-on. ...
  3. Skip the longer lines with TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry. ...
  4. Avoid peak travel days. ...
  5. Consider alternate airports. ...
  6. Get elite status for airlines. ...
  7. Understand TSA rules. ...
  8. Be prepared for COVID-19 requirements.


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Throwaway ticketing is purchasing a ticket with the intent to use only a portion of the included travel. This situation may arise when a passenger wants to travel only one way, but where the discounted round-trip excursion fare is cheaper than a one-way ticket.

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What is hidden city ticketing? Also known as point beyond ticketing, hidden city ticketing is a way to find cheaper nonstop tickets by booking a connecting flight to a final destination beyond yours, but ending your journey at a layover point.

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Most airlines don't charge an outright fee for missed flights. Of course, that doesn't say anything about the lost value of your unused ticket. But you don't have to worry about additional fees on top of the original cost of your flight.

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But many travel advisers say those guidelines result in itineraries that don't always work for passengers. “On average, 35 minutes is what they consider a legal connection,” said Loulu Lima founder of the Texas-based travel agency Book Here Give Here.

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