What are the consequences of hidden city tickets?

Airlines penalize customers who use hidden city ticketing so you're advised not to use your account, airline credit card or frequent flyer number when making your reservation. What is this? Possible consequences include invalidation of airline miles and revocation of elite status.



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However, it doesn't come without potential consequences. Airlines have tightened their regulations to explicitly forbid hidden-city ticketing. If you break the rules enough, the airline might end up sending you a bill or even taking you to court to recuperate the savings.

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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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The bad news is that you can get in trouble with airlines for hidden city ticketing, as it does violate the contract of carriage you agree to when booking a ticket.

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Limit interaction with the airline's employees
He said passengers planning to use hidden city tickets should avoid in-person check-in and use online or mobile check-in instead. To avoid arousing suspicion when skiplagging, fly under the radar and avoid speaking to airline staff unless necessary.

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E-ticketing charges extra for the online services. Your personal information is shared on the website and is vulnerable in a scenario of a data breach in that website or company.

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It makes sense, because the practice saps revenue from them on two fronts: Not only do passengers underpay — potentially by hundreds of dollars per ticket — but the seat on the tossed leg also could have been sold to someone else. Most contracts of carriage from major airlines expressly forbid skiplagging as a result.

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It (typically) violates the airline contract of carriage
While not illegal, intentionally skipping segments on an itinerary does almost always violates airlines' contracts of carriage.

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But skiplagging is controversial, and many airlines frown upon it — so much that it can be punishable by miles or status cancellations and even a lifetime ban from the airline.

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One lawsuit filed in 2014 by United against Skiplagged was dismissed, while in 2021, Southwest Airlines sued Skiplagged for using the carrier's data. Skiplagged argued that they were not the ones actually distributing Southwest tickets; they showed flights but directed users to other websites for booking.

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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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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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Skiplagged flights recapped
However, it doesn't come without potential consequences. Airlines have tightened their regulations to explicitly forbid hidden-city ticketing. If you break the rules enough, the airline might end up sending you a bill or even taking you to court to recuperate the savings.

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“Skiplagging,” also known as “hidden city ticketing,” is a counterintuitive way to book airline tickets to potentially save money. A traveler would book a multi-leg flight with a connection. Instead of flying to the final destination, the passenger opts to disembark at the connecting city.

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But truth be told, we're the exception to the rule. While there are many pilot and flight attendant couples, and many flight attendants married or committed to other flight attendants, and many pilots with the same connections with other pilots, several factors have made those connections less likely.

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How do I get through the ticket barrier with an eTicket?
  1. Scan the QR code on the eTicket from your device or your printed paper if you've chosen to print your eTicket before you arrive at the station.
  2. Show your eTicket to a member of staff, and they'll open the barrier for you.


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