MM Tip - Hidden City Airline Ticketing

[y4m]

Airlines charge a lot more to fly to their hub cities, and less to fly through them.  So if you need to actually go to the hub city, the cost can be way higher than connecting through the hub city.

I need to be in a hub city for work next week and direct flights cost $1400.  Booking to a different city through the city I'm going to (and then connecting through my city on the way back) as two one way tickets on the exact same flights cost $500 total.  Note you can only do this dropping the last flight in each reservation--if you miss an earlier flight, the whole rest of the reservation gets cancelled.

Anyone ever done this? Everything I've read says not to do it a ton or the airlines will catch on, although I know people who do it regularly and have never had an issue.  But it seems like a great thing to check if you're in the right circumstances.  I never realized what a big difference it could make.

[lasagnasshole]

I had no idea, but this explains why it is more expensive for me to see my parents. Only one carrier flies nonstop to DFW: American. Ugh. And the area is so big that it's not like there's really a "nearby" city to connect to and bring the price down.

[y4m]

Jul 26, 2014 14:49:07 GMT -5 lasagnasshole said:

I had no idea, but this explains why it is more expensive for me to see my parents. Only one carrier flies nonstop to DFW: American. Ugh. And the area is so big that it's not like there's really a "nearby" city to connect to and bring the price down.

This is a perfect example.  Try ITA Matrix and search for flights from DCA to anywhere within 1000 or even 2000 miles of somewhere that would be a logical place to connect through DFW to (I used Kansas City--random).  In the middle, under "routing codes" type X:DFW (connect in DFW).  So you're searching for flights to a large swath of the country from DCA to DFW that connect on to...somewhere.  Then you just...get off the plane at DFW.

One ways only.

[lasagnasshole]

Jul 26, 2014 15:07:09 GMT -5 y4m said:

Jul 26, 2014 14:49:07 GMT -5 lasagnasshole said:

I had no idea, but this explains why it is more expensive for me to see my parents. Only one carrier flies nonstop to DFW: American. Ugh. And the area is so big that it's not like there's really a "nearby" city to connect to and bring the price down.

This is a perfect example.  Try ITA Matrix and search for flights from DCA to anywhere within 1000 or even 2000 miles of somewhere that would be a logical place to connect through DFW to.  In the middle, under "routing codes" type X:DFW (connect in DFW).  So you're searching for flights to a large swath of the country from DCA to DFW that connect on to...somewhere.  Then you just...get off the plane at DFW.

One ways only.

I will totally have to try this next time! If I can swing two one ways, maybe I can visit the family for less than $400.

Although now that mama lasagna retired (again), at least she plans to visit me more!

[LoveTrains]

You have to do one ways only. If you book it as a roundtrip, your return will be cancelled for not boarding the second flight.

My understanding is that if the airline catches you doing this too much that they can cancel your status in the FF program and also revoke points/miles. So buyer beware.

[lime]

I thought airlines were really cracking down on this? I've heard similar to what LoveTrains mentions.

[y4m]

Jul 26, 2014 15:15:06 GMT -5 LoveTrains said:

You have to do one ways only. If you book it as a roundtrip, your return will be cancelled for not boarding the second flight.

My understanding is that if the airline catches you doing this too much that they can cancel your status in the FF program and also revoke points/miles. So buyer beware.

Yeah--that's what the policies say, but I know a lot of frequent fliers who do this and none who has ever even received a warning about it, let alone had any penalty.  And one is a highest-level elite who does it literally on a weekly basis and probably has been for 3+ years.  I wouldn't recommend doing that, but if you fly a few times a year and this makes sense, my experience tells me the airlines are unlikely to do anything about it.

[dexteroni]

Interesting. Let us know if it works! You probably can't check a bag if you do this, right?

[LoveTrains]

Jul 26, 2014 15:18:17 GMT -5 y4m said:

Jul 26, 2014 15:15:06 GMT -5 LoveTrains said:

You have to do one ways only. If you book it as a roundtrip, your return will be cancelled for not boarding the second flight.

My understanding is that if the airline catches you doing this too much that they can cancel your status in the FF program and also revoke points/miles. So buyer beware.

Yeah--that's what the policies say, but I know a lot of frequent fliers who do this and none who has ever even received a warning about it, let alone had any penalty.  And one is a highest-level elite who does it literally on a weekly basis and probably has been for 3+ years.  I wouldn't recommend doing that, but if you fly a few times a year and this makes sense, my experience tells me the airlines are unlikely to do anything about it.

Then go for it. I just wanted to report this because I bet a lot of people don't know that there is a slight chance that this could happen - and that the airlines are laying out there as a potential penalty.

YMMV.

[LoveTrains]

Jul 26, 2014 15:19:35 GMT -5 dexteroni said:

Interesting. Let us know if it works! You probably can't check a bag if you do this, right?

Definitely not. Your bag will be at your final ticketed destination and you will be in the connecting flight destination.

[y4m]

Jul 26, 2014 15:19:35 GMT -5 dexteroni said:

Interesting. Let us know if it works! You probably can't check a bag if you do this, right?

Correct.  You absolutely cannot check a bag and do this.

[boiler717]

I've actually skipped my second leg of 4 and not had my reservation cancel -- I either had a sky club agent or a platinum rep fix in the computer. But I've done this from time to time, not to am save money but because something for work came up, and it's always been fine.

[aurora]

This is very interesting. I did it once a long time ago with no problems, but it was due to changed circumstances and not planned ahead to save costs.

Just brainstorming, I suppose the other thing that could go wrong is changes due to flight delays. As an example, the last tolime I flew Delta to Hartford we were originally routed through Chicago but that first flight got delayed enough that we were going to miss our connection. Delta's computers caught the problem and re-routed us through Charlotte even before we got ahold of an agent. It was actually much appreciated since Hartford really was our final destination and we didn't have to wait in line or on hold.

[L]

You would be screwed if your flight got canceled and the airline rebooked you on a flight going through a different hub city.

[Deleted]

That's why I fly SW. They don't do shit like that.

[emilyinchile]

I've done it before with no problem. It was actually at the suggestion of the airline customer service person I spoke to when I called to cancel the final leg of my journey (I was flying through London to Manchester and ended up spending a couple days in London). I was going to have to pay a $200 change fee, so instead I just didn't take the next flight (and obviously didn't check luggage). I would get nervous doing it too often if they can in fact punish you for it, but in your situation I would definitely do it.

[hbomdiggity]

Jul 26, 2014 15:24:09 GMT -5 y4m said:

Jul 26, 2014 15:19:35 GMT -5 dexteroni said:

Interesting. Let us know if it works! You probably can't check a bag if you do this, right?

Correct.  You absolutely cannot check a bag and do this.

This would also go for gate check. If I'm with my H (status) it's not an issue since we board early, but if you don't have status and board towards the end you may be forced to check your bag that you didn't intend on checking.

[trident0]

Jul 27, 2014 11:10:35 GMT -5 hbomdiggity said:

Jul 26, 2014 15:24:09 GMT -5 y4m said:

Correct.  You absolutely cannot check a bag and do this.

This would also go for gate check. If I'm with my H (status) it's not an issue since we board early, but if you don't have status and board towards the end you may be forced to check your bag that you didn't intend on checking.

I thought you got your gate check bag back at the next destination (just like with strollers and tiny planes).  No?  Clearly I've always been aggressive about getting my bag into those bins.

[sent]

Jul 27, 2014 20:29:17 GMT -5 trident0 said:

Jul 27, 2014 11:10:35 GMT -5 hbomdiggity said:

This would also go for gate check. If I'm with my H (status) it's not an issue since we board early, but if you don't have status and board towards the end you may be forced to check your bag that you didn't intend on checking.

I thought you got your gate check bag back at the next destination (just like with strollers and tiny planes).  No?  Clearly I've always been aggressive about getting my bag into those bins.

You hope it's gate check but sometimes for really full flights they will make repeated announcements that they will check your bag for free to your final destination. You could hang on and try to board with your bag but if you're at the end like a PP mentioned, they might not offer you gate check and may just check the bag.  To be absolutely safe, travel with something that will definitely fit under the seat in front of you and not with a roller board. 

[chia]

It's not allowed, and I wouldn't eff with it - unless you're ready to deal with the potential consequences of it going awry.
I mean, it is a lot of money.

[Deleted]

Jul 27, 2014 20:29:17 GMT -5 trident0 said:

Jul 27, 2014 11:10:35 GMT -5 hbomdiggity said:

This would also go for gate check. If I'm with my H (status) it's not an issue since we board early, but if you don't have status and board towards the end you may be forced to check your bag that you didn't intend on checking.

I thought you got your gate check bag back at the next destination (just like with strollers and tiny planes).  No?  Clearly I've always been aggressive about getting my bag into those bins.

When I've had to gate check recently, my bag has ended up in baggage claim -- so if the tag said that it was supposed to move on to the next destination, I'd imagine it would be processed as such just like any other bag that is meant to be checked through.

[lasagnasshole]

Re: gate check. My experience has been that if you are flying on a full size jet and there is not enough room for everyone's bags, those in the later boarding zones gate check their bags through to baggage claim at their final destination. It's generally when you're flying the smaller regional jets with smaller overhead bins that everyone with a roller board bag has to gate check it and then retrieves it on the jetway.