TIL you can save $200 by booking a flight with a hidden city ticket

I was looking at flights last night for a trip to Chicago next month. Found this article on some travel blog about hidden city ticketing. Basically you book a flight that has a layover in the city you actually want to go to and just get off there. It's cheaper than booking direct. Example the flight to Denver with a stop in Chicago was $180 cheaper than just flying straight to Chicago from my airport. I'm kinda blown away. Is this actually legit or do airlines ban you for doing it?

2 comments

2 Comments

foster.ruby13d ago

My buddy tried this last year flying into New York and saved like $150 but American flagged his account after the second time. They sent him a warning email saying they'd ban him if he kept doing it. It works but you lose frequent flyer miles and can't check bags since they'll go to the final destination. Have you checked if your airline has a policy on this?

rivera.susan12d ago

These skiplagging websites like Skiplagged actually hide your trip from the airline, but the problem is your boarding pass still shows the full itinerary. When you skip the last leg, the airline sees a no-show and can retroactively reprice your ticket to the higher fare or even charge you a hidden city ticketing fee. I checked US DOT rules and they don't protect you from this - airlines can do whatever their contract says. That warning your buddy got means he's on a watchlist now and they'll nail him on the third try.