What is Hidden City Ticketing?
Hidden city ticketing occurs when a passenger buys a flight from City A to City C with a layover in City B, but exits the airport at City B because the multi-leg flight was cheaper than a non-stop ticket from A to B.
The Cardinal Rules of Hidden City Travel
- Carry-on luggage only: Checked baggage will be sent to the final ticketed destination (City C). You cannot retrieve bags at the layover hub.
- One-way flights only: As soon as you miss any segment of a ticketed reservation, the airline's automated system immediately cancels all remaining legs, including your return ticket.
- Never link your frequent flyer number: Airlines have been known to revoke mileage balances for frequent violators of airline carriage terms.
- Weather and reroute risk: If severe weather causes the airline to re-route your flight through another hub (e.g. City D instead of City B), the airline is only obligated to deliver you to City C.
