Traveling can be an expensive endeavor, especially when it comes to airfare. However, savvy travelers and industry insiders have uncovered a game-changing travel hack that airlines don’t want you to know about hidden city ticketing. This strategy can save you significant money on flights, making it possible to fly cheaper than ever before. Here’s how it works and what you need to know to take advantage of it.
Understanding Hidden City Ticketing
Hidden city ticketing, also known as “skip-lagging” or “point beyond ticketing,” involves booking a flight with a layover in your desired destination rather than booking a direct flight. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of how it works.
Find a Flight with a Layover
Look for flights where your destination city is a layover rather than the final destination. For example, if you want to fly to Chicago, you might find a cheaper flight from New York to Los Angeles with a layover in Chicago.
Book the Cheaper Flight
Purchase the ticket for the flight from New York to Los Angeles with the layover in Chicago, even though your actual destination is Chicago.
Exit at the Layover
When your flight lands in Chicago, simply disembark and do not board the connecting flight to Los Angeles.
Why Hidden City Ticketing Works
Airfare pricing can be perplexing, with direct flights often costing more than flights with layovers. Airlines use complex algorithms and strategies to set prices, sometimes resulting in illogical pricing structures. Hidden city ticketing exploits this discrepancy by taking advantage of the lower fares associated with flights that include layovers.
Benefits of Hidden City Ticketing
• Significant Savings
By using this hack, travelers can save a considerable amount of money, sometimes up to 50% or more off the regular ticket price.
• Flexibility in Travel Plans
This method allows for more flexibility in choosing flights, particularly for last-minute trips where direct flights are prohibitively expensive.
Important Considerations and Risks
While hidden city ticketing can offer substantial savings, there are several important factors to keep in mind.
Carry-On Only
This strategy works best if you’re traveling with carry-on luggage. Checked baggage is typically routed to the final destination on your ticket, making it impractical if you need to retrieve it at the layover city.
One-Way Tickets
Airlines may cancel the remaining segments of your trip if you don’t complete the full itinerary. This hack is most effective when booking one-way tickets, as round-trip hidden city tickets could result in your return flight being canceled.
Frequent Flyer Accounts
Using hidden city ticketing frequently can potentially violate an airline’s terms of service, risking penalties such as the loss of frequent flyer miles or status.
Flight Changes and Cancellations
If there are changes to your flight itinerary (such as a reroute or cancellation), you could end up in a different city or miss your intended layover. Be prepared for this possibility.
How to Find Hidden City Tickets
Several online platforms and tools can help you find hidden city fares:
Skiplagged
A popular website and app specifically designed to find hidden city tickets. Skiplagged scours various airlines to uncover the best deals where layovers are cheaper than direct flights.
Google Flights
Although not specifically for hidden city tickets, Google Flights’ robust search engine can help identify potential layover flights that might be cheaper.
Ethical and Legal Considerations
Hidden City ticketing occupies a gray area in terms of ethics and legality. While not illegal, it violates most airlines’ terms of service. Travelers must weigh the benefits against potential risks and decide if this strategy aligns with their personal ethics and risk tolerance.
Conclusion
Hidden city ticketing is a powerful tool for travelers looking to cut costs on airfare. By understanding how to utilize this travel hack effectively, you can unlock significant savings and make your travel dreams more attainable. Remember to consider the risks and plan accordingly to ensure a smooth and cost-effective journey.
