What are "hidden city" flights and why do not airlines want to use them?

A tip to buy plane tickets
This can save you money (if the airlines do not realize it).

Last week, it was learned that German airline Lufthansa had sued a pbadenger who had not boarded the last leg of a stopover flight.

The airline has taken legal action against the traveler to deter others from doing the same.

A court ruled in favor of the pbadenger, but Lufthansa appealed.

But what are the flights of the "hidden city" about?

The practice of plane tickets with "hidden city" means that pbadengers buy a ticket with scales but end their journey before the last connection.

These pbadages are generally cheaper and stop in a big city or in the hub of the airline, where pbadengers choose to stay.

"Suppose the Alaska airline offers a non-stop fare of $ 250 for a non-stop trip from Seattle (Washington State) to Columbus (Ohio)."

"American Airlines is not doing this route directly, but it could reduce its fare at the same price of $ 250 by establishing a connection via Chicago," says Tracy Stewart, content publisher on the site offers travel.
Airfarewatchdog.com.

"American Airlines is trying to stay competitive with Alaska on the Seattle-Columbus route by offering the same fare (with a stopover in Chicago)," he told BBC Mundo.

But some travelers traveling from Seattle take advantage of this stop in Chicago, the price of direct travel tends to be more expensive, and they do not take the final step. "It's a flaw in the model that can be easily exploited," he adds.

Is it common?

Analysts consulted say that it is not a new practice and that recently it has begun to be used more.

"For decades, many traditional airlines have been selling cheaper fares to foreign markets to encourage pbadengers to fly through their central airport to reduce costs," said John Grant of JG Aviation Consultants.

"For many years, airlines have turned a blind eye to this practice, which is being used by a small but growing group of smart travelers who have" thrown "the final stage of the trash journey, and the airlines have accepted this practice. filling the seats, "he adds. Grant to BBC World.

The novelty is that in recent years, search sites and airline ticket bookings have found cheaper tickets promoting "hidden city" flights such as Skiplagged.

US airline United Airlines and its travel partner, Orbitz, sued Skiplagged creator Aktarer Zaman in 2014 for "unfair competition", but a court rejected the case because it was out of court.

Why do not airlines want travelers to use this trick?

The airlines claim that they are losing money.

In the case of Lufthansa, the airline believes that the pbadenger's actions violated the terms of the ticket purchase contract and seeks compensation in the amount of approximately USD 2,300.

A German court rejected the claim in December, but a spokesman for Lufthansa confirmed that the company "had already appealed against this decision," CNN reported.

"The airlines do not like tickets with" hidden city ", although it would be almost impossible to prosecute all the offenders.In the case of Lufthansa, they probably spend more in court fees than the lost money with this ticket to Oslo -Seattle (which has not completed the pbadenger), but clearly wants to send a message, "Stewart said.

And this is not the first airline to sue a pbadenger for this sort of thing. Some companies eliminate the mileage accounts of those who are caught stealing from "hidden city" bookings.

"If airlines lose revenue on these tickets, they can easily offset that loss with higher fares," says Stewart.

Are there any risks to using the "hidden city" pbadages?

To use this type of tickets, you must keep in mind that you must travel light.

This is to say that you can carry your hand luggage only because you will not be able to send the bag to the final destination if you are not going to complete it.

There is also a risk that flights may be diverted at the last minute due to a snowstorm or other circumstances, and your overall travel plan will be ruined.

Despite the risks, the benefits are generally practical.

"It is hard to blame someone for wanting to save a little money on a flight, especially when the air transportation system has such obvious flaws," Stewart concludes.