While I do think American Airlines has a decent chance of at least partially prevailing in its lawsuit against Skiplagged, its litigation has brought unprecedented news coverage to the concept of hidden city ticketing. I predict a tsunami of hidden city ticketing from a new generation of customers. Prediction: American Airlines Lawsuit Will Create Tsunami […]
Lufthansa Concedes Defeat In Hidden City Ticketing Lawsuit
Germans can feel safer taking advantage of hidden city ticketing after Lufthansa withdrew its pending appeal, signaling an important legal victory for consumers. One German man noticed that he could save over $2,000 by booking Oslo – Frankfurt – Seattle – Frankfurt – Oslo instead of Berlin – Frankfurt – Seattle – Frankfurt – Oslo. […]
Trump Team Uses Skiplagged To Book Hidden City Airline Tickets
A financial disclosure by the political action committee of former President Donald Trump indicates his team has used Skiplagged to engage in hidden city ticketing to reduce travel expenses. Trump Super PAC Uses Skiplagged To Save On Airfare, Underscoring Its Widespread Use As noted by View From The Wing, Trump’s Save America PAC just filed […]
American Airlines Warning “Throwaway Ticketing” Passengers Their Status Is In Jeopardy (And Why You Should Expect More Of This)
American Airlines is stepping up its fight against so-called throwaway ticketing by blocking online check-in for “suspects” engaging in this practice. Expect a lot more of this in the months ahead. American Airlines Cracking Down On Throwaway Ticketing Throwaway or hidden city ticketing is a simple concept. Airlines often charge more for direct flights so […]
United.com Forced Me Into a Hidden-City Ticket
On a recent day trip to Houston (yes, these exist outside of mileage and status runs) United’s website broke their own ticketing rules and forced me into a Hidden-City ticket against my will. If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit card please click here. Both support LiveAndLetsFly.com. If you haven’t followed us on Facebook or Instagram, add […]
United Instructs Agents To Covertly Report Hidden City Travelers
United Airlines does not appreciate passengers who engage in hidden city ticketing. Now it wants airport agents to play a greater role in discouraging this practice…covertly, not overtly. First, a review of hidden city ticketing. Briefly, United (and all carriers) often charge a premium for nonstop flights. For example, a flight from Los Angeles to […]
My Prediction: Lufthansa Hidden City Lawsuit Will Backfire
Hoping to dissuade passengers from engaging in the practice of hidden city ticketing, Lufthansa is suing a passenger for skipping a flight from Frankfurt to Oslo. I’m betting the lawsuit is going to backfire. With stiff competition from Norwegian Airlines, some of the best deals in Europe to destinations around the world originate in Oslo. […]
United’s Hidden-City Pressure Works on Me
A few weeks ago United Airlines pursued a customer regarding hidden-city ticket offenders to recover cash and ward off future behavior. At least in my case, the tactic worked a charm. If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit card please click here. Both support LiveAndLetsFly.com. If you haven’t followed us on Facebook or Instagram, add us today. […]
United Has Every Right To Demand Customers Pay For Hidden-City Tickets
I previously wrote the counter-position to this post which states that United has no right to come after customers for buying hidden-city tickets. In this post, it’s clear that United has every right to pursue customers who abuse the system. If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit card please click here. Both support LiveAndLetsFly.com. […]
United: Hidden-City Customers Don’t Owe You A Dime
Last week No Mas Coach reported that a reader received a letter instructing them that they had performed 38 Hidden-City journeys (getting off before the last stop) and owe United Airlines more than $3,000. No, they don’t. In this post, I will tell you why United is wrong (though my next post will be the […]
American Airlines Sues Skiplagged (And Has A Strong Case)
American Airlines has filed a lawsuit against Skiplagged, the online travel search engine that alerts customers to hidden city ticketing options. Unlike during the failed United Airlines lawsuit, Skiplagged is no longer just a meta search page and American’s complaint is actually not so unreasonable. Skiplagged Faces New Lawsuit From American Airlines First, let’s make […]
American Airlines Interrogates Teenager In “Security Room” For Suspicious Ticket, Then Bans Him
American Airlines takes throw-away (also called hidden city) ticketing very seriously. So serious, in fact, that American Airlines purportedly forced a teenager traveling solo into a “security room” and proceeded to interrogate him over what it believed was his fraudulent ticketing activity. Teenager Says American Airlines Interrogated Him Over Hidden City Ticket, Then Bans Him […]
How Skiplagged Lost Its Groove…
Although I do not use it for my own travels, I have been a proponent of Skiplagged since its inception and sing its praises loudly on this blog and at conferences. But a looming shift in the way it sells and displays fares represents the wrong way to raise revenue. What Is Skiplagged? Hidden city […]
Saver Award Space Via Married Segment Availability
Saver award space has all but dried up lately, with even last-minute seats no longer available. Even so, you may still be able to use married segment fare logic to find saver award space that would not be available otherwise. How I Was Able To Secure Saver Award Space Via Married Segment Availability I have Award […]
Southwest Airlines Sues Skiplagged For Violating Terms & Conditions It Never Agreed To
An interesting case is brewing that pits Southwest Airlines against Skiplagged, the website that helps consumers compare fares and book hidden city ticketing in order to save money. What Is Hidden City Ticketing? Hidden city ticketing, also called skiplagging as a testament to the growth of the Skiplagged website, is a practice where you book […]
American Airlines Sends Man $1,000 Bill For Skipping Flights
Last month I wrote about American Airlines confronting a man who was was engaging in throw-away ticketing and warning him to cease and desist or face consequences. He did not, and now has received a hefty bill from American Airlines for skipping flights. American Airlines Sends Man Bill For Skipping Flights “Hidden City” or “Throw-Away” […]
Considering A One-Way Delta SkyMiles Award? Check Round-Trip Pricing First
While I understand the economics of airline pricing to the extent that distance and price rarely correlate, the idea of charging more for A alone than A + B still requires the suspension of logic. Today, I’m not talking about hidden city ticketing, which at least somewhat makes sense. Put simply, it makes sense that […]
An Online Travel Agency Invites You To “Break The Rules” (But Be Careful…)
A popular European online travel agency has promised to pay your legal fees if an airline sues you for throwaway ticketing. Or maybe not. Let’s take a closer look. Last week I wrote about Lufthansa suing a passenger for engaging in throwaway ticketing (sometimes called hidden city ticketing). For more background on what throwaway ticketing […]
Surprise: United Sent Me Unrequested Compensation…
It’s always nice to receive compensation from an airline, especially when you have not requested it… I connect to wireless internet on almost every United flight I take. Unfortunately, the internet often does not work or works slowly and sporadically. United is very good about refunding internet fees when internet does not work, though you […]
Scary: United Seriously Threatening Passengers Who Skip Flights
I wish this was a joke, but it appears that United Airlines is harshly cracking down on those who exploit so-called “hidden city” ticketing to save on ticket prices. Let’s understand how realistic the threat is. Briefly, United (and all carriers) often charge a premium for nonstop flights. For example, a flight from Los Angeles […]