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Old Mar 23, 2009, 2:34 pm
  #1  
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Official Hidden City Bargains Thread

Found these today:
PBI-PHL has only $270 Anytime fares inside seven days.
PBI-MHT has $99-$104 flights five of those days (x7, and too late to buy for today). During the week #2623 and #1141 are direct with a stop at PHL.
PBI-PVD has $104 flights two of those days, with connections at PHL.
No time to write a proper thread intro today; will try to add it later. Also wondered whether it should be the Official Hidden City/Custom Connection/Alternate Airport thread. I consider BWI and PHL alternate airports, and four or five of the FLA airports as viable alternatives to each other even though southwest.com does not.

So for example, here are some alternate airport options:
FLL-PHL is $275 Anytime inside seven days.
FLL-BWI is $72 Thu-Sat ($59 one week from tomorrow).
MCO-PHL still available at $79 today, $59-$79 every day in the seven day window.
MCO-BWI has a couple days at $99, Thu-Fri at $54.
IIRC, if you look at the routing on some of the FLL-BWI flights, there are hidden city deals available by booking one of those connections and getting off early.
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Old Apr 6, 2009, 4:46 pm
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I'm pretty sure this is new today: $79 WGA 3-day advance between AUS and LAX.
  • Eastbound hidden city savings possibilities include LAX-DAL ($80) and LAX-ELP ($190).
  • In the opposite direction booking to LAX could save $101 getting off at ELP, or $50 getting off at DAL.
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Old Apr 26, 2009, 9:17 am
  #3  
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The 24 hour ABQ sale should provide plenty of hidden city opportunities, as only about 20 cities have non-stop service to/from ABQ on SWA.

A couple examples

Last edited by ftnoob; Apr 26, 2009 at 11:27 am
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Old Apr 15, 2010, 9:22 am
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LAX Sale - Hidden City Opportunities

Noticed this morning heavily discounted fares from the northeast to the west. Most notably BOS, PVD, LGA , or MHT to LAX for $104. This is also a good opportunity to book LAS as a hidden city. These fares are good to October.

These fares will probably disappear very soon......
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Old Aug 14, 2010, 9:35 pm
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There are currently some two digit fares from some Texas cities to/from BOS with connections in more expensive destinations like BWI, PHX, and MDW. When figuring savings, be aware of the nickel-and-diming policy change that means you now have to pay the extra connection taxes/fees even when you don't connect.

New question: suppose you book a $94 SAT-BOS flight to save money versus a $143 SAT-PHX flight. Do you earn the BOS bonus credit when you disembark at PHX?

Last edited by ftnoob; Aug 14, 2010 at 10:05 pm
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Old Aug 15, 2010, 6:42 am
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Originally Posted by ftnoob
New question: suppose you book a $94 SAT-BOS flight to save money versus a $143 SAT-PHX flight. Do you earn the BOS bonus credit when you disembark at PHX?
Surely, you don't think their IT is that good.

Last edited by lougord99; Aug 15, 2010 at 4:00 pm
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Old Aug 15, 2010, 11:01 am
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Hey, I'm a newbie at this. I assume you have to book two one-way flights with separate PNRs to manage this? Otherwise your return flight would be cancelled if you hopped off before your reserved final destination, right....?

And no checked bags...
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Old Aug 15, 2010, 4:35 pm
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Each hidden city bargain only works in one direction, so you will almost always book these as separate one ways. I happen to be considering something like SAT-BOS RT but with a two night layover in DC. I could skip the BWI-BOS leg of the outbound and save money versus booking SAT-BWI/BOS-SAT. The return flight should not be canceled if I book a RT:
Originally Posted by SWABrian
unless it has changed, we don't cancel return pnrs if the outbound leg is noshown.
As always, bags can only be checked to the final destination, but carryon-only would work for me in this case.

My guess is that if I have SAT-BOS direct via BWI I would get the BOS bonus. If it is a connection in BWI, however, the RR computer will know that I only flew SAT-BWI and not give the bonus credit.
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Old Aug 15, 2010, 9:46 pm
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At the risk of going off topic:

Does anyone know whether it causes a huge problem when you hop off midway through a direct flight? i've done it before but always warned ground ops when i exit. However, i had a direct HOU-SAT-PHX-SJC a couple of weeks ago that i booked specifically so my CP could hop off in PHX to visit her parents. When she left i told the FA she was gone, but five minutes later two FAs and ground ops were frantically pacing the aisles counting through pax until i caught on and reminded the FA what i told her..

Bringing us back to topic, it might be good advice for those of us who book hidden city discounts to give someone a heads up as we ditch a flight - even though it made no difference in my CP's case..
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Old Oct 26, 2010, 9:03 pm
  #10  
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Does Southwest have any rule - whether realistically enforced or not - against hidden city ticketing?

On legacies, I've only done this rarely and with carriers on which I didn't have much to lose (e.g., not a carrier where I held a high mileage balance or status) and never gave them my FF number on hidden city trips. Nothing ever happened to me but there was always this underlying warning that miles could be frozen, future tickets canceled, etc.

Do those of you who do this on Southwest take similar precautions? I consider WN a "near primary" carrier since I'm flying a ton of their short nonstops these days...hidden-city would save me a few bucks here and there but I don't want to wind up on some double-secret "naughty list" by doing it.
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Old Oct 26, 2010, 9:08 pm
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Southwest explicitly allows for hidden city ticketing.
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Old Oct 27, 2010, 3:31 am
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From the Customer Service Commitment, which is part of the CoC:

With respect to all of our fares, Southwest Airlines does not prohibit or penalize what is commonly known as hidden city ticketing, nor does it prohibit or penalize what is commonly known as back-to-back ticketing. Hidden city and back-to-back reservations and tickets are authorized for travel on Southwest Airlines. It is important to note that your luggage will be checked to the final destination as shown in your reservation record. Should you choose to deplane at a stopover or connection point, you will be responsible for making arrangements to have your luggage delivered to you. Southwest will not entertain a lost or delayed baggage claim or interim expenses in this circumstance.
Edit: If you do get off the plane, it would be nice to tell the FA's so that their through count is correct.

Last edited by lougord99; Oct 27, 2010 at 3:38 am
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Old Oct 27, 2010, 6:26 am
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Nice. Several $71 Dallas flights just became $41.
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Old Oct 27, 2010, 6:38 am
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The other 'gotcha' is during irrops, if they try to route you to your 'final' destination by a different route. I assume that if you explain that you were doing a hidden city routing, they would get you to your hidden city as best as possible.
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Old Nov 7, 2010, 8:01 am
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Originally Posted by ftnoob
As always, bags can only be checked to the final destination
Interesting thread on the US board: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/us-ai...cking-bag.html .

Evidently US agents have no problem checking a bag to an intermediate destination. So, this is not a TSA directive. I wonder why WN insists on through checking the bags.
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