Last edit by: WineCountryUA
This is an archive thread, the active thread is Consolidated UA "Hidden City Ticketing Questions"
from Airline booking ploys
Throwaway Tickets , such book RT and only use OW - any issues with UA?
Related threads
UA sues "hidden city" search site Skiplagged.com
United asking gate agents to report hidden ticket travelers
from Airline booking ploys
Throwaway ticketing is purchasing a ticket with the intent to use only a portion of the included travel. This situation may arise when a passenger wants to travel only one way, but where the discounted round-trip excursion fare is cheaper than a one-way ticket
Hidden city ticketing (HCT) is a variant of throwaway ticketing. The passenger books a ticket to a fictitious destination (the "hidden" city) with a connection at the intended destination, walks away at the connection node, and discards the remaining segment.
UA sues "hidden city" search site Skiplagged.com
United asking gate agents to report hidden ticket travelers
Consolidated UA "Hidden City Ticketing Questions" {Archive}
#196
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 3
United YYZ > IAH > PHO
If I check in a bag, do I get to retrieve the bag for customs in IAH, prior to the hidden city leg (PHO)?
If I check in a bag, do I get to retrieve the bag for customs in IAH, prior to the hidden city leg (PHO)?
#197
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Pretty sure you mean Phoenix (PHX), not Port Hope, Alaska (PHO), but the answer is the same either way: No. YYZ has customs pre-clearance, so you will go through US Customs there instead of IAH. Flights from YYZ to the US are treated like domestic flights. Your bag will go through to your final destination.
#198
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 3
Pretty sure you mean Phoenix (PHX), not Port Hope, Alaska (PHO), but the answer is the same either way: No. YYZ has customs pre-clearance, so you will go through US Customs there instead of IAH. Flights from YYZ to the US are treated like domestic flights. Your bag will go through to your final destination.
#199
Moderator: Budget Travel forum & Credit Card Programs, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: YYJ/YVR and back on Van Isle ....... for now
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#200
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* either London, UK, or London, Ontario -- but I don't think there's any YXU-IAH service. :-)
#201
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Isn't there recent practice where luggage at IAH (and only IAH for UA) goes through and is not responsibility of pax?
#202
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Only if you are connecting via IAH to another international location (e.g., PTY-IAH-LHR). There are no changes to the process if you are connecting to the remainder of the US.
#203
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 812
Does anyone personally know of an individual (not travel agent) who's gotten an invoice or had a frequent flier account closed due to over-using hidden city ticketing on UA? If so, what was the cut-off?
The $300 US-China open-jaw with a throwaway YVR segment over on the mileage run board is interesting, but not if there's any sort of risk.
The $300 US-China open-jaw with a throwaway YVR segment over on the mileage run board is interesting, but not if there's any sort of risk.
#204
Join Date: Apr 2015
Programs: United Global Services, Amtrak Select Executive
Posts: 4,098
Does anyone personally know of an individual (not travel agent) who's gotten an invoice or had a frequent flier account closed due to over-using hidden city ticketing on UA? If so, what was the cut-off?
The $300 US-China open-jaw with a throwaway YVR segment over on the mileage run board is interesting, but not if there's any sort of risk.
The $300 US-China open-jaw with a throwaway YVR segment over on the mileage run board is interesting, but not if there's any sort of risk.
#206
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for the occasional use ... never had or heard of any issues. It is like with most of such 'options' ... if you make it a weekly habit then UA will figure it out and go after you.
#207
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: SAN
Programs: 1K (since 2008), *G (since 1990), 1MM
Posts: 3,219
The last time it happened I wrote in as I was very upset about the experience as the originating flight was cancelled and then delayed resulting in the connection and the rebooked flight well let's say I just wanted to get home. They refunded me the LAX-SAN fare which was a surprising result (to me).
#208
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Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,406
Exactly. Occasionally I will skip the LAX-SAN leg of my flights. This generally occurs when the connecting flight was delayed and I can get home via car/Uber before the flight departs. I generally tell an agent, although there have been times when there has been no UA agent in which case I just leave. Probably occurs once a year or so.
The last time it happened I wrote in as I was very upset about the experience as the originating flight was cancelled and then delayed resulting in the connection and the rebooked flight well let's say I just wanted to get home. They refunded me the LAX-SAN fare which was a surprising result (to me).
The last time it happened I wrote in as I was very upset about the experience as the originating flight was cancelled and then delayed resulting in the connection and the rebooked flight well let's say I just wanted to get home. They refunded me the LAX-SAN fare which was a surprising result (to me).
OP: You asked if there were any risk. Yes, there is, especially if you're talking about doing something that's been popularized on a public forum. It wouldn't' be hard for UA to look up all itineraries that meet those criteria and flag them. I think the question you're actually asking is "how big is the risk?" I'd say, there are three factors to consider: 1 - obviousness, 2 - lost revenue to UA, 3 - frequency.
I took a look at the specific flights they're describing in that thread. If you're trying to take advantage of the EWR-CAN fare, presumably you have to get back to NYC eventually, whether it's from YVR or SFO. I don't think you save that much money by throwing away the last segment and buying a separate ticket vs. just returning to EWR in the first place.
Try other airports across Asia. You may find that you can get these low fares and get all the way home without having to worry about hidden cities.
#209
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I took a look at the specific flights they're describing in that thread. If you're trying to take advantage of the EWR-CAN fare, presumably you have to get back to NYC eventually, whether it's from YVR or SFO. I don't think you save that much money by throwing away the last segment and buying a separate ticket vs. just returning to EWR in the first place.
Try other airports across Asia. You may find that you can get these low fares and get all the way home without having to worry about hidden cities.
Try other airports across Asia. You may find that you can get these low fares and get all the way home without having to worry about hidden cities.
There's always risk, especially when dumping and HCT on the same ticket, but for a one-off it's hard for UA to prove anything. Because it's been advertised as a "regular" MR deal over on that board I suspect there will a high volume of FTers doing this, either dropping the Canada segment or positioning home on an award ticket.
#210
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YVR isn't a bad place to spend a weekend, though. Consider SFO-HKG-HGH / PVG-SFO / SFO-YVR (at some later date). The UA G fare for SHA-YVR allows a C$150 stopover at SFO, so this currently prices out at $421.55 all-in.
Another way to answer this question, I guess -- my risk tolerance is such that I would book this latter itinerary without a thought, but I'd be nervous about booking it as a hidden city. Your risk tolerance may vary. :-)