Originally Posted by
Often1
It is the operating carrier's discretion. When you fly a ticket from, let's say, DEN-ICN with a connection at LAX, you are expected to fly to ICN because that is what the contract is for. You may not legally, although there is little to prevent you physically from using your ticket to simply fly to LAX (this is what hidden city ticketing fraud is all about).
I think hidden city ticketing is almost never an issue for domestic feeder legs (even long ones like CLT-LAX) connecting to trans-Pacific flights. (And using the word “legally" here is confusing: this discussion involves actual legal issues — proper documentation for international travel — but violating fare rules by flying only to the hidden city is not illegal.)
If an airline denies boarding on a domestic segment due to missing documentation for the connecting international segment, I doubt that hidden city issues enter into their thinking at either the policy or the individual agent level. I would think it’s all about the potential fine and expense the airline would incur if they transport a passenger without proper documentation. (Even if they’re not operating the international segment, they might still worry about the documentation just as a matter of policy and customer service.)