Apr 18, 2013, 9:20 am
Last edit by: Prospero
FAQ: "Missing" or "Skipping Segments": Hidden City, Point Beyond and Throw Away Ticketing
Q. What will happen if I "skip" a segment?
A. Skipping an intermediate or end segment is most often referred to as "Hidden City / Point Beyond Ticketing" by American Airlines, and “skiplagging” by others; doing so invalidates the contract you have with AA regarding your ticket. AA will at least cancel the remaining segments. If the reason for missing a segment is to drop the last segment to save money on a more expensive ticket to the intermediate destination, it is called a "Hidden City / Point Beyond" ticket. American Airlines states, in the Conditions of Carriage (and more existentially in Tariff Rule 100AA):
Link to American Airlines Conditions of Carriage, Ticket Validity.
Q. What about buying a round trip and not flying the return?
"Throw away" ticketing, that is purchasing a less expensive round trip ticket with the intent of not flying the return segments ("throwing away" the return tickets) is similarly frowned upon, but may be acted upon - particularly if this becomes frequent or a pattern
Q. Do American Airlines Corporate Security / AAdvantage Fraud have people and algorithms running in the background that check for these?
Assuredly, yes. Can people be found liable for fees and/or lose their accounts / status / miles? Yes, we have had many reports on FT, and the risk increases for repeaters. Can people be criminally or civilly prosecuted? Doubtful. (Link to article on Contract Fraud.)
Q. Would I get in trouble skipping the final segment?
A. Possibly not, if you don't do this on other than the rare occasion, but there is risk.
Q. Can I short check my baggage?
A. In most cases, you may find it difficult, unless you have an overnight connection, must retrieve your baggage for customs or because your connection does not offer interlining of baggage.
Q. Will I get my EQ and Award Miles.
You will likely accrue miles for the segments you actually flew. But “skiplagging” could result in miles confiscation and potentially account closure.
Q. Can I claim the residual value for the unused segment?
Au contraire; with a hidden city / point beyond ticket, you owe AA money under their rules. United and Lufthansa have billed skiplaggers, AA may have.
Q. What has AA said they can do to me about hidden city or throwaway ticketing?
“Passengers who attempt to use hidden city tickets may be denied boarding, have the remainder of their ticket confiscated and may be assessed the difference between the fare paid and the lowest applicable fare.”
A highly recommended article on this topic is 3 Words on Hidden City Ticketing: Don’t Do It (link) from ExpertFlyer, 27 Feb 2019.
Archived older posts may be read here.
For Conditions of Carriage - Ticket Validity and Letter used by AA:
Q. What will happen if I "skip" a segment?
A. Skipping an intermediate or end segment is most often referred to as "Hidden City / Point Beyond Ticketing" by American Airlines, and “skiplagging” by others; doing so invalidates the contract you have with AA regarding your ticket. AA will at least cancel the remaining segments. If the reason for missing a segment is to drop the last segment to save money on a more expensive ticket to the intermediate destination, it is called a "Hidden City / Point Beyond" ticket. American Airlines states, in the Conditions of Carriage (and more existentially in Tariff Rule 100AA):
American specifically prohibits the practices commonly known as:
Hidden City/Point Beyond Ticketing: Purchase of a fare from a point before the passenger's actual origin or to a point beyond the passenger's actual destination.
Hidden City/Point Beyond Ticketing: Purchase of a fare from a point before the passenger's actual origin or to a point beyond the passenger's actual destination.
Q. What about buying a round trip and not flying the return?
"Throw away" ticketing, that is purchasing a less expensive round trip ticket with the intent of not flying the return segments ("throwing away" the return tickets) is similarly frowned upon, but may be acted upon - particularly if this becomes frequent or a pattern
Q. Do American Airlines Corporate Security / AAdvantage Fraud have people and algorithms running in the background that check for these?
Assuredly, yes. Can people be found liable for fees and/or lose their accounts / status / miles? Yes, we have had many reports on FT, and the risk increases for repeaters. Can people be criminally or civilly prosecuted? Doubtful. (Link to article on Contract Fraud.)
Q. Would I get in trouble skipping the final segment?
A. Possibly not, if you don't do this on other than the rare occasion, but there is risk.
Q. Can I short check my baggage?
A. In most cases, you may find it difficult, unless you have an overnight connection, must retrieve your baggage for customs or because your connection does not offer interlining of baggage.
Q. Will I get my EQ and Award Miles.
You will likely accrue miles for the segments you actually flew. But “skiplagging” could result in miles confiscation and potentially account closure.
Q. Can I claim the residual value for the unused segment?
Au contraire; with a hidden city / point beyond ticket, you owe AA money under their rules. United and Lufthansa have billed skiplaggers, AA may have.
Q. What has AA said they can do to me about hidden city or throwaway ticketing?
“Passengers who attempt to use hidden city tickets may be denied boarding, have the remainder of their ticket confiscated and may be assessed the difference between the fare paid and the lowest applicable fare.”
A highly recommended article on this topic is 3 Words on Hidden City Ticketing: Don’t Do It (link) from ExpertFlyer, 27 Feb 2019.
Archived older posts may be read here.
For Conditions of Carriage - Ticket Validity and Letter used by AA:
AA Hidden City and Point Beyond Ticketing:
Skipping an intermediate or end segment is referred to as "Hidden City / Point Beyond Ticketing" by American Airlines, and doing so invalidates the contract you have with AA regarding your ticket. AA will generally cancel the remaining segments, and if it is dropping the last segment to save money on a more expensive ticket to the intermediate destination, it is called the "Hidden City" ticket.
The entire Conditions of Carriage, the contract that governs your ticket (in additon to the Detailed Fare Rules attached to your fare class and readable prior to purchase), are here: CONDITIONS OF CARRIAGE.
The specific language regarding Hidden City and Point Beyond Ticketing is here:
TICKET VALIDITY - COMPLIANCE WITH TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE
Tickets are valid for travel only when used in accordance with all terms and conditions of sale. Terms and conditions of sale include but are not limited to:
Where a ticket is invalidated as the result of the passenger's non-compliance with any term or condition of sale, American has the right in its sole discretion to:
In August 2020 AA went after user HappyInTheAir561 for Hidden City Ticketing, demanding payment of $2,500 or permanent closure of his AAdvantage account and loss of 600,000 miles balance. Below is the letter (missing is the 2,500 quote), and there is an entire thread about it here: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...rmination.html The user says he ultimately paid the money.
Skipping an intermediate or end segment is referred to as "Hidden City / Point Beyond Ticketing" by American Airlines, and doing so invalidates the contract you have with AA regarding your ticket. AA will generally cancel the remaining segments, and if it is dropping the last segment to save money on a more expensive ticket to the intermediate destination, it is called the "Hidden City" ticket.
The entire Conditions of Carriage, the contract that governs your ticket (in additon to the Detailed Fare Rules attached to your fare class and readable prior to purchase), are here: CONDITIONS OF CARRIAGE.
The specific language regarding Hidden City and Point Beyond Ticketing is here:
TICKET VALIDITY - COMPLIANCE WITH TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE
Tickets are valid for travel only when used in accordance with all terms and conditions of sale. Terms and conditions of sale include but are not limited to:
- The passenger's itinerary, as stated on the ticket or in the passenger's reservation record,
- Any requirement that the passenger stay over a specified date or length of time (for example, Saturday night or weekend) at the destination specified on the ticket.
- Any special purpose or status (for example, age in the case of senior citizen or children's discounts, military status in the case of a military fare, official government business in the case of a government fare, or attendance at a qualified event in the case of a meeting or convention fare) that entitles the passenger to a special or reduced rate, or
- Any other requirement associated with the passenger's fare level.
- If used for travel to a destination other than that specified on the ticket,
- If the passenger fails to comply with applicable stay-over requirements,
- If the passenger does not meet the purpose or status requirement associated with the fare category on the ticket, or
- If American determines that the ticket has been purchased or used in a manner designed to circumvent applicable fare rules.
- Back to Back Ticketing: The combination of two or more roundtrip excursion fares end to end for the purpose of circumventing minimum stay requirements.
- Throwaway Ticketing: The usage of roundtrip excursion fare for one-way travel, and
- Hidden City/Point Beyond Ticketing: Purchase of a fare from a point before the passenger's actual origin or to a point beyond the passenger's actual destination.
- Duplicate and Impossible/Illogical Bookings: Duplicate or impossible/illogical American Airlines bookings are prohibited without prior authorization from American Airlines. A duplicate or impossible/illogical booking includes, but is not limited to, bookings for the same passenger on flights traveling on or about the same date between one or more of the same or nearby origin and/or destination (such as JFKDFW and LGADFW or DFWLAX and DFWONT), or bookings with connections that depart before the arrival of the inbound flight.
- Fraudulent, Fictitious and Abusive Bookings: Fraudulent, fictitious and/or abusive bookings are prohibited. These types of bookings are defined as any bookings made without having been requested by or on behalf of the named passenger. Additionally, creating bookings to hold or block seats for the purpose of obtaining lower fares, AAdvantage award inventory, or upgrades that may not otherwise be available, or to circumvent any of American Airlines' fare rules or policies, is prohibited without prior authorization from American Airlines.
Where a ticket is invalidated as the result of the passenger's non-compliance with any term or condition of sale, American has the right in its sole discretion to:
- Cancel any remaining portion of the passenger's itinerary,
- Confiscate unused flight coupons,
- Refuse to board the passenger or check the passenger's luggage, or
- Assess the passenger for the reasonable remaining value of the ticket, which shall be no less than the difference between the fare actually paid and the lowest fare applicable to the passenger's actual itinerary
Dear ,
Let me take the opportunity to clarify American Airlines position on hidden city or point beyond ticketing. Purchasing a ticket to a point beyond the actual destination and getting off the aircraft at the connecting point is unethical (sic). It is tantamount to switching price tags to obtain a lower price on goods sold at department stores. Passengers who attempt to use hidden city tickets may be denied boarding, have the remainder of their ticket confiscated and may be assessed the difference between the fare paid and the lowest applicable fare.
Because we compete with other airlines with different route structures, we sometimes find it necessary to give a traveler who is traveling beyond a connecting point a better price than travelers who are just traveling to the connecting point. For example, a passenger who is traveling to Austin, Texas from Los Angeles can go on one airline via Phoenix for a price that is lower than the cost of traveling on American between Los Angeles and Dallas. If we want to offer the same price to Austin as the other airline, but the only way we can get travelers there is via Dallas, we find ourselves charging the Austin passengers less than the Dallas passengers.
Although the issuance and usage of hidden city tickets is not illegal in the sense that one could be fined or sent to jail by the government, it is unethical and a breach of a passengers (sic) contract with AA. Both tariff rule 100AA and American's Condition of Carriage, which are incorporated into every ticket sold by American as part of our agreement to carry the passenger named on the ticket, bar hidden city ticketing. In addition, it violates the agencies' contract to act as an agent for American Airlines.
If American Airlines continues to lose revenue as a result of hidden city transactions, the fares we charge must inevitably rise.
Sincerely,
Let me take the opportunity to clarify American Airlines position on hidden city or point beyond ticketing. Purchasing a ticket to a point beyond the actual destination and getting off the aircraft at the connecting point is unethical (sic). It is tantamount to switching price tags to obtain a lower price on goods sold at department stores. Passengers who attempt to use hidden city tickets may be denied boarding, have the remainder of their ticket confiscated and may be assessed the difference between the fare paid and the lowest applicable fare.
Because we compete with other airlines with different route structures, we sometimes find it necessary to give a traveler who is traveling beyond a connecting point a better price than travelers who are just traveling to the connecting point. For example, a passenger who is traveling to Austin, Texas from Los Angeles can go on one airline via Phoenix for a price that is lower than the cost of traveling on American between Los Angeles and Dallas. If we want to offer the same price to Austin as the other airline, but the only way we can get travelers there is via Dallas, we find ourselves charging the Austin passengers less than the Dallas passengers.
Although the issuance and usage of hidden city tickets is not illegal in the sense that one could be fined or sent to jail by the government, it is unethical and a breach of a passengers (sic) contract with AA. Both tariff rule 100AA and American's Condition of Carriage, which are incorporated into every ticket sold by American as part of our agreement to carry the passenger named on the ticket, bar hidden city ticketing. In addition, it violates the agencies' contract to act as an agent for American Airlines.
If American Airlines continues to lose revenue as a result of hidden city transactions, the fares we charge must inevitably rise.
Sincerely,
Mr. XXXX,
As an analyst with American Airlines, one of my responsibilities is investigating violations of the General AAdvantage® Program Conditions. An audit of your AAdvantage account, determined that you have engaged in the practice known as ‘Hidden City ticketing’; the purchase of a fare to a point beyond your actual destination. Hidden city ticketing is explicitly defined in AA’s Conditions of Carriage as a violation of ticket validity. The Terms and Conditions of the AAdvantage program further state that compliance with the Conditions of Carriage is compulsory for participation in the AAdvantage program. As such, AAdvantage account XXXXXX is restricted, pending the outcome of our investigation. You may review the terms and conditions of the AAdvantage ® program (several parts of the terms and conditions are noted below) by clicking the link below or by copying and pasting it into your browser.
The audit of your account XXXXXwas completed on August xx, 2020. The following reservations were not issued in compliance with the AAdvantage Terms & Conditions, Conditions of Carriage or AA.com Site Usage policy:
52 HIDDEN CITY TICKETS (Included each one of the flights they believe is a hidden city ticket)
Not unlike other commodities, airline seats are market priced. A seat on a non-stop flight is a premium product and commands a higher price. Seats in connecting markets must be priced competitively and hence can be substantially cheaper. The ill-effects of point beyond ticketing are two-fold; the customer receives the flight for a price for which they aren’t entitled and a seat is spoiled on the separate connecting flight. An airline ticket constitutes a contract and the terms of that contract are stated explicitly in the Conditions of Carriage. Please see excerpts below.
Mr.XXXXX, these actions have resulted in clear and considerable losses to American Airlines. In addition to our loss for the travel provided, tickets booked through prohibited practices are considered fraudulent, and therefore not eligible to accrue mileage. In this case, our loss is further compounded through the Elite mileage accruals, benefits, and services used that were not otherwise available. Generally, violations of this nature subject the AAdvantage account to termination. However, we are willing to provide you with an opportunity to restore an equitable relationship through restitution for the loss on your identified travel.
You may respond to this message by 3pm, CST, Friday, August 31, 2020 stating you would like to bring your account back to good standing. At that time, the segments will be re-priced based on your intended travel and we will send you the information so that you may make the appropriate reimbursement for the travel provided. Failure to return the account to good standing or to reply, will result in the termination of your AAdvantage® membership and all its benefits, including all remaining AAdvantage® miles in your account and any award tickets issued from it.
As an analyst with American Airlines, one of my responsibilities is investigating violations of the General AAdvantage® Program Conditions. An audit of your AAdvantage account, determined that you have engaged in the practice known as ‘Hidden City ticketing’; the purchase of a fare to a point beyond your actual destination. Hidden city ticketing is explicitly defined in AA’s Conditions of Carriage as a violation of ticket validity. The Terms and Conditions of the AAdvantage program further state that compliance with the Conditions of Carriage is compulsory for participation in the AAdvantage program. As such, AAdvantage account XXXXXX is restricted, pending the outcome of our investigation. You may review the terms and conditions of the AAdvantage ® program (several parts of the terms and conditions are noted below) by clicking the link below or by copying and pasting it into your browser.
The audit of your account XXXXXwas completed on August xx, 2020. The following reservations were not issued in compliance with the AAdvantage Terms & Conditions, Conditions of Carriage or AA.com Site Usage policy:
52 HIDDEN CITY TICKETS (Included each one of the flights they believe is a hidden city ticket)
Not unlike other commodities, airline seats are market priced. A seat on a non-stop flight is a premium product and commands a higher price. Seats in connecting markets must be priced competitively and hence can be substantially cheaper. The ill-effects of point beyond ticketing are two-fold; the customer receives the flight for a price for which they aren’t entitled and a seat is spoiled on the separate connecting flight. An airline ticket constitutes a contract and the terms of that contract are stated explicitly in the Conditions of Carriage. Please see excerpts below.
Mr.XXXXX, these actions have resulted in clear and considerable losses to American Airlines. In addition to our loss for the travel provided, tickets booked through prohibited practices are considered fraudulent, and therefore not eligible to accrue mileage. In this case, our loss is further compounded through the Elite mileage accruals, benefits, and services used that were not otherwise available. Generally, violations of this nature subject the AAdvantage account to termination. However, we are willing to provide you with an opportunity to restore an equitable relationship through restitution for the loss on your identified travel.
You may respond to this message by 3pm, CST, Friday, August 31, 2020 stating you would like to bring your account back to good standing. At that time, the segments will be re-priced based on your intended travel and we will send you the information so that you may make the appropriate reimbursement for the travel provided. Failure to return the account to good standing or to reply, will result in the termination of your AAdvantage® membership and all its benefits, including all remaining AAdvantage® miles in your account and any award tickets issued from it.
FAQ: Skipping Segment, Hidden City / Point Beyond / Throw Away Ticketing (master thd)
Apr 13, 2018, 9:51 am
#211
Moderator: Avis and Rental Cars
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 8,031
It's called "Hidden city ticketing" and nope, you can't drop a leg without paying the change fee and fare difference. Have a look around for the hidden city ticketing and you should find a plethora of info on it.
Apr 13, 2018, 10:17 am
#212
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2004
Location: DFW/DAL
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Posts: 21,422
I'm looking at booking a RT:
- LAX-HND
- HND-SFO-LAX (HND to SFO on JAL, SFO-LAX on AA).
Apr 13, 2018, 11:19 am
#213
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 3,698
The only real risk to this approach would be if for some reason the HND-SFO flight had a problem and OP were to be rebooked on a flight straight to LAX. Given the cost of even a walk-up LAX-SFO flight, though, the downside risk is probably not that significant relative to the savings.
Apr 13, 2018, 1:24 pm
#215
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: CID/ORD
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 66
If you're already saving using a throw away ticket, seems a bit much to ALSO try and get a partial refund. Not worth the risk of drawing attention to the ticket, IMO.
Apr 13, 2018, 1:29 pm
#216
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May 8, 2018, 11:13 am
#217
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 19
Intentionally Missing Connection with Checked Bag - Domestic Travel
My minor child (15) is travelling soon through Charlotte then to Columbia, SC. Wife would prefer to pick up child in Charlotte so child doesn't have to make the connection in Charlotte. However, tickets are significantly more expensive to Charlotte ($480 direct to Charlotte, $265 to Columbia with connection in Charlotte). Child will have a checked bag. What happens to the checked bag if child misses connection in Charlotte? Can we get the bag in Charlotte? Will AA send it to Columbia and I could pick it up at the luggage office there?
This will be a one-way ticket and a checked bag is required. We are not planning on doing the unaccompanied minor assistance (optional, but not required for 15 year old).
This will be a one-way ticket and a checked bag is required. We are not planning on doing the unaccompanied minor assistance (optional, but not required for 15 year old).
May 8, 2018, 12:01 pm
#218
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Most likely the bag goes on the CAE flight and is held at CAE. Possibly when not retrieved at CAE and AA checks to see where passenger is and figures out that the passenger did not travel, the bag is returned to CLT. No way of predicting which happens and in what time frame.
May 8, 2018, 12:04 pm
#219
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Location: Canada, USA, Europe
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 31,452
There is also the remote but unlikely possibility that the ticket will be repriced to reflect what was actually flown. There may be some very unhappy folk on the flight to Columbia while they look for your child's bags!
May 8, 2018, 12:11 pm
#222
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My minor child (15) is travelling soon through Charlotte then to Columbia, SC. Wife would prefer to pick up child in Charlotte so child doesn't have to make the connection in Charlotte. However, tickets are significantly more expensive to Charlotte ($480 direct to Charlotte, $265 to Columbia with connection in Charlotte). Child will have a checked bag. What happens to the checked bag if child misses connection in Charlotte? Can we get the bag in Charlotte? Will AA send it to Columbia and I could pick it up at the luggage office there?
This will be a one-way ticket and a checked bag is required. We are not planning on doing the unaccompanied minor assistance (optional, but not required for 15 year old).
This will be a one-way ticket and a checked bag is required. We are not planning on doing the unaccompanied minor assistance (optional, but not required for 15 year old).
I would buy the flight to Columbia and just have your son make the connection. CLT is relatively easy, you can have him call you as soon as he lands and tell him which gate to go to.
May 8, 2018, 12:17 pm
#223
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OP: if you're going to violate the terms under which you buy the ticket (AA's carriage of contract actually prohibits hidden-city ticketing, which is what you propose to do), don't travel with a checked bag. That screws it up since the bag will be checked to the final destination. So it will go to CAE and then possibly end up lost in the system as described above in that earlier post (going back to CLT or staying at CAE). Not sure that hassle is worth saving $200, but that's your decision.
May 8, 2018, 12:39 pm
#224
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My guess is the OP's child is the one requiring a checked bag.
OP: if you're going to violate the terms under which you buy the ticket (AA's carriage of contract actually prohibits hidden-city ticketing, which is what you propose to do), don't travel with a checked bag. That screws it up since the bag will be checked to the final destination. So it will go to CAE and then possibly end up lost in the system as described above in that earlier post (going back to CLT or staying at CAE). Not sure that hassle is worth saving $200, but that's your decision.
OP: if you're going to violate the terms under which you buy the ticket (AA's carriage of contract actually prohibits hidden-city ticketing, which is what you propose to do), don't travel with a checked bag. That screws it up since the bag will be checked to the final destination. So it will go to CAE and then possibly end up lost in the system as described above in that earlier post (going back to CLT or staying at CAE). Not sure that hassle is worth saving $200, but that's your decision.
As others mentioned, AA will not short check a bag. So it is going to CAE no matter whether you do or do not.
I do not know whether they will return it to CLT though. AA will deliver bags etc. when the bag didn't make it due to their fault, but here they clearly committed to CAE and CAE alone, so it likely won't be on AA's plate to bring it to CLT. Odds are it will sit in a locker at CAE until you go get it.
May 8, 2018, 12:50 pm
#225
Join Date: Dec 2004
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Thoughts for both options--
Option 1- Pick up child at CLT:
CLT-CAE is only about 100 miles. It's entirely possible that if you pick up your child at CLT immediately upon arrival and drive to CAE, you would reach there before the CLT-CAE flight arrives, and could pick up the bag from the carousel at CAE when it reaches. Risk is that should there be any irregular operations or an oversell situation on the CLT-CAE flight, the bag might be removed from the plane if your child is not on board. In which case the bag's stuck in CLT.
Option 2- Child flies to CAE:
CLT is one of the easiest connecting airports- one single terminal, no buses, trains or other nonsense, just walk from arriving gate to departing gate, everything well-marked, should not be a problem for a 15 year old, even if a novice flyer. Worst case, End of B-concourse to end of E-concourse is perhaps 15 min walk. If the originating city is somewhere close by, it's possible that both flights are on express carriers, meaning the child may never even need to leave the E-concourse. In the event something happens to delay/cancel the CLT-CAE flight significantly (more than 2-3 hours), if you desire you could drive to CLT to pick up the child. If the delay is significant, it may be possible to request that the checked bag be offloaded for retrieval at CLT.
In my personal opinion, Option 2 is far less risky than option 1.
Option 1- Pick up child at CLT:
CLT-CAE is only about 100 miles. It's entirely possible that if you pick up your child at CLT immediately upon arrival and drive to CAE, you would reach there before the CLT-CAE flight arrives, and could pick up the bag from the carousel at CAE when it reaches. Risk is that should there be any irregular operations or an oversell situation on the CLT-CAE flight, the bag might be removed from the plane if your child is not on board. In which case the bag's stuck in CLT.
Option 2- Child flies to CAE:
CLT is one of the easiest connecting airports- one single terminal, no buses, trains or other nonsense, just walk from arriving gate to departing gate, everything well-marked, should not be a problem for a 15 year old, even if a novice flyer. Worst case, End of B-concourse to end of E-concourse is perhaps 15 min walk. If the originating city is somewhere close by, it's possible that both flights are on express carriers, meaning the child may never even need to leave the E-concourse. In the event something happens to delay/cancel the CLT-CAE flight significantly (more than 2-3 hours), if you desire you could drive to CLT to pick up the child. If the delay is significant, it may be possible to request that the checked bag be offloaded for retrieval at CLT.
In my personal opinion, Option 2 is far less risky than option 1.
Last edited by Maxwell Smart; May 8, 2018 at 1:09 pm
