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)
May 8, 2018, 1:40 pm
#228
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: PHX, SEA
Programs: Avis President's Club, Global Entry, Hilton/Marriott Gold. No more DL/AA status.
Posts: 4,422
Ick, is a checked bag "required" because of a basic economy fare or contents? Considering that bag fee is $25 how much of it could be shipped USPS priority to mom ($25 would buy large and a medium Flat rate shipping), and the rest in a backpack or roller bag, then your deplaning at CLT would be easier.
Edit: While typing, lax555 beat me to it.
Edit: While typing, lax555 beat me to it.
May 8, 2018, 3:17 pm
#229
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: PVD, BOS
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 1,664
If your kid can’t handle a connection, get the unaccompanied minor service for him. That said, changing planes at CLT is quite simple. So why not treat it as a bit of good life experience for him?
Either way, buy the ticket you intend to fly. You cannot do hidden city ticketing with a checked bag.
Either way, buy the ticket you intend to fly. You cannot do hidden city ticketing with a checked bag.
May 8, 2018, 3:37 pm
#230
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Stilllwater OK (SWO)
Programs: AAdvantage ExecPlat, World of Hyatt Globalist, plain "member" of Marriott, IHG, enterprise, etc.
Posts: 1,848
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?
Thus, if you want to pick up your kid in Charlotte and the bag in Columbia, I don't think there is really any problem here. Your kid won't get credit for the 'leg' if he/she has an Aadvantage account, of course, but I don't think there will be any other consequences (how would AA even prove it was a 'hidden city pricing' scheme? People miss flights all the time and these airports are so close that are they really different destinations anyways? And AA isn't going to float a bag around their system to chase a customer).
Story:
My wife was flying from RNO-DFW-SWO (Stillwater OK) last month and the RNO-DFW flight was delayed a few hours, and thus missing her DFW-SWO connection. The DFW-SWO connection is a twice daily flight, so she would have had to wait until the next day in the afternoon in order to 'stand by' for that flight back. Anyways, with that kind of delay, and the flexibility I had in my work at the time, we decided we might as well meet in Dallas make a long weekend out of it, and drive back to Stillwater ok later. Bag made it's way to Stillwater on the next flight, no problem, and we picked it up from the office a few days later.
May 8, 2018, 3:47 pm
#231
Join Date: May 2003
Programs: OW Emerald
Posts: 1,452
Not sure why half the replies so far have assumed the child is he/him/son. But agree that checking a bag will mess it up. Travel whatever is purchased in this case.
May 8, 2018, 4:09 pm
#232
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,397
That being said... don't check luggage if you want to do this. Really.
May 8, 2018, 4:27 pm
#233
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 11,268
May 8, 2018, 4:34 pm
#234
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: New Orleans (MSY)
Programs: AA EXP, IHG PLT, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Explorist, Amtrak, WN
Posts: 2,617
If you can go without checking the bag (and can guarantee that it won't be forcibly checked during the journey), the child can simply deplane at CLT and AA will most likely not look into the child not taking the second flight.
If you have to check the bag, it could lead to a potential disaster. IMHO the potential hours spent talking to the AA baggage desk and on the phone with AA are enough of a deterrent. I would avoid this at all costs. Others have suggested UPS/FedEx/etc. - I don't think this is a bad option, but can't comment as to how much it would cost.
If you have to check the bag, it could lead to a potential disaster. IMHO the potential hours spent talking to the AA baggage desk and on the phone with AA are enough of a deterrent. I would avoid this at all costs. Others have suggested UPS/FedEx/etc. - I don't think this is a bad option, but can't comment as to how much it would cost.
May 8, 2018, 5:42 pm
#235
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
If they weren't different destinations, there wouldn't be two different prices for airfare involving CLT and CAE. It's pretty obvious OP is trying to save a buck and engage in hidden city ticketing from their post. AA probably isn't going to hound them to the ends of the earth over it, the same way you probably are going to get away with speeding or any other number of ways you can game the system (abusing store refund policies, or what have you), but let's call a spade a spade.
That being said... don't check luggage if you want to do this. Really.
That being said... don't check luggage if you want to do this. Really.
May 8, 2018, 6:00 pm
#236
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
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).
If you really intend doing this, and I think others have made some excellent points, your assumed savings might be reduced because you’d better ship the baggage by ground shipper if you intent to get your bags other than at Columbia (where it will be treated as unclaimed baggage).
May 9, 2018, 8:00 am
#237
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Stilllwater OK (SWO)
Programs: AAdvantage ExecPlat, World of Hyatt Globalist, plain "member" of Marriott, IHG, enterprise, etc.
Posts: 1,848
If they weren't different destinations, there wouldn't be two different prices for airfare involving CLT and CAE. It's pretty obvious OP is trying to save a buck and engage in hidden city ticketing from their post. AA probably isn't going to hound them to the ends of the earth over it, the same way you probably are going to get away with speeding or any other number of ways you can game the system (abusing store refund policies, or what have you), but let's call a spade a spade.
That being said... don't check luggage if you want to do this. Really.
That being said... don't check luggage if you want to do this. Really.
If one were to do this a few times and AA tracked it, they may follow up with a customer about it and research about it. But, an airline isn't going to put all the work into investigating if something could have been 'hidden city pricing' in a one-off case of a missed flight. I know FT on the airline forums are full of people that follow rules to the last letter, but this is a light infraction of a rather ridiculous policy that the airlines use to segment and hack the marketplace that most definitely won't be called out.
If you can go without checking the bag (and can guarantee that it won't be forcibly checked during the journey), the child can simply deplane at CLT and AA will most likely not look into the child not taking the second flight.
If you have to check the bag, it could lead to a potential disaster. IMHO the potential hours spent talking to the AA baggage desk and on the phone with AA are enough of a deterrent. I would avoid this at all costs. Others have suggested UPS/FedEx/etc. - I don't think this is a bad option, but can't comment as to how much it would cost.
If you have to check the bag, it could lead to a potential disaster. IMHO the potential hours spent talking to the AA baggage desk and on the phone with AA are enough of a deterrent. I would avoid this at all costs. Others have suggested UPS/FedEx/etc. - I don't think this is a bad option, but can't comment as to how much it would cost.
May 9, 2018, 2:41 pm
#238
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 19
Yeah, yeah, but these two places are an hour and a half away DRIVING.
I though it was weird too. And why we all assume the child is a mature 15 year old ready to handle it. My kid and most kids -- sure, I would have them make the connection because I think most 15 year olds could easily handle it. But the OP expressed concern, and asked a question. Maybe it is a false concern because they just want to save some money, but maybe the parent is sincerely concerned.
The different prices for airfare is obvious on the surface at least. Charlotte is a hub that AA dominates and can milk. Columbia's market is competitive, especially between feeding Delta's Atlanta hub and AA's Charlotte hub. And is it 'hidden city pricing' -- yeah, sure it is, technically. I read the OP's message as though they are in the Columbia market, but the OP is willing to drive up to Charlotte to avoid putting the kid through the connection. The point of AA discounting Columbia's market thus is still valid for these travelers, all the airline stands to lose is nothing, and they still get the fare paid to them vs Delta.
If one were to do this a few times and AA tracked it, they may follow up with a customer about it and research about it. But, an airline isn't going to put all the work into investigating if something could have been 'hidden city pricing' in a one-off case of a missed flight. I know FT on the airline forums are full of people that follow rules to the last letter, but this is a light infraction of a rather ridiculous policy that the airlines use to segment and hack the marketplace that most definitely won't be called out.
I don't think the checked baggage is an issue if one was to pick up the bag in Columbia. (If the OP wanted it in Charlotte, I think there is no way AA would do that.) No need to talk to anyone on the phone and Columbia isn't a big airport. Bags arrive without passengers all the times for tons of reasons and the bags simply go to baggage office. They aren't going to interrogate you, they will simply ask for the claim tag (and that is really the only risk I see -- One has to make sure they have their claim tag to make such a pick up easy).
I though it was weird too. And why we all assume the child is a mature 15 year old ready to handle it. My kid and most kids -- sure, I would have them make the connection because I think most 15 year olds could easily handle it. But the OP expressed concern, and asked a question. Maybe it is a false concern because they just want to save some money, but maybe the parent is sincerely concerned.
The different prices for airfare is obvious on the surface at least. Charlotte is a hub that AA dominates and can milk. Columbia's market is competitive, especially between feeding Delta's Atlanta hub and AA's Charlotte hub. And is it 'hidden city pricing' -- yeah, sure it is, technically. I read the OP's message as though they are in the Columbia market, but the OP is willing to drive up to Charlotte to avoid putting the kid through the connection. The point of AA discounting Columbia's market thus is still valid for these travelers, all the airline stands to lose is nothing, and they still get the fare paid to them vs Delta.
If one were to do this a few times and AA tracked it, they may follow up with a customer about it and research about it. But, an airline isn't going to put all the work into investigating if something could have been 'hidden city pricing' in a one-off case of a missed flight. I know FT on the airline forums are full of people that follow rules to the last letter, but this is a light infraction of a rather ridiculous policy that the airlines use to segment and hack the marketplace that most definitely won't be called out.
I don't think the checked baggage is an issue if one was to pick up the bag in Columbia. (If the OP wanted it in Charlotte, I think there is no way AA would do that.) No need to talk to anyone on the phone and Columbia isn't a big airport. Bags arrive without passengers all the times for tons of reasons and the bags simply go to baggage office. They aren't going to interrogate you, they will simply ask for the claim tag (and that is really the only risk I see -- One has to make sure they have their claim tag to make such a pick up easy).
We actually live in Columbia, but wife is worried about the 15 year old making the connection in Charlotte so wife wants to drive to Charlotte to pick up. I think I have enough ammo about how easy connections are in Charlotte that I can convince wife to let 15 year old make the connection in Charlotte. That will save us money (cheaper fare) and time (no driving to Charlotte).
It is nice to know that the bag would to go Columbia anyway. In case 15 year old were to mess up connection, we could easily drive to pick up a bored 15 year old in Charlotte and then get the bag later in Columbia.
May 9, 2018, 2:45 pm
#239
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Stilllwater OK (SWO)
Programs: AAdvantage ExecPlat, World of Hyatt Globalist, plain "member" of Marriott, IHG, enterprise, etc.
Posts: 1,848
Yes, I think that makes a good plan and is exactly what I would do. Have the kid try to make the connection, but assure the kid (and spouse) that if he/she doesn't make it, you can go pick him/her up there and then just grab the bag at Columbia.
May 9, 2018, 7:47 pm
#240
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,502
.