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)
Feb 4, 2020, 6:54 pm
#483
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,483
Once you get to LAX, you can pull up your reservation at aa.com and cancel it. This will remove you from the LAX-SJC flight and no one will ever look at that reservation again.
Feb 4, 2020, 7:00 pm
#484
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,774
you can cancel a reservation voluntarily after you check in?
Last edited by uclacolumbiaunc; Feb 4, 2020 at 7:14 pm
Feb 5, 2020, 4:51 am
#485
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,483
Yep, this is an aa.com feature that has existed for years. Just pull up your reservation at aa.com and there will be a cancel link at the top. Doesn't matter if you've already checked in and flown a few segments, etc., works the same. This removes you from any remaining flights, cancels your ticket, and as mentioned no one will ever look at the record again.
Feb 5, 2020, 11:59 am
#486
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,774
Yep, this is an aa.com feature that has existed for years. Just pull up your reservation at aa.com and there will be a cancel link at the top. Doesn't matter if you've already checked in and flown a few segments, etc., works the same. This removes you from any remaining flights, cancels your ticket, and as mentioned no one will ever look at the record again.
Feb 6, 2020, 11:23 pm
#487
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, MM, NR; HH Diamond, Bonvoy LT Gold, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Diamond, others
Posts: 12,159
Yep, this is an aa.com feature that has existed for years. Just pull up your reservation at aa.com and there will be a cancel link at the top. Doesn't matter if you've already checked in and flown a few segments, etc., works the same. This removes you from any remaining flights, cancels your ticket, and as mentioned no one will ever look at the record again.
Dec 11, 2020, 11:32 am
#488
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 77
Dumping a Connecting Flight?
I'm flying me and family from GIG (Rio) to ICT (Wichita). There's lots of ways to do this, but basically you're looking at a nonstop from GIG to either ATL or MIA, and then making your way from there back to ICT.
A direct flight from GIG to MIA costs my family $2,506. But if I book the same flight to ATL *connecting through MIA* (the first leg is exactly the same direct flight to MIA) the total price DROPS to $1,602. So I save $900 is I book this second option. But then I've got to get from ATL to ICT which is another $663 total on United connecting thru Chicago. (Not booking one ticket all the way from GIG to ICT because no economical options). So now I'm up to 4 connecting flights and a total cost of $2,265.
BUT, if I were to book the GIG - MIA - ATL ticket and just dump the final leg to ATL, I could then book from MIA - DFW - ICT for $693. So for basically the same cost, I skip an extra leg of travel and get home faster.
BUT, two questions:
1. I'll be checking bags. But that shouldn't be a problem because I have to claim my bags in MIA to go through customs anyway, right? In other words, the bags won't fly to ATL without my intervention.
2. Not only would I be dumping the second leg, I'd be booking a "conflicting" flight with American for the same day from MIA to ICT. Here's where I think my plans breaks down.
Thoughts?
A direct flight from GIG to MIA costs my family $2,506. But if I book the same flight to ATL *connecting through MIA* (the first leg is exactly the same direct flight to MIA) the total price DROPS to $1,602. So I save $900 is I book this second option. But then I've got to get from ATL to ICT which is another $663 total on United connecting thru Chicago. (Not booking one ticket all the way from GIG to ICT because no economical options). So now I'm up to 4 connecting flights and a total cost of $2,265.
BUT, if I were to book the GIG - MIA - ATL ticket and just dump the final leg to ATL, I could then book from MIA - DFW - ICT for $693. So for basically the same cost, I skip an extra leg of travel and get home faster.
BUT, two questions:
1. I'll be checking bags. But that shouldn't be a problem because I have to claim my bags in MIA to go through customs anyway, right? In other words, the bags won't fly to ATL without my intervention.
2. Not only would I be dumping the second leg, I'd be booking a "conflicting" flight with American for the same day from MIA to ICT. Here's where I think my plans breaks down.
Thoughts?
Dec 11, 2020, 11:39 am
#489
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Canada, USA, Europe
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 31,452
1. Correct, you need to claim your bags
2. AA will spot the impossible bookings and cancel one or both of your tickets.
Bigger question to me is, is the saving of a few hundred bucks worth the stress and hassle of separate tickets? I’d just book a single ticket to ICT.
2. AA will spot the impossible bookings and cancel one or both of your tickets.
Bigger question to me is, is the saving of a few hundred bucks worth the stress and hassle of separate tickets? I’d just book a single ticket to ICT.
Dec 11, 2020, 12:01 pm
#490
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 77
I didn't explain this fully, but booking the complete trip from GIG to ICT costs me more than a few hundred bucks. It more than doubles the cost for my family of five from about $2,300 to about $5,600.
So I'll definitely be booking two separate trips: one into the U.S. and then the second trip to Wichita. I'm not worried about that piece of it, especially because we'll be coming home so I'm less concerned about baggage problems. The only issue was weather I could feasibly dump the second leg of the flight from Rio to the U.S. but yeah - I agree the problem is that I'd need to find a different carrier to then get me from MIA to ICT and that's where the plan breaks down.
Uggg. Now I know why people dump flights. I had heard about it but never actually experienced it. For one person maybe it doesn't matter so much, but for a family it ADDS UP. Crazy that American wants to charge me nearly $1000 more to take one LESS flight.
So I'll definitely be booking two separate trips: one into the U.S. and then the second trip to Wichita. I'm not worried about that piece of it, especially because we'll be coming home so I'm less concerned about baggage problems. The only issue was weather I could feasibly dump the second leg of the flight from Rio to the U.S. but yeah - I agree the problem is that I'd need to find a different carrier to then get me from MIA to ICT and that's where the plan breaks down.
Uggg. Now I know why people dump flights. I had heard about it but never actually experienced it. For one person maybe it doesn't matter so much, but for a family it ADDS UP. Crazy that American wants to charge me nearly $1000 more to take one LESS flight.
Dec 11, 2020, 1:45 pm
#492
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 77
I’ve heard this before, but don’t really get how it works. They are charging a significantly higher price for a significantly cheaper product (one segment versus the same segment plus another). I would have dumped the final segment in a heartbeat if the plan would otherwise have worked.
And by the way, I’m not one of those people who complains about all the up charges imposed by airlines. I actually support that because I’d rather pay the lowest possible fare and let other customers pay extra for stuff I don’t need - snacks, checked bags, bathrooms, etc. But this situation is the complete opposite - pricing completely inverse to the service provided.
I’m tempted to call American and try to get them to honor the two-segment price if I just stop after the first segment. But I suspect the answer is a fat NO because “the system” won’t allow it.
And by the way, I’m not one of those people who complains about all the up charges imposed by airlines. I actually support that because I’d rather pay the lowest possible fare and let other customers pay extra for stuff I don’t need - snacks, checked bags, bathrooms, etc. But this situation is the complete opposite - pricing completely inverse to the service provided.
I’m tempted to call American and try to get them to honor the two-segment price if I just stop after the first segment. But I suspect the answer is a fat NO because “the system” won’t allow it.
Dec 11, 2020, 2:11 pm
#493
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 77
Ah I knew the practice had an official name - just couldn’t remember it. “Hidden City Ticketing.” Great guide here: https://scottscheapflights.com/guide...city-ticketing
The explanation is “supply and demand.” And while I’m all about free markets, this isn’t quite so simple. In this case the airlines are selling *the exact same flight* - same seat and fuel consumed - at two different prices depending upon whether you are making it your final destination or a connection. They are charging more based upon the consumer’s perceived value of a non-stop flight, even though that same exact flight can be had for less money if the customer books it as a connection.
That sort of pricing wouldn’t be acceptable in any other context. Imagine buying a pizza, and the price is $20, but the price would have been $10 total if I had bought 2 pizzas. Same exact first pizza, except I could have gotten double the pizza for half the cost, and the only difference is that this second far better deal was hidden.
But the excuse for airlines is “airline pricing is complicated.” Well, lots of industries have complicated pricing models - this is really more like deceptive.
The explanation is “supply and demand.” And while I’m all about free markets, this isn’t quite so simple. In this case the airlines are selling *the exact same flight* - same seat and fuel consumed - at two different prices depending upon whether you are making it your final destination or a connection. They are charging more based upon the consumer’s perceived value of a non-stop flight, even though that same exact flight can be had for less money if the customer books it as a connection.
That sort of pricing wouldn’t be acceptable in any other context. Imagine buying a pizza, and the price is $20, but the price would have been $10 total if I had bought 2 pizzas. Same exact first pizza, except I could have gotten double the pizza for half the cost, and the only difference is that this second far better deal was hidden.
But the excuse for airlines is “airline pricing is complicated.” Well, lots of industries have complicated pricing models - this is really more like deceptive.
Dec 11, 2020, 2:27 pm
#494
Join Date: May 2001
Location: (AA EXP)
Posts: 609
Without example dates it is difficult to provide solutions/alternatives.
Most days a GIG-MIA flight is less expensive than a GIG-MIA-ATL flight, you may have found an odd day of travel.
Consider a GIG-CLT (Charlotte) or GIG-DFW ticket, they may be cheaper (doubtful) but would make it easier to do the end-on-end to add the trip to ICT.
If you purchase a roundtrip GIG-MIA-ATL ticket and don't take the MIA-ATL ticket, AA will cancel the return. If you are only going one way, this isn't an issue.
If you are only going one way, then you could consider two options:
1 - Purchase the GIG-MIA-ATL and MIA-ICT tickets, but do not start the MIA-ICT trip until the MIA-ATL plane lands. This will certainly mean a longer layover in Miami, but as long as the MIA-ICT trip starts just one minute after the MIA-ATL plane is scheduled to land, you will likely NOT have that ticket cancelled.
2 - Schedule the GIG-MIA-ATL ticket with a long enough layover that the MIA-ICT trip will be complete. This has more risk of being detected and cancelled.
Of course, any schedule change between now and your intended flights can ruin these plans. If you are planning to fly in Dec/Jan this is unlikely. After Feb, very likely at least for the US Domestic flights.
There is nothing for AA to "honor" the two segment price. They have a fare loaded from GIG-ICT. That is the fare they expect you to pay, that is the fare they feel is market competitive. The routing is irrelevant. The AA cost is irrelevant.
With more specifics someone may help with alternatives.
Most days a GIG-MIA flight is less expensive than a GIG-MIA-ATL flight, you may have found an odd day of travel.
Consider a GIG-CLT (Charlotte) or GIG-DFW ticket, they may be cheaper (doubtful) but would make it easier to do the end-on-end to add the trip to ICT.
If you purchase a roundtrip GIG-MIA-ATL ticket and don't take the MIA-ATL ticket, AA will cancel the return. If you are only going one way, this isn't an issue.
If you are only going one way, then you could consider two options:
1 - Purchase the GIG-MIA-ATL and MIA-ICT tickets, but do not start the MIA-ICT trip until the MIA-ATL plane lands. This will certainly mean a longer layover in Miami, but as long as the MIA-ICT trip starts just one minute after the MIA-ATL plane is scheduled to land, you will likely NOT have that ticket cancelled.
2 - Schedule the GIG-MIA-ATL ticket with a long enough layover that the MIA-ICT trip will be complete. This has more risk of being detected and cancelled.
Of course, any schedule change between now and your intended flights can ruin these plans. If you are planning to fly in Dec/Jan this is unlikely. After Feb, very likely at least for the US Domestic flights.
There is nothing for AA to "honor" the two segment price. They have a fare loaded from GIG-ICT. That is the fare they expect you to pay, that is the fare they feel is market competitive. The routing is irrelevant. The AA cost is irrelevant.
With more specifics someone may help with alternatives.