I have a round-trip coming up and on the return flight I couldn't get a direct connection so I had to book a layover. I later decided I would like to spend some time in the connecting city, perhaps a few days. Is there anything wrong with me missing my connection flight (not checking anything) and fly home on a new one-way ticket a few days later?

I would need to buy the new one-way ticket in advance, but probably from a different carrier, so it wouldn't be apparent to the airline. If someone has access to info from different airlines it might be clear what I did.

I'm not sure I see anything wrong with what I'm doing, but is it possible the airline could charge me a fee for not taking my final flight? This doesn't make sense to me because I already paid for the ticket.

Thanks!

This is hidden city ticketing. It's debated to death here. Some say its violating the contract you entered into, some say its like getting a case of coke for less than a 6 pack and throwing away 18 of them.

the usual points are don't make a habit of it, don't check bags, you'll be fine.

sometimes plans change.....very difficult to short check bags....

The other thing to keep in mind is that there is always a chance your return flight could be changed and instead of flying home A-B-C you are re-booked on an A-D-C route. If this happens you will then be stuck with the additional B-C flight you booked.

If you're OK with this risk (which likely isn't huge), then go for it.

I believe that hidden city ticketing is legal on Southwest.

Are there really instances where this strategy actually makes financial sense?

I've yet to see a combo where the numbers work.

You be the judge: http://i47.tinypic.com/1ylnyt.jpg

BRU-LHR-SIN-LHR-BRU
$600 cheaper than
LHR-SIN-LHR

Except that would not work, as you could not skip BRU to LHR, they would cancel the rest of the ticket. Since Southwest does not fly that route, you would lose the entire ticket.

Who said skip the first leg? We're talking about the last leg and LHR-BRU's definately skip-able.

I believe Witold was talking in general, not just Southwest.

Sorry, when you compare two routes, one with a first leg and one without I assumed that you were implying to skip the first leg of the trip.

Otherwise, the comparison doesn't make any sense, at least to me.

When you check in at your originating city, you'll be checking in for both legs, so the connecting flight will be expecting you since your name will be on the manifest. My question is, will it inconvenience the crew and passengers of the last flight of your travels by you missing it?

Years ago, an airline was nice enough to hold a Caribbean-bound flight for my wife and I since we were connecting to it from one end of MIA to the other. We made it, the passengers cheered (apparently, all were aware of why the flight would be delayed), and we left the gate 5 minutes late. I would hate to be the cause of an inconvenience if I were to purposely miss the flight.

Unless the carrier knows that a late connection has occurred (due to a late inbound aircraft), they aren't going to delay departure. At best, they might page the missing pax, but that's about it.

I've done this, but not habitually. As a courtesy call the airline when you land and say you're "ill" and won't make the cnx.

Yep, I recall seeing, for example, flights from FLL to CLT to RDU cost less than direct flights from FLL to CLT on US. If it's a one way ticket, and you're not checking bags, then you can just buy that extra CLT to RDU leg, then leave at CLT.