Feb 2, 2024, 11:22 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
This is an archive thread, the active thread is Consolidated UA "Hidden City Ticketing Questions"
from Airline booking ploys
Throwaway Tickets , such book RT and only use OW - any issues with UA?
Related threads
UA sues "hidden city" search site Skiplagged.com
United asking gate agents to report hidden ticket travelers
from Airline booking ploys
Throwaway ticketing is purchasing a ticket with the intent to use only a portion of the included travel. This situation may arise when a passenger wants to travel only one way, but where the discounted round-trip excursion fare is cheaper than a one-way ticket
Hidden city ticketing (HCT) is a variant of throwaway ticketing. The passenger books a ticket to a fictitious destination (the "hidden" city) with a connection at the intended destination, walks away at the connection node, and discards the remaining segment.
UA sues "hidden city" search site Skiplagged.com
United asking gate agents to report hidden ticket travelers
Consolidated UA "Hidden City Ticketing Questions" {Archive}
Oct 28, 2018, 1:00 am
#391
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
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I am about to book a flight from LAX-EZE via IAH both ways. (LAX-IAH-EZE-IAH-LAX)
My final destination in the end is SEA. But booking LAX-EZE ROUNDTRIP and then booking a one way flight from IAH-SEA is cheaper than doing it properly (multi city) through United.
That is, I won't take my final flight IAH-LAX, but take IAH-SEA on a separate ticket, might as well as I have to recheck my bags anyway on international flights.
Will the system allow this?
My final destination in the end is SEA. But booking LAX-EZE ROUNDTRIP and then booking a one way flight from IAH-SEA is cheaper than doing it properly (multi city) through United.
That is, I won't take my final flight IAH-LAX, but take IAH-SEA on a separate ticket, might as well as I have to recheck my bags anyway on international flights.
Will the system allow this?
If the agents have an issue, have them call the Help Desk
Oct 28, 2018, 1:06 am
#392
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
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Oct 28, 2018, 1:08 am
#393
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: if it's Thursday, this must be Belgium
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There is pretty much 0% chance of UA cancelling a paid ticket because you have another paid ticket departing to a different destination but overlapping at the same time. Don't even bother worrying about flying a different carrier. Not necessary.
Just exit customs with your bag, go upstairs (or wherever the normal check in is), and drop off your bag at IAH-SEA check-in.
While you're at it, might as well see if pricing it to some other final city makes it even cheaper.
Just exit customs with your bag, go upstairs (or wherever the normal check in is), and drop off your bag at IAH-SEA check-in.
While you're at it, might as well see if pricing it to some other final city makes it even cheaper.
Oct 28, 2018, 1:13 am
#394
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There is pretty much 0% chance of UA cancelling a paid ticket because you have another paid ticket departing to a different destination but overlapping at the same time.
Just exit customs with your bag, go upstairs (or wherever the normal check in is), and drop off your bag at IAH-SEA check-in.
Just exit customs with your bag, go upstairs (or wherever the normal check in is), and drop off your bag at IAH-SEA check-in.
Perhaps you will pm OP your contact info so you can indemnify him if he follows your advice.
Oct 28, 2018, 1:28 am
#395
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
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Splitting the ticket into separate tickets because it is cheaper is end-to-end.
Oct 28, 2018, 1:29 am
#396
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,395
HCT is purchasing a ticket with an unneeded forward segment where the
traveler terminates at an intermediate city because the ticket to the purchased destination is cheaper than the intermediate destination. The desired destination is "hidden" inside the purchased ticket.
Splitting the ticket into separate tickets because it is cheaper is end-to-end.
traveler terminates at an intermediate city because the ticket to the purchased destination is cheaper than the intermediate destination. The desired destination is "hidden" inside the purchased ticket.
Splitting the ticket into separate tickets because it is cheaper is end-to-end.
Oct 28, 2018, 1:37 am
#397
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
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The cheaper issue seems to come about getting to SEA (SEA-EZE roundtrip more expensive than LAX-EZE round trip plus IAH-SEA added ticket. The two tickets are the potential tariff issue, not the dropped segment.
Oct 28, 2018, 2:42 am
#398
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Oakland CA
Programs: DL Gold, AS MVPG, Globalist
Posts: 1,008
UA has very good detection for overlapping reservations; I’ve had them call me before when I’ve had two flights booked at the same time. They wanted to know which one I wanted to take.However their system will only flag it if it’s physically impossible. If you had a ticket IAH-LAX at 9am, and a ticket IAH-SEA at 6pm, it wouldn’t flag it, because you could theoretically fly to LA, hop a jet back to IAH, and fly to SEA.
In your case OP, I’d just fly to LAX and then go to SEA. The agents in EZE should be able to tag the bag through, and if they can’t have them call the help desk as another person suggested.
Oct 28, 2018, 3:01 am
#399
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Not sure what the date is for the return trip, but LAX-SEA is generally cheaper than IAH-SEA.
Oct 28, 2018, 5:00 am
#400
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 159
can you terminate the ticket at IAH? would that make it more expensive than terminating at LAX? if you have to terminate it at LAX (or any other location for that matter) to make it cheaper, can you give yourself a long layover, so that technically flying IAH-SEA-IAH would be possible?
or alternatively, book IAH-LAX w/o your MP#, only add it at the gate to get the premier benefits.
or alternatively, book IAH-LAX w/o your MP#, only add it at the gate to get the premier benefits.
Oct 28, 2018, 5:38 am
#401
Join Date: Jul 2017
Programs: ExecutiveClub GGL/CCR MileagePlus 1K FLyingBlue GOld
Posts: 231
United does have the possibility to findout, im telling you from my own experience. They caught me with two bookings for about same times. Funny i thought i was clever and one was on Ua and another one was on LH and they still found it. I was socked that their system could pick up even from LH so I have no doubt that Ua to Ua would be a breeze for their system to find out
Oct 28, 2018, 6:35 am
#402
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can you terminate the ticket at IAH? would that make it more expensive than terminating at LAX? if you have to terminate it at LAX (or any other location for that matter) to make it cheaper, can you give yourself a long layover, so that technically flying IAH-SEA-IAH would be possible?
or alternatively, book IAH-LAX w/o your MP#, only add it at the gate to get the premier benefits.
or alternatively, book IAH-LAX w/o your MP#, only add it at the gate to get the premier benefits.
OP has a through ticket from and to LAX, it appears. OP is not originating from IAH, so I am not sure what good IAH-SEA-IAH would do.
Terminating at IAH constitutes hidden city ticketing. Adding a separate ticket/segment on UA from IAH is really pushing luck.
Oct 28, 2018, 6:53 am
#403
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: BDL/NYC/BOS
Programs: UA/*A Gold, Global Entry, Marriott Plat, Hilton+IHG Gold, Hertz PC, DL
Posts: 1,752
UA’s rev mgmt/booking system (gemini?) has gotten significantly more capable over the past few months. i did a cash hold on a flight traveling solo, and then a few hours later held the same flight for a friend and myself.
my first hold (which was cheaper, of course) was automatically canceled. this had never happened in the 5+ years i’ve been doing this. i called in to ask whether i could pay for the initial solo reservation, and the agent said that revenue management had canceled the reservation for a duplicate booking. if anything, this is impressive and i give UA full credit for the advancement.
that being said, if you’re going to do this (which i don’t recommend), i’d book the domestic flight before booking the international ticket.
my first hold (which was cheaper, of course) was automatically canceled. this had never happened in the 5+ years i’ve been doing this. i called in to ask whether i could pay for the initial solo reservation, and the agent said that revenue management had canceled the reservation for a duplicate booking. if anything, this is impressive and i give UA full credit for the advancement.
that being said, if you’re going to do this (which i don’t recommend), i’d book the domestic flight before booking the international ticket.
Oct 28, 2018, 6:59 am
#404
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 23,050
It's actually generally called "end-on-end" ticketing, not end-to-end, and it has to do with combining multiple fares on a single ticket. Some cheaper fares restrict the ability to combine the fare with another fare on a single ticket. The restrictions are listed in the Combinability section of the fare rules and you will see something like " IF THE FARE IS USED END-ON-END MUST BE AN A-B-A COMBINATION. SIDE TRIPS NOT PERMITTED". Which means the fare can only be combined with another fare on a single ticket if it's a simple roundtrip booking. Unlike HCT, it is NOT a CoC violation to simply book the additional fare on a separate ticket. In order to get the desired routing on a single ticket, you have to upfare to a higher fare class that does not have the end-on-end restrictions. The disadvantage of booking as separate tickets is that you may not be as well protected in the event of schedule changes and IRROP's.
Last edited by xliioper; Oct 28, 2018 at 7:38 am
Oct 28, 2018, 7:29 am
#405
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: PWM
Programs: AA Plat
Posts: 1,335
HCT
But the price of the first ticket wasn't the given reason for dropping the IAH-LAX, it may or may not be cheaper if the original booking did not have the IAH-LAX segment.
The cheaper issue seems to come about getting to SEA (SEA-EZE roundtrip more expensive than LAX-EZE round trip plus IAH-SEA added ticket. The two tickets are the potential tariff issue, not the dropped segment.
The cheaper issue seems to come about getting to SEA (SEA-EZE roundtrip more expensive than LAX-EZE round trip plus IAH-SEA added ticket. The two tickets are the potential tariff issue, not the dropped segment.
CoC Rule 6(J)1
Tickets may not be purchased and used at fare(s) [...] to a more distant point(s) than the Passenger’s actual destination