Hidden Cities
Jan 28, 2000 | 3:23 pm
#1
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Join Date: Jan 2000
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Hidden Cities
Hi all,
Not sure exactly what 'hidden cities' mean, (heard about it all the time), won't someone confirm this for me? If I have a tix for SFO-DEN-COS-DEN-SFO only to use SFO-DEN-SFO just because my final destination is actually closer to DEN than COS. (DEN-COS is about 2 hrs drive) Is this considered 'hidden cities'? Anyone else had this experience? Do people get snagged from doing this?
Thanks!
P.S.: This is beside the fact that the SFO-COS (via DEN) fare is $150 cheaper than SFO-DEN (a bunch of rocket scientists them fare-rulers eh?)
Not sure exactly what 'hidden cities' mean, (heard about it all the time), won't someone confirm this for me? If I have a tix for SFO-DEN-COS-DEN-SFO only to use SFO-DEN-SFO just because my final destination is actually closer to DEN than COS. (DEN-COS is about 2 hrs drive) Is this considered 'hidden cities'? Anyone else had this experience? Do people get snagged from doing this?
Thanks!
P.S.: This is beside the fact that the SFO-COS (via DEN) fare is $150 cheaper than SFO-DEN (a bunch of rocket scientists them fare-rulers eh?)
Jan 28, 2000 | 4:48 pm
#2
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: The Internets
Posts: 8,269
Someone (WN? HP?) must be flying to COS and UA is matching the fare.
Same thing on LAX-DEN-ABQ. You can buy a RT for $212 while the LAX-DEN RT is about $500 for the same restrictions.
I think you run the risk of having your return trip cancelled if you do not take the last leg. Plus, how are you going to board a flight in DEN that you were supposed to take in COS?
Please post your experience on this!
Same thing on LAX-DEN-ABQ. You can buy a RT for $212 while the LAX-DEN RT is about $500 for the same restrictions.
I think you run the risk of having your return trip cancelled if you do not take the last leg. Plus, how are you going to board a flight in DEN that you were supposed to take in COS?
Please post your experience on this!
Jan 28, 2000 | 4:54 pm
#3
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What you are describing is essentially a hidden city routing. However, there is an outstanding chance that UA will cancel your return since you did not board the DEN-COS segment.
I haven't used one of these in years, but when I did, I would buy a completely different return ticket. For example I used to travel LAX-DTW on AA, which made an intermediate stop in BNA. This was my destination. The fare was a third of the LAX-BNA non-stop. My return ticket was a BNA-LAX non-stop, on a different record. This made the overall roundtrip cost 2/3's of what it would have been if I bought a LAX-BNA-LAX roundtrip*.
*These were all mid-week fares, no Saturday night, little advance purchase time.
I haven't used one of these in years, but when I did, I would buy a completely different return ticket. For example I used to travel LAX-DTW on AA, which made an intermediate stop in BNA. This was my destination. The fare was a third of the LAX-BNA non-stop. My return ticket was a BNA-LAX non-stop, on a different record. This made the overall roundtrip cost 2/3's of what it would have been if I bought a LAX-BNA-LAX roundtrip*.
*These were all mid-week fares, no Saturday night, little advance purchase time.
Jan 31, 2000 | 12:37 pm
#4
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Hmm, okay, thanks for the comments.
I did learn over the weekend that hidden cities would work only if I have bought the tix from a travel agent, since most (if not all) have access to cancelling any segment of the trip. Try this on UA and they could get themselves fired
I chose to stick with the SFO-DEN-COS since (I also learned that..) the weekend car rental in COS is $30 cheaper than DEN, for the same class of car and same amount of days. Wonderful eh?
I did learn over the weekend that hidden cities would work only if I have bought the tix from a travel agent, since most (if not all) have access to cancelling any segment of the trip. Try this on UA and they could get themselves fired
I chose to stick with the SFO-DEN-COS since (I also learned that..) the weekend car rental in COS is $30 cheaper than DEN, for the same class of car and same amount of days. Wonderful eh?