Bailing Out Short [Hidden City Ticketing]

[Cocitus23]

Thanks lobos305 for your contribution. You speak with great assurance and authority, yet your advice seems to contradict that of the other contributors, who say that many pull these stunts with impunity. I'm not sure where the truth lies. Have you had first hand experience of being black-balled by the TSA, or are you repeating scare-mongering advice from the airlines? In other words, what is the basis of your advice, which may well be a very wise warning to those tempted to make a saving?

Cocitus23

 

[drewbles]

Thanks lobos305 for your contribution. You speak with great assurance and authority, yet your advice seems to contradict that of the other contributors, who say that many pull these stunts with impunity. I'm not sure where the truth lies. Have you had first hand experience of being black-balled by the TSA, or are you repeating scare-mongering advice from the airlines? In other words, what is the basis of your advice, which may well be a very wise warning to those tempted to make a saving?

Cocitus23

I have, and know of many who have, done this and I fly in the USA regularly. Never ended up on any TSA list that I know of (certainly no special 'searches' with SSSS) nor a No Fly list.

I also have never had an airline coming after an AdCol from me as a result of doing this. I once had QF coming after my Travel Agent saying that I failed to board a flight (a single segment) and asking for cash. Considering I cancelled the flight prior to taking it, it was a QF stuff up, and neither of us ever actually got to the bottom of it!

 

[lobos305]

This is what I was briefed by the TSA at a security briefing after 9-11 (I am in the US Navy.) So to check, I emailed TSA this week and received a reply that the hidden city profiling was now not a security concern for them (apparently some of the 9-11 hijackers had used similar ticketing schemes in the months leading to the attack.) The TSA response was that using a hidden city ticket was between the passenger and the airline. So belay my last and fly on!

 

[OATEK]

I would like to revive this discussion briefly, mainly in regard to Air France.

I have been looking to book CDG-VIE, and Air France charge roughly EURO200 more for the one way fare than a return fare, if the return leg is deep discount Y (EURO70). Has anyone had any recent issues with booking a return and cancelling the return leg. I don't care about a refund, but just looking for a reasonable cost for a direct flight and not wanting to raise any flags with the authorities. I wouldn't be re-entering France on the trip, but will be there again in the following 12 months.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I would like to revive this discussion briefly, mainly in regard to Air France.

I have been looking to book CDG-VIE, and Air France charge roughly EURO200 more for the one way fare than a return fare, if the return leg is deep discount Y (EURO70). Has anyone had any recent issues with booking a return and cancelling the return leg. I don't care about a refund, but just looking for a reasonable cost for a direct flight and not wanting to raise any flags with the authorities. I wouldn't be re-entering France on the trip, but will be there again in the following 12 months.

I'd go ahead and do it

I did the same for my folks a while back flying to Germany from France. One way was 600 euros or something, but a return was 120! Highly unlikely to be any repercussions. Maybe if you enter a FF number and they can track you, but otherwise if it's a one off it is highly unlikely anything will happen.

 

[Alanslegal]

I have been looking to book CDG-VIE, and Air France charge roughly EURO200 more for the one way fare than a return fare, if the return leg is deep discount Y (EURO70). Has anyone had any recent issues with booking a return and cancelling the return leg. I don't care about a refund, but just looking for a reasonable cost for a direct flight and not wanting to raise any flags with the authorities. I wouldn't be re-entering France on the trip, but will be there again in the following 12 months.

As Mel_Traveller said "go ahead and do it". I'd do the same too.

There is a whole range of reasonable and valid reasons why you missed the return flight eg. I felt too sick to fly. I slept in. My car broke down enroute to the airport. I decided to change plans mid way through and skip Paris.

 

[MarcB]

As Mel_Traveller said "go ahead and do it". I'd do the same too.

There is a whole range of reasonable and valid reasons why you missed the return flight eg. I felt too sick to fly. I slept in. My car broke down enroute to the airport. I decided to change plans mid way through and skip Paris.

And particularly where you know the fare is non-refundable, why would you ring to cancel it??

I've used the hidden city once in Europe. Needed to get to AMS, but wanted to do a day trip to the UK. Was cheaper to book a FRA-AMS-MAN return and just not fly the last AMS-FRA sector. I usually use the "less than 24 hour" transfer rule and make the last sector as late as I can the next day. That way, it's expected that you'd leave the airport, plus if you have baggage, you can easily justify not having it checked through.