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Hidden City Flight

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Search over 600 airlines
We accept 160 different currencies
Over 3000 customers rated us 4.4/5
Cancellation Protection
Protects
Trusted Choice
  • Rated 4.5 Stars. Based on 3,581 service ratings over the past year
  • Dedicated customer service team on hand to help
  • Secure payments

What are Hidden City Flights?

Blue plane icon

Hidden city flights are when you purchase a flight ticket with the intention of leaving at a stopover, instead of the final destination. The only advantage of hidden city flights is that you can save money. For example, a flight from London to Florida could cost £400 whereas a flight from London to Florida to New York could cost £300. However, there are a lot of consequences with these types of flights including being banned from travelling with the airline.

Please be aware that at Alternative Airlines we don't recommend hidden city ticketing. There are several consequences if you use hidden city ticketing frequently.

 


 

Hidden City Flights: Everything you need to know

There are lots of disadvantages when it comes to booking hidden city flights. We advise that you consider booking one-way or last-minute flights to avoid disruption to other travellers or environmental damage.

 

Disruption for other travellers

By missing a flight, you run the risk of upsetting other passengers because the aircraft will have to wait for the remaining passengers, which could cause the trip to be delayed.

Additionally, there may be passengers that require last-minute travel but are unable to do so because the airline has sold out of their flights.

 

Loss of checked baggage

When catching a connecting flight your checked baggage is usually taken to the final destination. Therefore, if you're leaving at the connecting airport you'll likely lose your checked baggage and may not be able to recover it.

 

Legal Issues

Booking hidden city flights regularly can leave in you serious trouble with airlines. If you're repeatedly missing flights, many airlines will ban you from travelling with them.

Lufthansa filed a suit against a customer in Berlin for breach of contract. The case was dismissed but is now being appealed. United Airlines also sued Skiplagged but the case was dismissed.

 

Please note that we don't advise that passengers book hidden city flights. If you wish to save money on flights please read below.


 

How to save money with Alternative Airlines

 

Best Fare Finder

When you book through Alternative Airlines you can use our Best Fare Finder tool to search for the cheapest dates to fly. Our Best Fare Finder is located in the calendar on the search form. The cheapest days to fly are highlighted in green and the most expensive days to fly are highlighted in red. For more information on how to use this tool, read our Best Fare Finder guide.

 

Buy Now Pay Later

At Alternative Airlines we offer a number of financing options that can help you manage the cost of your flight. When you book through Alternative Airlines, you can spread the cost of your flight ticket with any of the Buy Now Pay Later options at checkout including Affirm, Klarna, and Zip, among others.

With flights on finance, you can lock in today's prices and pay for flights in a way better suited to your budgeting.

 


 

Hidden City Flights
FAQs

What are hidden city flights?

Hidden city flights are when you buy a flight ticket with the plan to leave at the stopover destination, rather than the final destination. For example, a flight ticket from London to Orlando may be more expensive than a ticket from London to Orlando and then to Los Angeles.

 

Are hidden city flights illegal?

Hidden city flights are not currently illegal. However, there can be serious consequences if you regularly participate in hidden city ticketing. For instance, some airlines may ban you from travelling with them or kick you out of their frequent flyer programme.

 

How can I save money on flights?

If you wish to save money on flights we advise that you use our Best Fare Finder tool, which is located in the calendar in the search form. The tool shows you what days are the cheapest to fly and what days are the most expensive to fly.

Alternatively, if you want to ease the pressure of paying for the full of the amount of your flights, you can use one of our Buy Now Pay Later options at checkout. With flights on finance, you can spread the cost of your flight into weekly, bi-weekly or monthly instalments.

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