The loophole is a destination you never reach
The tactic is called hidden-city ticketing, or skiplagging. A traveler buys a ticket with a connection in the city they actually want, then leaves the airport instead of boarding the final flight. It can appear cheaper because airlines price routes according to demand and competition—not simply the distance flown. A flight continuing beyond a busy hub may cost less than a ticket ending at that hub.
For example, someone headed to City B might find a cheaper ticket from City A to City C with a connection in City B. They take the first flight and walk away during the connection. The savings depend on finding a suitable itinerary; it is not a reliable way to book every trip.
Why one missed flight can unravel the rest
Airline tickets are generally priced and managed as a sequence of flights. If a traveler skips a segment, the airline may cancel the remaining segments on that ticket, including a return flight. Checked luggage is usually routed to the ticketed destination, so the tactic works only when the traveler can bring carry-on baggage and the itinerary allows them to leave at the connection.
Airlines also object because the passenger is using a fare for a different journey than the one sold. Their ticket rules may prohibit deliberately missing a segment or buying a ticket to use only part of it. A carrier can respond by canceling travel, seeking additional fare, or taking action against a frequent-flyer account; serious cases can put a traveler’s ability to keep using that airline at risk.
The savings come with little protection
A schedule change, weather disruption, or rerouting can send the passenger through a different city, leaving them nowhere near the intended stop. And if the airline cancels the unused onward flight, the passenger cannot assume the rest of the booking will remain intact. The cheap fare is therefore a trade: a lower price in exchange for a trip that can break as soon as the airline’s plan changes.
