United Airlines does not appreciate passengers who engage in hidden city ticketing. Now it wants airport agents to play a greater role in discouraging this practice…covertly, not overtly.
First, a review of hidden city ticketing. Briefly, United (and all carriers) often charge a premium for nonstop flights. For example, a flight from Los Angeles to Orlando via Chicago may often turn out cheaper than purchasing just the same Los Angeles to Chicago flight alone:
LA to Chicago to Orlando: $120
LA to Chicago (same flight): $171
Examples like the above can be found for every airline. Noticing this trend, many passengers book the connection to Orlando but just get off the plane in Chicago with no intention of making the connection.
This comes with all sorts of risk. You cannot check bags. You also cannot book a return flight. Furthermore, if something goes wrong like a delay or cancellation, airlines will get you to your “final” destination, not the intermediate point that is really your destination.
Although by no means illegal, taking advantage of loopholes like this contravenes the “Contract of Carriage” you “agree” to whenever you book an airline ticket (of course, on a take-it-or-leave-it basis).
The New Memo
First covered by Brian Sumers, United is now asking gate agents to play the part of sleuth and rat out passengers suspected of engaging in hidden city ticketing to United’s corporate security.
I asked a gate agent at United to send me the internal menu. Having reviewed the document, I can say that it is not aimed at simply ratting out these passengers. Rather, it is aimed at stopping gate agents from going rogue. That’s an important distinction.
The memo asks gate or baggage agents to engage in three steps:
- Ask questions and understand the customer’s situation
- Ensure timely return of checked bag(s) to the customer
- Report Hidden City occurrences to Corporate Security
Of course the focus is on #3 and the secret nature of the reporting is arguably more pernicious. But United agents have been instructed to ask questions first and err on the side of caution. People do have reasons for skipping flights and sometimes such reasons are valid (delays, diversions, cancelations, sickness).
United Directs Agents Not To Confront
Whether the customer is guilty of engaging in “Skiplagging” or not, United makes clear that customers should be re-united with their bags as quickly as possible. The problem arises when some passengers engage in hidden city ticketing practices while thinking they can check a bag to an intermediate stop (United and others do not allow this) or skip an outbound leg and still fly the return journey. Agents are instructed:
Our priority is to safely get our customers and their baggage to their final destinations, so always try to understand the customer’s situation and avoid confrontation when handling Hidden City ticketing instances.
While a United spokesperson was quick to remind that “it is against our ticketing policies to purchase an additional segment with no intention to fly,” he also stressed that the main point of this memo was to help passengers who engage in this practice ensure they are not separated from their luggage for longer than necessary.
But, the memo also warns:
Corporate security will handle following up on the situation and taking appropriate action to ensure customers are following contract of carriage rules and United policies. This includes collecting any add/collect fees, if warranted.
And we’ve seen United send bills in the past…
Why I Don’t Engage in Hidden City Ticketing On United
As a frequent flyer on United who does not check bags, believe me, I am often tempted by hidden city ticketing. But I do not do it…and I will not do it. It is not out of respect for United. I’ve argued on several occasions that I don’t buy the origin to destination argument and view a plane ticket as a commodity that you can use as you see fit, partially or wholly.
And while I think United has no legal remedy to combat this practice, it certainly wields a powerful sword: United MileagePlus. I’ve worked hard to earn lifetime status by virtue of flying over one million miles with United and I am not about to jeopardize that to save a few hundred bucks here and there on a ticket. United is well within its right to suspend or close MileagePlus accounts of members who engage in this practice. That’s a risk I am not willing to take.
CONCLUSION
United’s memo notes that the practice of hidden city ticketing is growing (I blame Lufthansa for that). While I truly do not have any moral reservations about hidden city ticketing, please be aware of the potential consequences as you consider the pros/cons of skiplagging. United will happily re-unite with your bag, but the pain may come later…
> Read More Hidden City Ticketing Coverage:
- Scary: United Seriously Threatening Passengers Who Skip Flights
- Point: United Has Every Right To Demand Customers Pay For Hidden-City Tickets
- Counterpoint:
- United’s Hidden-City Pressure Works on Me
- An Online Travel Agency Invites You To “Break The Rules” (But Be Careful…)
As a free agent and someone who never checks bags, I wouldn’t hesitate to use this method. They have no legal recourse. Let’s say I was ticketed LAX-ORD-MCO and exited at ORD. How would they prove this was my original intention? I could say I got sick and didn’t want to continue with my trip. End of story. And what are gate agents going to do, interrogate pax as to whether their continuing itineraries are legit? Ridiculous.
They should suck it up and work on soft product. The cost of doing is business on this scale will always be those who find a way to outsmart the system.
Presumably they could ask for a doctor’s note? And, in the United States, a single doctor’s visit could easily cost more than the flight!
“Dear United, I got diarrhea during my recent LAX-ORD, most likely from the meal you served me on board. I didn’t go to see a doctor because who would do that for a typical case of diarrhea? In lieu of a provider’s note, please find enclosed a cup with a specimen to document this case. Love and kisses, your former customer. PS: I didn’t wash my hands after filling the cup so I’m returning the favor.”
There is one instance where United had PROOF that a person had used this “method” 36 times. A use of a “method” 36 times could be proof that the flyer did not get “sick”. I understand people wanting to save money but the inherent risks are very high. Is it worth having your reward mileage (if any) revoked over $50-$100 dollars? Do what you want but I do NOT ever fly United so it will never be a problem with me.
What irks me about the people who do this, is they take a seat that someone else wants to book. If economy is sold out, other passengers have to purchase premium tickets. It’s a selfish practice.
This is a bit confusing…so this interrogation-by-gate-agent scenario only occurs if the customer checks a bag and then needs to be reunited with said bag at their intermediate stop right?
Cuz otherwise if I book a ticket IAD-ORD-IAH and ORD is my real destination then I’m just gonna walk out of the ORD airport with zero interaction with any UA employees so they’d never have a chance to question me.
Don’t do the throwaway checked baggage thing, just don’t. There’s a very high chance that will delay the flight.
Baggage fly with the designated responsible party and in regular ops, it’s the passenger. If passenger skips the flight, baggage have to be removed.
A narrow body’s cargo hold is fairly large in that it’s long but tough to navigate. Ceiling is low so handlers are on their hands and knees. With a moderately full load and if your baggage was loaded early, they might have to move a bunch of things out to get to your baggage. A number of other factors can further prolong this task.
You want to save some money doing hidden city routing, that’s your prerogative. Benefits, risks and consequences are yours. Messing with other passengers, crew, other flights that need the gate, etc… is a d-bag move.
Is the solution to use hidden city ticketing only occasionally? Then, if you have free checked bags, you try to make it look like you are traveling to the ticketed destination by checking in a box full of garbage and worn out clothes, which will be abandoned?
The goal here is intimidation. While some will comply, others will not. But its still an effective way to reduce their losses. I think of this like a gym membership, I pay for something which is available to me. If I decide to use it, that’s entirely my prerogative.
Nothing United can do. Let them take the numbers!! We are here to save money since they can’t do it for us!!
Maybe United should price their product at a reasonable rate for travelers so people don’t have to sneak around and break the so-called rules. United wants agents to play FBI for them. United can kiss my rosy ass. If someone is smart enough to circumvent the games United plays with clients all the more power to them.
Can’t or won’t?
I do not fly United. But if they would sell the hidden city at a cheaper price, this would not happen. Put the problem back on United, not the passengers.
Matthew, can you direct me to an article that explains why you blame LH for the increase in skiplagging on United? I find the comment intriguing.
Dan, see below:
https://liveandletsfly.boardingarea.com/2019/02/12/lufthansa-hidden-city-ticketing-lawsuit/
Thanks!
Turn them In!Turn them In !
Lock them up ! Lock Them up!
Thank you for flying United
Where dragging you bloody down the aisle is our specialty
Don’t use your Mileage plus number. Don’t check bags. Don’t be a hog. Make typo on name.
Whatever happened to honesty and abiding by contract terms? Since one agrees to a contract of carriage when one buys a ticket, is there no obligation to live up to it? There are other airlines, there’s AMTRAK, there’s the Greyhound bus, and there’s the personal automobile. There ARE options. No one is forcing anyone to fly, nor is anyone forcing anyone to fly a specific airline. It might be more convenient to fly United, American, or Delta, but it’s not mandatory. Maybe some personal honesty and integrity would make the onerous terms of the contracts of carriage unnecessary.
The CoC is lopsided in United’s favor and offered on a take-it-or-leave-it basis. Some courts have held these sorts of adhesion contracts are not enforceable.
I do not fly United (unless that’s the only option); and I do not practice Hidden City traveling for the reasons listed above. However, sometimes it appears to be the sole economically viable solution. As an example, earlier this year I had to plan a trip FCO to BOS and then, coming back to Europe, I just had to stop in Paris (CDG), namely, I did not have to go back to Rome (FCO). Planning this trip was tout court impossible as wanted, as despite searching main cabin solutions, I was only offered business class solutions at impossible prices (in excess of $9000—this was on another airline). Hidden City traveling would solve the problem, as I could book a round trip FCO-BOS-FCO with the return flight through CDG, and just skip the last leg from CGD to FCO. This would cost ~$900! I did call the airline and explained my problem. They were not able to find a solution. Interestingly, they did not discourage me to pursue my hidden city plan (they did not encourage me either …).