What Happens If I Skip Part of My Flight?

Dear Jessica,

I'm interested in a flight that has a connection closer to my final destination because it is cheaper than booking a flight directly to my destination. What happens if I no-show for the connection on a one-way ticket?

--S.M.

Dear S.M.,

What you describe—booking a flight to San Francisco, for example, that includes a connection in Chicago, and staying put in Chicago—is called hidden city ticketing or point beyond ticketing, and, unfortunately, is prohibited by most airlines.

Delta's Prohibited Ticketing Practices guidelines state, "Our fares apply only to the specific itineraries for which they are quoted and the restrictions that apply to our discounted fares are an essential part of our contract with you. These restrictions make it possible for us to offer these discounted fares. Failure to comply with applicable fare restrictions, circumventing those restrictions, or misrepresenting your intended itinerary are all violations of our Contract of Carriage." Below, Delta outlines various forbidden ticketing schemes, and included is point beyond ticketing. Other airlines have similar restrictions listed on their websites or buried in their contracts of carriage.

If you decide to break the rules in an effort to save money on airfare and are caught, you will face some ramifications. Delta may charge you the difference between the price you paid and the price for the itinerary you actually traveled. If you're a repeat offender, Delta could refuse to board you or to check your baggage. Other airlines also threaten to delete all frequent flyer miles for breaking their rules. If you engage in hidden city ticketing on a round-trip itinerary, the airline will also cancel the remainder of your itinerary.