The hidden city - looking for cheap flights to algorithms airlines

Any modern airline revenue management deals with profitability management. For this purpose, complex programs. They put the price of the tickets, using complex algorithms to increase revenue per passenger. Sometimes this leads to a funny “glitch” is a ticket from point a to point B is more expensive than a ticket from point A to point C with a stopover at point B!

So poyavletsya the phenomenon of flight in the “hidden city” (hidden city ticketing). So, we need to fly from A to B. Buy a ticket from A to C With stopover in B (if it is cheaper than direct – that's the trick) and exit at point B – the plane flies without us.

Could it be this simple? Not really.Technically we break the rules of the airline, leaving not the stated destination. Most importantly – do not hide the fact that we're going to go to point B – otherwise, the company has the right to accuse the passenger in the fraud further penalties. Another inconvenience: things in the Luggage can not pass, otherwise it will fly to point C without us. And finally, tickets, so you can take only one way: not being on one flight segment, the airline has every right to deprive you of flight on all other segments.

I thought these life hacks are only for American and European destinations. But you can use them with us.

Example. Fly from Novosibirsk to Moscow on February 10. Go to your favorite Fliers and looking for the cheapest ticket. 7966 rubles, and disliked the arrival in Vnukovo airport. Can it be cheaper?





Direct flight Novosibirsk-Moscow

What if you try to fly to St Petersburg with a connection in Moscow? Hmm, 7768 rubles. Yes, and landing at Sheremetyevo:





Flight Novosibirsk-Moscow-Saint-Petersburg

The difference is small, less than 200 rubles. But nevertheless! But if you only fly a certain airline (I'm trying other things being equal fly Aeroflot because they have much higher quality food, I like Airbus, I am involved in programme Aeroflot Bonus), then the benefit becomes even greater. Because a direct flight of Aeroflot is already 9462.





Direct flight Novosibirsk-Moscow

For American airlines that generally works on one-two-three. Look what I found on “Kayak” on the same date, February 10. To fly from Boston to San Francisco is more profitable, not directly, but using “hidden city” in Seattle with a stopover in SFO:









The difference is ten dollars. A trifle, but nice.

To use or not to use a “hidden city” when planning their trips – a personal matter. But know of their existence in any way useful.

Source: lifehack.ru/archives/2011