Hidden city travel hack
Some airlines charge more for direct flights to popular destinations than for flight combinations that only have a layover in those destinations. With this travel hack, you can book the cheaper flight combination and simply get off during your layover.
💡 For example, a ticket from London to Paris might be more expensive than a ticket from London to Berlin that has a layover in Paris — making Paris the “hidden” destination where you can get off.
What’s the catch?
The official carrier itinerary continues to their final destination, which has a couple of specifics:
You can only travel with a personal item
You can’t take checked baggage or anything that might get checked in into the cargo hold — including pets or sports equipment — because it would be automatically sent all the way to the official final destination. We recommend only bringing a small bag that can fit under the seat in front of you.
You might need visa and COVID-19 documents for the official final destination
You will need to comply with the requirements for your intended destination as well as for the official destination in the carrier reservation — even if you don’t plan on traveling there. The airport staff might ask to see these documents before your first flight.
If it’s a destination that you wouldn’t normally need a visa or COVID-19 documents for, then you have nothing to worry about.
You might need to check in for all the flights
We usually offer to check you in online and send you your boarding passes in advance — but if you need to check in at the airport, let the airlines check you in for all the flights in the itinerary. This is because they might not let you board if you say you only want to use part of the itinerary. The downside to this is that the airline won’t be able to give your seat to someone else and it will stay empty, which may have an impact on the environment.
ℹ️ Read more about checking in for a hidden city flight.
If you add the Kiwi.com Guarantee, it will only cover the itinerary you searched for
Your Kiwi.com Guarantee will only cover the part of your itinerary that you originally searched for. If the carriers change or cancel your trip, we’ll find you an alternative itinerary only to your intended destination.
💡 In the above example from London through Paris to Berlin, we’d find alternatives for you to Paris — your intended destination — not Berlin.
If your trip gets disrupted, the carrier will likely offer you an alternative to their final destination
If anything happens to your hidden city flight, it might be better for you to get help from us. You have a right to request an alternative travel option or a refund directly from the carrier instead, but they’ll likely provide you with an alternative to the final destination in their itinerary. The alternative might have different layovers, and you might not be able to get to where you intended to travel.
Read more about all your options here.
It might be against airline policy
This travel hack makes your ticket cheaper because it takes advantage of airline pricing strategies. The airlines might not like this, and it might even be against some airlines’ policies.
It’s better not to mention that you plan on getting off during the layover or show your Kiwi.com e-ticket — which doesn’t contain the flight to the official final destination — unless the airlines specifically ask for it. The airline staff usually only needs your passport or ID.
If you’d decide to completely change your plans and only use the second part of the carrier reservation, it likely would not be possible. If you skip their first flight, you’d be considered a “no-show”.
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