What are skip-leg fares? Hidden-city ticketing explained

How can two flights cost less than one? The answer is that airlines price complete journeys, not simply distance travelled. A connecting itinerary through your destination can sometimes undercut a ticket ending there. Understanding that price difference is the first step; understanding the ticket you would buy is just as important.

What skip-leg means in practice

Suppose you want to travel from London Heathrow to Delhi. One ticket ends at Delhi. Another travels Heathrow–Delhi–Lucknow. Delhi is a connection on the second ticket, but it is where you want your trip to end. Buying the second itinerary with the intention of missing Delhi–Lucknow is hidden-city ticketing. In these guides, skip-leg refers to that use of a longer itinerary.

A connecting ticket flown in full is ordinary connecting travel. A nonstop ticket issued only to Delhi is ordinary nonstop travel. Calling a ticket a skip-leg fare does not remove the onward segment or change the airline’s conditions.

A worked example: London to Delhi via a longer ticket

1. 01
   Compare the two complete tickets

   Illustrative prices, not live offers: Heathrow–Delhi is £600. Heathrow–Delhi–Lucknow is £420 for the whole ticket. Both use the same first flight, date and cabin. The headline difference is £180, or 30% of £600.

2. 02
   Identify where the ticket and your plan differ

   The £420 ticket ends in Lucknow. Your intended stop is Delhi. There is still a Delhi–Lucknow flight on the booking even if you plan not to take it. It must remain visible in the itinerary you review.

3. 03
   Check whether the saving suits your trip

   Compare final fees, bags and ticket conditions. If you need checked luggage, a return protected on the same ticket, or certainty that you will be routed through Delhi, the conventional fare may suit you better.

Why the longer itinerary can cost less

Airlines compete for different origin–destination markets and sell seats in fare categories that change with availability. Demand and competition for London–Lucknow are not identical to London–Delhi. A connecting fare can therefore be lower even though it includes another flight. The pattern is not universal: on another date the longer ticket may cost more.

Five ticket details that matter before booking

1. 01
   Airline conditions and no-show rules

   Intentionally missing a flight may breach the carrier’s conditions. Depending on the airline and ticket, consequences can include cancellation of unused segments or a fare adjustment. A valid e-ticket is not permission to abandon a segment.

2. 02
   Checked and cabin baggage

   Checked bags may be tagged to the final ticketed destination. Collection for customs does not automatically permit ending the trip there. Even cabin luggage may be gate-checked. Do not assume you can collect bags at the intended stopping point.

3. 03
   The sequence of flights

   Skipping the first flight is not a way to join the journey later: airlines generally require ticket coupons to be used in sequence. Missing a leg can affect later flights, including a return on the same ticket. A separate return avoids that shared-ticket issue, but does not remove other restrictions.

4. 04
   Schedule changes and disruption

   An airline may reroute you to the final destination printed on the ticket, potentially bypassing the city where you wanted to stop. Check changes before departure and consider what you would do if the intended connection disappears.

5. 05
   Travel documents for the full itinerary

   Check entry and transit requirements for every country on the booked journey using official sources. Check-in staff assess the ticketed destination, not just your intended stopping point.

How exitfare compares these fares

We search publicly available international fares for skip-leg options and compare them with the fares shown on Google Flights.

Our configured comparisons look for a longer ticket whose first flight matches the flight to the intended Indian city. That is a price-and-flight comparison, not a guarantee of airline approval or suitability. Ask our team for the full itinerary and a current quote, and resolve baggage and fare-rule questions before payment.

Skip-leg questions answered