The secret 'hidden city' flight trick which saves you money - AND gets you a free upgrade

Few things feel as glorious as getting a massive discount on something pricey - like, for example, a plane ticket.
While there are several hacks available on how to minimise the costliness of our travels, the 'holy grail' for seasoned travellers is saving a fortune on the overall price of the ticket - AND getting a free upgrade .



Yes, it sounds unlikely, and yes, there is a catch, but there is a way - and you don't have to be a triple A-list celebrity, either.
It's called 'hidden city ticketing'.

How it works.

It all rests on you, the passenger, missing the very last leg of a round trip.
Let's say for example you wanted to visit California.
Booking a flight from London to LAX with Air New Zealand currently costs around £540 in economy class.

But if you book from Sweden with British Airways in premium economy, it costs just £486 - and goes LAX to London to Sweden on the way back.
If you book this flight, then get a cheap one-way ticket from London to Sweden, you would potentially end up making a saving.
Again, make sure the first leg of the return journey goes via London (so LAX to Heathrow), and intentionally miss the London to Sweden connection, hopping off at Heathrow.
Travel expert Gilbert Ott explained the 'hidden city ticketing' trick on his very useful site, God Save The Points .



"A flight from a nearby city with a connection through your home city may be a fraction of the cost of starting from your home city," he writes.

"Why not go to some effort on the way out and then just hop off at home on the return for major savings?
"A flight with a connection through the place you want to go may be cheaper than just booking a ticket to the place you actually want to go.
"Book a one way ticket with a connection stopping where you want to be and then hop off."

But, as mentioned, there is a small catch.

Two actually.
This trick ONLY works if you miss the very last leg of your return flight. Otherwise any connections get cancelled - and you're potentially stranded far away from home.

If you're to pull it off successfully, you'll also need to pack lightly - i.e. just hand luggage.

"With very few exceptions (requiring expertise), your bags will go to their final ticketed destination," Gilbert explains.



"If you have no bags you can simply hop off. Don't tell anyone your plan to, and if asked (which won't happen) come up with whatever reason sounds fun at the time. My cat is going through an emotional time should suffice..."
Happy travelling!