Lufthansa, Germany's leading airline, has taken to court a passenger who failed to board one of its flights. The lawsuit filed by the German airline concerns a passenger who should have flown from Seattle to Oslo via Frankfurt, but did not board the connecting flight.
Although it's nothing new for someone to do this, it will be one of the first times that a passenger has been prosecuted for deciding to "stay on the ground", using the method known as hidden city or hidden city. The reason many passengers buy this type of ticket is because the savings are enormous.
In the case of Lufthansa, the case dates back to April 2016 and Lufthansa is claiming the €2100 (plus interest) that he allegedly saved. The case was dropped in December, but the German airline decided to appeal.
Other airlines, such as United and Iberia, have also taken steps to avoid this type of situation, but never to the point of taking passengers to court. Many carriers already impose "no-show" clauses, which allow round-trip or multi-destination bookings to be cancelled.
By buying this type of ticket, you can save tens or hundreds of euros. However, the truth is that the airlines themselves set the policy for selling tickets, routes and prices.
And perhaps they are doing it so that passengers who are unaware of the system can benefit from it. Lufthansa's attitude illustrates the extent to which airlines are trying to put an end to this flaw in the ticketing system.
This case is intended, some argue, to frighten anyone who wants to do the same. It could also be that the European authorities see Lufthansa's attitude as an affront to individual rights and freedoms. In fact, some consumer protection groups - for example in the UK - have started a campaign to have this policy of penalising customers overturned.
It remains to be seen whether the negative publicity (for Lufthansa) arising from this court case will change the German company's mind. Or, on the contrary, whether this news will inform even more people about how to save money on flights.
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How to cheat the airlines and save on flights
These situations exist because it's cheaper - in many situations - to book a ticket with several flights: from destination A to B to C, but ending the journey at destination B. For example, flying from New York to Lisbon via London and getting off in London. Or travelling from São Paulo to Lisbon via Madrid and getting off in Madrid. These cases work in most cases if you don't have a hold bag, as it is checked in at the final destination.
Please note that if you buy a Lisbon - Toronto via London ticket and want to start your journey in London, your trip will be cancelled automatically. Read the terms and conditions before booking any flight.
There is, however, another way to cheat the system. For example, if you use Skyscanner you can search for a flight from Rio de Janeiro to Lisbon, via London Heathrow - with hold luggage. In this case, the way to beat the system would be to buy a ticket Rio de Janeiro - London Heathrow - London Gatwick - Lisbon.
In other words, because I had to change airports in London, I would be forced to collect my suitcase and so I could finish my journey in London.
I remember a personal situation in which I travelled to Namibia and was living in London. By buying a ticket from Lisbon to Johannesburg via London, I saved over 300 euros. In other words, I travelled to Lisbon on a single ticket and hours later returned to London, saving hundreds of euros. Incredible?
To summarise, this action by Lufthansa makes as much sense as this example: someone visits a restaurant and orders a menu with a starter, main course and dessert for €10. Now imagine you're satisfied with the starter and main course and decide not to have dessert.
The owner comes up to you and says: "I'm sorry, but you're going to have to pay 15 euros because you didn't eat all the items on the menu". Ridiculous, right? This is the same kind of behaviour as some airlines.
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