Hidden city ticketing... to catch another flight

[quantumise]

Any complications in doing hidden city ticketing to try and get onto a 2nd award flight at the "hidden city"?

I start in ADL, and have a Finnair business class award flight using QFF points from DOH to ARN which is my intended destination.
Usually would do ADL-DOH-ARN with Qatar, involving a 3-4 hour layover at DOH

However the single flight from city ADL to DOH costs hundreds of dollars more than a hidden city ticket from ADL to Europe (eg London or Frankfurt) via DOH.

Are there any downsides to buying one-way ADL-Europe via DOH, and then getting off at DOH and boarding the award flight DOH-ARN?
I plan to book the ADL-Europe ticket without disclosing FF details. No check-in luggage; carryon only.

 

[docjames]

With an international ticket they’ll still have passport details (ie. name and dob) for each ticket, and can “match” you - and probably realise you cant be on two flights at once.

Sounds……risky.

 

[offshore171]

With an international ticket they’ll still have passport details (ie. name and dob) for each ticket, and can “match” you - and probably realise you cant be on two flights at once.

Sounds……risky.

Could also set off some security flags.

 

[quantumise]

How about this updated plan to use a multi city ticket spread over multiple days rather than the same day.

Same price and still can save $$$ rather than a single ADL-DOH ticket.

Ie:
QR ticket:
1 Aug - QR ADL-DOH + 10 Aug DOH-LHR (which I will no show the 10 Aug flight)

AY award ticket in J:
2 Aug - AY DOH-ARN

 

[Hvr]

So, you're going to arrive at DOH and attempt to go through immigration? They won't be expecting you and will be very suspicious. Then go to the check in desk for your next flight, go back through immigration to fly to ARN.

And while you're doing this, the plane wanting to head off to your original destination will be looking for you. Doesn't matter if there's no luggage, the airline will be concerned about your absence. Then when you're found attempting to board another flight expect some very serious questions. Don't expect to catch your flight to ARN.

When (if) you're released and sent somewhere, maybe home, you'll have a story to tell, maybe a deportation to report when you travel and so on. You might even be required to stay at the airport, in the company of some heavy duty security until your original flight lands safely.

It will make an interesting TR.

 

[quantumise]

So, you're going to arrive at DOH and attempt to go through immigration? They won't be expecting you and will be very suspicious. Then go to the check in desk for your next flight, go back through immigration to fly to ARN.

And while you're doing this, the plane wanting to head off to your original destination will be looking for you. Doesn't matter if there's no luggage, the airline will be concerned about your absence. Then when you're found attempting to board another flight expect some very serious questions. Don't expect to catch your flight to ARN.

When (if) you're released and sent somewhere, maybe home, you'll have a story to tell, maybe a deportation to report when you travel and so on. You might even be required to stay at the airport, in the company of some heavy duty security until your original flight lands safely.

It will make an interesting TR.

The updated plan is to use a multi-city booking spread across over a week.
Thus there will be no impossible bookings/simultaneous flights.
Ticket 1 with QR: 1 Dec - ADL-DOH + 10 Dec - DOH-Europe. Will just no-show the 10 Dec flight
Ticket 2 with AY: 2 Dec - DOH-ARN

I don't think I will have to pass immigration, just transit internally in Hamad.

I also forgot to mention I have a return ticket back from Europe to Australia with Emirates via DXB that has been paid for by work.

 

[Seat0B]

I understand the annoyance about the costs of flights to the Middle East. Seat Son lives in Dubai and it is almost always significantly cheaper to fly CBR-SYD-DXB-anywhere in Europe and return via DXB again rather than to just fly to DXB and back! I’ve learned to embrace that as an opportunity to have a “free“ holiday by using the savings on the airfare to cover accommodation and meals for the Europe part of the trip. Plus to earn extra SC for the Europe leg.

Having done that quite a lot, I agree with other posters about the risks of doing anything even vaguely out of the ordinary in the Middle East. They don’t have the same idea of civil rights as Western countries and it could be. Major issue - or it could be absolutely nothing - and you won’t know until it happens (eg those women subjected to gynae exams in Doha a couple of years back).

Personally I wouldn’t take this risk, but your risk appetite may be different to mine, and it might well be fine. Or, maybe it won‘t be . For a few hundred dollar, I just wouldn’t mess with them.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

How about this updated plan to use a multi city ticket spread over multiple days rather than the same day.

Same price and still can save $$$ rather than a single ADL-DOH ticket.

Ie:
QR ticket:
1 Aug - QR ADL-DOH + 10 Aug DOH-LHR (which I will no show the 10 Aug flight)

AY award ticket in J:
2 Aug - AY DOH-ARN

It think this will work.

The main issue with QR is that they *won’t* short check bags in DOH unless you have a stopover.

This way if you are carrying bags you have a legitimate stopover, can enter DOH, collect any bags (if you have them) and check in for the next flight.

 

[Quickstatus]

QR ticket:
1 Aug - QR ADL-DOH + 10 Aug DOH-LHR (which I will no show the 10 Aug flight)

AY award ticket in J:
2 Aug - AY DOH-ARN

I agree with @MEL_Traveller
By Inserting a stopover at DOH from 0400 to 1600hrs, you will have a valid reason to go through immigration and collect bags,
Maybe book a hotel
Then exit exit the country for the 2Aug AY flight.

That is essentially a "nested trip"= A trip within a trip. Lots of people have trips like that though they don't necessarily cancel sectors
And on the day of travel, you can no show but I would ring up QR to say unfortunately you are unable to make the flight.

Now the problem is that QR might notice it if you do it repeatedly as it sounds like that is a regular trip for you

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I agree with @MEL_Traveller
By Inserting a stopover at DOH from 0400 to 1600hrs, you will have a valid reason to go through immigration and collect bags,
Maybe book a hotel
Then exit exit the country for the 2Aug AY flight.

That is essentially a "nested trip"= A trip within a trip. Lots of people have trips like that though they don't necessarily cancel sectors
And on the day of travel, you can no show but I would ring up QR to say unfortunately you are unable to make the flight.

Now the problem is that QR might notice it if you do it repeatedly as it sounds like that is a regular trip for you

The stopover is actually on the 01 August ticket ADL-DOH-LHR, where the stopover in DOH is ~10 days. This means bags are only tagged to DOH.

I doubt they will through check… or at least it might be risky to ask for the bags to be through checked onto the second itinerary (in case QR suspects hidden city ticketing).

 

[Quickstatus]

stopover in DOH is ~10 days

Officially...

But unofficiallyit's about 12hrs. QR915 arrives something like 4am and the AY flight departs 4pm later that day.

The official stopover means the bag tag are only to DOH which is the required condition to properly make a nested trip on AY.

 

[quantumise]

Thanks everyone for your input.

Thankfully I do not intend to check in any bags. But even if there was, I think it would certainly come out at DOH given the next leg is not until 10 days away.

As the stopover in Hamad is only 4 hours between QR and AY flights, I intend not to exit through immigration at all - merely go to the internal transfer counter (if absolutely required). Hopefully I can just online check in and get a boarding pass for AY that way.

 

[SeatBackForward]

The stopover is actually on the 01 August ticket ADL-DOH-LHR, where the stopover in DOH is ~10 days. This means bags are only tagged to DOH.

I doubt they will through check… or at least it might be risky to ask for the bags to be through checked onto the second itinerary (in case QR suspects hidden city ticketing).

Officially...

But unofficiallyit's about 12hrs. QR915 arrives something like 4am and the AY flight departs 4pm later that day.

The official stopover means the bag tag are only to DOH which is the required condition to properly make a nested trip on AY.

@quantumise has quoted in the OP "No check-in luggage; carryon only"

Post automatically merged: Apr 21, 2023

You'll need to ensure you're eligible to enter Qatar (Visa's etc) as QR will will only know that you're having a long stoppover in DOH, not that you're only transiting.

 

[RooFlyer]

The main issue with QR is that they *won’t* short check bags in DOH unless you have a stopover.

I wasn't aware of this. Not even if you have a long (eg 18-20hr) transit and they provide a transit hotel?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I wasn't aware of this. Not even if you have a long (eg 18-20hr) transit and they provide a transit hotel?

As last as 2019 there are reports this is still enforced. I don’t believe it has changed? QR won’t short check bags in DOH for a connecting itinerary with a transit up to 24 hours. (over 24 hours and when it becomes a stopover, you can collect baggage)

 

[Quickstatus]

@quantumise has quoted in the OP "No check-in luggage; carryon only"

Yes, however, a stopover will mean that any checked luggage will be able to be picked up at DOH.

You'll need to ensure you're eligible to enter Qatar

Of Course, there will be the usual Visa eligibility issues for entry into any country. However the passenger has a valid outbound ticket DOH-LHR as part of the stopover. So to the extent that an entry visa depends on a valid outbound ticket, entry eligibility into Qatar should not be a problem (assuming the other general visa eligibility criteria area also met)

As the stopover in Hamad is only 4 hours

I must have looked at the wrong flight. I looked and thought there was a 4pm flight
In any case, engineering a stopover at the hidden city (DOH) is an excellent idea - especially if checked luggage is involved (which in your case it does not)
I wonder though if QR has long memories if you wish to repeat this hack....

 

[harvyk]

I think you're taking a big risk. Remember rule one of international travel is don't do anything that could upset immigration/ customs agents. Arriving in a country and not departing on the scheduled flight without really good reason could end up very badly. It could put red flags on your travels for quite some time, so not just this trip but it could cause you fun and games on subsequent trips as well.

Hidden city travel works ok when dealing HLO on dom flights, but I personally wouldn't risk it on international flights because whilst you might be fine, all it would take is one customs agent to look a little closely for potential problems to happen.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I think you're taking a big risk. Remember rule one of international travel is don't do anything that could upset immigration/ customs agents. Arriving in a country and not departing on the scheduled flight without really good reason could end up very badly. It could put red flags on your travels for quite some time, so not just this trip but it could cause you fun and games on subsequent trips as well.

Hidden city travel works ok when dealing HLO on dom flights, but I personally wouldn't risk it on international flights because whilst you might be fine, all it would take is one customs agent to look a little closely for potential problems to happen.

If in transit the passenger will never have entered Qatar. So they won’t be looking for them flying out 10 days later.

If the OP decides to enter to collect bags, their outbound flight will,be listed as the connection leaving a few hours later.

I’m not sure i see a problem with immigration in this scenario. In other scenarios leaving late, or overstaying can be a problem. Leaving early rarely is.

 

[quantumise]

If in transit the passenger will never have entered Qatar. So they won’t be looking for them flying out 10 days later.

If the OP decides to enter to collect bags, their outbound flight will,be listed as the connection leaving a few hours later.

I’m not sure i see a problem with immigration in this scenario. In other scenarios leaving late, or overstaying can be a problem. Leaving early rarely is.

Thank you. I think you’re one of the few that seems to be getting my point, though I did amend my plan to space the first ticket itinerary by a few days mid-thread.

For what it’s worth, I can enter Qatar visa-free and will meet all Qatar immigration requirements to enter the country if I wanted to.

Ideally I would have checked into my AY flight online and have an e-boarding pass ready to go. Otherwise I hope I can transit and get my boarding pass airside, without having to exit immigration.

But even if I did want to breathe the fresh summer Qatari air for a few minutes and get right back into the airport and fly off, I think I can do so legally.

I have studied the Hamad airport gates and layout, and the pattern of which airlines depart from which gates.

From viewing other passenger experience at Hamad, security checkpoint (not immigration, just security) is immediately on exit of arrival area before reaching transit/departure area.

QR seems to preferentially land at the B gates but not always, and they sometimes land at A or C. Looks like one can transit from the B concourse to the others without having to exit immigration.

 

[harvyk]

If in transit the passenger will never have entered Qatar. So they won’t be looking for them flying out 10 days later.

If the OP decides to enter to collect bags, their outbound flight will,be listed as the connection leaving a few hours later.

I’m not sure i see a problem with immigration in this scenario. In other scenarios leaving late, or overstaying can be a problem. Leaving early rarely is.

"Border protection" type agencies look for anything unusual. Apparently frequent flyers give them headaches because we come up with strange routings. So with that noted, just because you're not entering the country in question does not mean they aren't looking for anything strange.

Again, I wouldn't do this because of the risk of getting flagged by a gov't official as unusual travel and especially as you are infact doing the dodgy (since hidden ticket is dodgy no matter which way you look at it). But each to their own.