How to Book Hidden City Flights with a Checked Bag
In recent years, hidden city ticketing has exploded in popularity. Travelers of all backgrounds are using it to score cheaper one-way fares, especially on routes where a direct flight would cost far more. And for many, it works.
But there’s one major nuance: you can’t check a bag.
Even Skiplagged, the site built around hidden city flights, makes it clear:
“Carry-on bags only.”
And they’re not wrong. On most hidden city itineraries, if you check a bag, it’ll be routed all the way to the final destination — the one you never planned to reach. But what if you're not a light packer? What if you need to check a bag?
That’s where this guide comes in.
In this post:
Why Checked Bags Are a Problem for Hidden City Flights
Let’s start with the basics. Hidden city ticketing works by booking a flight with a layover in your actual destination — and then intentionally skipping the final leg.
Normally, when you check a bag, an airline does what it thinks is courteous and tags it to the final destination on your ticket. So if you’re traveling with more than what fits in the overhead bin, you’re usually out of luck if you want to book a hidden city flight.
But not always.
There are a few clever workarounds that can make checking a bag on a hidden city itinerary possible that no one talks about - or even acknowledges.
I mean, if you did a Google search, here’s what everyone says. And guess what? They're wrong.
All over the internet it seems there's no solution.
I'll be the first to acknowledge these aren't guaranteed, and they do come with some risks, but they might just save your wallet.
And no — this tutorial doesn't involve sweet-talking the gate agent into “short-checking” your luggage. (They’ll almost always say no.)
Method #1: Hidden City with a U.S. Entry Point
This one’s the most straightforward — and it works like a charm if your hidden city is the first point of entry into the U.S. on an international flight.
Let’s say you want to get to Dallas from Europe. You book a ticket from Paris to Panama City, with a layover in Dallas. Because of U.S. customs laws, all passengers must claim their checked bags at the first U.S. airport they land in — even if they're continuing onward.
So once you land in Dallas, your bag comes out at the carousel. You pick it up, skip re-checking, and walk out of the airport. Done.
This method is essentially foolproof — but it only works if you’re entering the U.S. from abroad.
Method #2: Hidden City with an Overnight Layover
Here’s a workaround that succeeds both domestically and internationally with a 100% sucess rate.
Find a flight with an overnight layover in your target city. It’s standard policy that on overnight connections, passengers are required to collect their bags after landing.
Only instead of heading to a hotel to continue the journey the next morning... you just go home.
Pro tip: You can easily build these itineraries on Google Flights and ITA Matrix. Use the multi-city tool, enter your actual destination for the first leg, and then add a second leg to anywhere else the next day. *Viola*— your checked bag gets released at your real destination.
In both cases, if your final destination is not a hub with international flight, it gets a little trickier. In these cases, it will still be cheaper to book a separate ticket
FYI - Agencies Have Been Doing This for Years
Believe it or not, this trick isn’t new. Travel agencies and corporate booking tools have used versions of this strategy for years — often calling the extra leg a “cost reduction segment.”
Some passengers don’t even realize they’re flying hidden city itineraries. That’s because the “extra” segment can be booked more than a day later — and sometimes doesn’t even show on the traveler’s final printed itinerary.
In other words: you may have flown a hidden city flight before…without even knowing it.
Final Reminders
Hidden city ticketing, especially with checked luggage, isn’t without its risks. Airlines don’t love it — and some have gone as far as suspending frequent flyer accounts or revoking elite status if they catch on.
But if you’re careful and strategic, it can be a powerful tool to save money and travel smarter, checked bag or not.
Don't believe us? Try a search yourself, placing a flight to SJC the day after your selected trip...
And by the way - this works for round trips too.
Perhaps next we will share the 70+ other airports to which an extra flight segment can be made - but for now this is all I can share.
