Save on Flights with Spare Leg Tickets

Spare-leg tickets are a generalization of the layover exit strategy. It is also a type of hidden-city ticketing and relies on the same principle of booking a flight with a layover at your desired destination. The difference is that the layover exit strategy is limited to a single segment, while spare-leg tickets can be used to book a return flight or any trip with multiple journeys.

As you are not completing all the segments of a given journey, it comes with several limitations and risks:

• Checked luggage cannot be accommodated, as it will be sent to the final destination.
• There is a risk of the flight being rerouted, making it impossible to get to the layover destination.
• This practice is somewhat controversial and airlines discourage it. There have been instances of gate agents questioning travelers with a layover in their city of residence, though reports of passengers being penalized remain anecdotal.

That being sayed, the savings are sometimes worth it and the risk of being penalized is low. Consider alternative strategies if they offer comparable savings and avoid using it too frequently.

See our Guide to Airglitch Booking Strategies to learn about other strategies covered by Airglitch and how they work.

What is a spare leg ticket?

Say you plan on traveling from New York to Los Angeles and back.

Instead of booking a roundtrip to Los Angeles, you book a multicty flight from New York to Los Angeles, and then from Los Angeles to Boston with a layover in New York, saving $100.

Simply exit at the layover in New York on your way back and drop the last segment. The same pattern can be applied to any trip with more than one segment, such as a multicity or a open-jaw flight.

Why would I book a spare leg ticket?

Purely for the savings. Unlike other booking strategies such as spare multicity or spare return, all the segments on your reservation will be cancelled once you miss one. This means you cannot try to serve other travel plans with the extra segments.

How can I book a spare leg ticket?

Airglitch automatically finds spare leg tickets for you. Search for your desired itinerary, and if a cheaper spare return option is found, the platform will show you instructions on how to book it directly with the airline.

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You can also search for spare leg options manually on Matrix ITA Software, where you would filter results by layover city and open the search to any destination.

Can I get in trouble for a spare leg flight?

Yes, but it's really unlikely. Legal actions against passengers are anecdotal and the cases were dismissed in the only known lawsuits. It is technically against the airline's terms of service, but the risk of being penalized is low. Airlines have taken action against passengers in the past by revoking frequent flyer miles or banning them from future flights. If you want to mitigate the risk, avoid using this strategy too frequently. There has been testimony of gate agents questioning travelers with a layover in their city of residence, so be prepared to explain your situation if asked.

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