Lufthansa reportedly sued a passenger after he purposely missed a flight
- The German airline Lufthansa sued a passenger in 2018 after he failed to board the final leg of his flight from Seattle to Oslo, CNN reports.
- The flight reportedly had a connection in Frankfurt, at which point the passenger took a separate flight from Frankfurt to Berlin, suggesting he was engaging in a practice known as "hidden city ticketing."
- The practice involves booking a flight that includes a layover with the intent of traveling to the layover city rather than the final destination.
- Lufthansa did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.
The German airline Lufthansa sued a passenger in 2018 after he failed to board the final leg of his flight from Seattle to Oslo, CNN reports.
The flight reportedly had a connection in Frankfurt, at which point the passenger took a separate flight from Frankfurt to Berlin, suggesting he was engaging in a practice known as "hidden city ticketing." The practice involves booking a flight that includes a layover with the intent of traveling to the layover city rather than the final destination.
For example, someone who wants to travel to Chicago may book a flight from New York to Los Angeles with a layover in Chicago if that flight is less expensive than direct flights to Chicago. The traveler will remain in Chicago after the layover, declining to board the final leg of the trip.
Hidden city ticketing frustrates airlines, and Lufthansa reportedly sought around $2,385 in damages from the passenger, claiming he violated the airline's terms of service.
A Berlin district court reportedly dismissed the lawsuit in December, but Lufthansa told CNN it has appealed the decision.
Lufthansa did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.