--- source_url: "https://www.businessinsider.com/multicity-flights-expedia-skyscanner-mistake-2018-10" title: "'Hacker Fares' on Expedia, Skyscanner Cost More If You Miss Connection - Business Insider" mirrored_at: 2026-08-06T01:04:07.865Z host: www.businessinsider.com cited_in_42a: true mirror_canonical: "https://index.42a.ai/www.businessinsider.com/multicity-flights-expedia-skyscanner-mistake-2018-10" --- > **Original source:** https://www.businessinsider.com/multicity-flights-expedia-skyscanner-mistake-2018-10 ![frustrated](https://i.insider.com/5bd8b376dde8670df2628bce?width=700) Save yourself some time, money, and aggravation. Shutterstock Everyone has their own strategy for scoring a cheap flight. Booking flights on Sundays, using Skyscanner's [Everywhere feature](https://www.businessinsider.com/skyscanner-lets-you-find-cheap-flights-around-the-world-2015-11)  or Kayak's Explore tool, only traveling during "[shoulder season](https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-shoulder-season-2017-8)" — the list goes on. But one of the most ubiquitous tools for scoring cheap flights is using a fare aggregator or metasearch site like Kayak, Skyscanner, Kiwi, Priceline, Hotwire, or Expedia. Those sites pull data from hundreds of different airlines and online travel agencies to show you different prices and options for flights. If you've booked even a single flight in the last 20 years, it's likely you are familiar one or more of these sites. But there's a trick to a cheap flight that you need to watch out, lest you find yourself emptying your wallet for a few extra hundred bucks you didn't plan on. I found out the hard way, twice. When searching for fares, most fare aggregator or metasearch sites will show you something called a "hacker fare" or a "secret deal" (each site has its own name for it). This deal may sound like a great deal at the time; it's often cheaper than the next option by $100 or more. But you need to watch out. ![LayoverMexico](https://i.insider.com/5bc65ca7bde70f3b215eaeba?width=600&format=jpeg&auto=webp) A picture I snapped while waiting in the Mexico City airport during an unplanned layover.  Courtesy of Harrison Jacobs If you are traveling to a destination that requires two connecting flights, chances are that the "hacker fare" is putting together a package of flights from two different airlines. Such a ticket is usually known as a multi-city flight. When you book a multi-city flight through a single airline, the airline is obligated to cover you if you miss your second leg. If your initial flight gets delayed or you get stuck in customs, the airline will just put you on the next flight to your destination. But, if you book a multi-city flight through most fare aggregator or metasearch sites, you get no such protection, even if you miss your second leg through no fault of your own.  For example, on a recent trip to Mexico, I was on a tight budget and booked a multi-city "hacker fare." My final destination was Oaxaca, a colorful artsy city in central Mexico. In order to get there, I had to fly New York to Mexico City and then Mexico City to Oaxaca. Because I had booked the trip as a multi-city through a fare aggregator, my two flights were individual one-way tickets from different airlines — AeroMexico and Interjet. My flight to Mexico City got in on time, at 5:45 a.m., but by the time I got through customs to the Interjet check-in desk, it was already too late. And, because I had booked the two flights — according to the airlines — separately, they had no obligation to help me. I had to book a new flight myself for a few hundred bucks. _**Read More:** [I've been traveling the world for 6 months, and I still made an expensive budget airline mistake that should serve as a warning to anyone](https://www.businessinsider.com/cheap-flights-not-cheap-with-fees-2018-8)_ To my knowledge, the [only site that protects you](https://thriftynomads.com/booking-cheapest-flight-possible-anywhere/) if you book one of their multicity flights is Kiwi.com. While the airlines themselves will still have no obligation to help you if you go the "hacker" route, Kiwi offers its own guarantee that covers schedule changes, flight delays, and cancellations. I've never had to try it, so I don't know how good their customer service is, but they advertise that they will provide you with an alternate connecting flight or a full refund. Kiwi's guarantee didn't make my last 'hacker" flight much less stressful. In May, I flew from Hong Kong to Bali by connecting through Singapore. When my flight from Hong Kong landed a few minutes late, it turned a tight two-hour layover even tighter. Thankfully, Changi Airport in Singapore [has the most efficient check-in and security process](https://www.businessinsider.com/worlds-best-airport-number-1-singapores-changi-photos-tour-2018-6) I've ever experienced. I'm sure at any other airport, I would've missed the flight. Now, I'm not saying don't ever book "hacker" fares, but just be aware of what you are buying. For some people, the added stress is worth the savings. For some people, it won't be.  For my part, I've decided to only book such multi-city flights if the layover is three hours or longer. Anything less and you are in for a panic attack that could cost you more in medical bills than you saved in airfare. ## Read next Harrison was Business Insider's first international correspondent, covering global issues, international technology industries, and travel from both a budget and a luxury perspective. In 2018 and 2019, he [covered the deleterious effects of ride-hailing apps](http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-grab-bali-attacks-taxi-drivers-2018-6) on centuries-old traditions in Bali, [discovered growing pains at one of China's most hyped tech startups](https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-vipkid-cindy-mi-and-3-billion-startups-teacher-community-2018-8), followed [the Arab leader in Israel likened to both Martin Luther King, Jr. and a terrorist](https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-news-palestine-arab-israeli-society-ayman-odeh-nation-state-law-2018-9), and hung out with [Sean Miyashiro, the enigmatic founder of one of the hottest companies in hip-hop](https://www.businessinsider.com/88rising-sean-miyashiro-rich-brian-joji-2018-11), and [followed the United Arab Emirates' top falcon trainers](https://www.businessinsider.com/middle-east-falcons-uae-training-2019-1), among other stories. Harrison joined the company in 2013. He used a combination of text, photography, and video to cover everything from an [extraordinary attempt at police reform in New York's capital](http://www.businessinsider.com/albany-community-policing-reforms-and-dontay-ivy-police-death-2016-10) and the [election of a groundbreaking progressive district attorney in Philadelphia](http://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-larry-krasner-district-attorney-philadelphia-progressive-democrat-2017-11) to the [consequences and causes of and solutions to the opioid crisis](http://harrisonjacobs.com/news/). He was previously a deputy editor overseeing Business Insider's news, politics, military and defense, and sports teams. Harrison graduated from Tufts University in 2012 with a bachelor's degree in history, English literature, and communications and media studies. [Read more here »](http://harrisonjacobs.com/)