How the Coronavirus Enables Travelers to Buy Business Class Flights Cheaper Than Coach

NEW YORK, Feb. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Did you know it's possible to purchase first-class airline tickets cheaper than coach?

Since 2000, Robert Laney has been quoted in major newspapers such as the New York Times, telling consumers how to save money on air travel. His website, Involuntary Reroute, exposes hidden city ticketing and other discounts to fill empty seats that the airlines don't want you to know.

Now with fears of the Coronavirus griping the world and stifling travel to Asia, airlines are ramping up their tactics to fill empty seats, creating huge savings for passengers. 

"After a crisis like 9-11, SARS or the 2008 stock market crash, there was a sharp drop in travel, taking typically a year to rebound," said Involuntary Reroute creator Robert Laney. "To fill empty first-class seats, airlines offered discounted fares like mileage programs and hidden city tickets.

"All the 'hidden city ticket horror stories' that grabbed headlines in 2019 suddenly vanished, and it's not a coincidence. In times of crisis, airlines rely on hidden city tickets to sell seats. If hidden city tickets save you money, don't hesitate. Go for it. Afterall, airlines are being paid for empty seats that may otherwise expire worthless."

Here's how it works: Suppose you want to fly to Dallas from Philadelphia. A direct flight could cost $1,300. You also discover that Dallas is a stopover on the way to Houston but only costs $485. As a hidden city flyer, you buy Philadelphia-Dallas-Houston, deplane in Dallas and save 70 percent.

Contrary to popular belief, fares are not necessarily based upon distance but on how much airlines can trick flyers into paying. When flyers refuse to overpay, airlines use hidden city tickets, buying events and the mileage lottery to dispose of unsold seats.

Hidden city tickets are a tactic created by the airline industry. Without this type of ticketing, empty overvalued business and first-class seats would expire worthless. Airlines claim it's illegal and they're losing money. They induce hidden city ticket usage by overstating their fares and the value of their empty seats.

"In every other ticket-based business, ranging from sporting events to concerts, unsold seats decline in value as the event date approaches except in the airline industry Airlines are masters of market manipulation, forcing fares to increase unnaturally, sometimes parabolically, even when nobody's buying.

"If hidden city tickets were so bad, airlines would have abolished them decades ago. Hidden city ticketing continues to exist because airlines want it to exist, despite what they claim publicly. When flyers stop buying overpriced tickets, the airline business model of overvaluing empty seats goes up in smoke.

When Laney was 19, he was recruited by private investors to unload empty airline seats, using controversial yet effective methods, and quickly realized how consumers could save on ticket prices.

"I wasn't old enough to drink but found myself knee deep in agency 75 percent discount (AD75), hidden city and employee discount tickets. Airlines embraced the tactics I helped execute. Many of these strategies, including the hidden city ticket, are once again hot topics. I share my experiences with you, using these strategies on my website," said Laney.

Involuntary Reroute is an e-book and podcast service that offers updated strategies and opportunities for travel savings, while exposing how airlines really fill their most comfortable seats.

For more than 25 years, Laney has been a traveler's advocate identifying and exposing supplier deception, usually unnoticed by most travelers. Laney has chronicled his experiences with airline policy on his website.

It's a must for anyone interested in learning more about how airline work, and how you can take advantage of hidden city tickets, AD75 tickets and mileage programs. Downloads are $2.99 and a yearly subscription to Involuntary Reroute is $89. For serious travelers, the website's advice could save thousands over a year.

Hidden City Flyer by The Reroutes
Learn how you can fly upfront and pay less than coach. Musician David Gagne and Involuntary Reroute Founder Robert Laney teamed up to form The Reroutes. The band's first song, Hidden City Flyer (Ticketing) is performed by David Gagne.

Hidden City Flyer (Ticketing) can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0hnv9_Ra7o and is available for downloads at https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/thereroutes. The Reroutes have more airline-related songs scheduled for release, including a hidden city dance club track, an acoustic version of Hidden City Flyer performed by David Gagne live in New York City, and The Ballad of Connie Chung.

For more information or to schedule an interview for Involuntary Reroute or The Reroutes, contact Robert Laney at 235058@email4pr.com or (917) 338-4338.

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SOURCE Involuntary Reroute