令人费解的航空公司

Confusing airline

令人费解的航空公司

Nobody who sold you that instant oatmeal, jar of multivitamins, bar of soap, perfume-free laundry detergent, latest best-seller, NASCAR tickets or whatever Gwyneth Paltrow sells on her website will come after you to make sure you used your purchases.

在她们的网站上卖给你速食燕麦片、一罐复合维生素、一块肥皂、不含香料的洗衣粉、最新畅销书、全美汽车协会(NASCAR)的门票或格温妮丝•帕特洛(Gwyneth Paltrow)并确保你使用过这些东西的人，不会回来找你。

But the world's biggest airlines might.

但是世界上最大的航空公司可能会。

They require that you fly all the flights you've booked or pay the price. They might ban you from the airline or even sue you.

他们要求你乘坐所有你预订或支付价格的航班。他们可能会禁止你乘坐航空公司的航班，甚至起诉你。

"So, if I don't eat all my steak at Peter Luger's, are they going to sue me now?" Delta Air Lines frequent flier Billy Stocklin says. "It's my ticket and seat. I bought it. If I use it or not is none of your business."

“那么，如果我不在彼得·卢格餐馆吃完所有的牛排，他们现在会起诉我吗?”达美航空公司的常客比利·斯托克林说。“这是我的机票和座位。我买了它。我用不用不关你的事。”

The airlines beg to differ.

航空公司对此不以为然。

What is hidden city ticketing?

什么是秘密城市售票?

"Hidden city ticketing" is a longtime, under-the-radar practice of the most astute, rule-breaking fliers.

“秘密城市售票”是最精明、最违反规则的乘客长期以来的一种不为人知的做法。

Lufthansa is suing a passenger who skipped out on the last leg of his ticketed purchase, demanding the money he would have paid for his actual journey. (The case was dismissed, but the airline has appealed.)

汉莎航空公司正在起诉一名乘客，该乘客在购买机票的最后一段行程中逃票，要求支付实际旅程的费用。(此案被驳回，但该航空公司已提出上诉。)

It can get complicated. Let's say you need to fly from New York City to Los Angeles, and the cheapest ticket you can find is selling for $500. There's another flight from New York to Reno, Nevada -- with a layover in Los Angeles -- that only costs $350.

它可能会变得复杂。假设你要从纽约飞往洛杉矶，你能找到的最便宜的机票是500美元。还有一趟从纽约到内华达州里诺的航班，中途在洛杉矶转机，票价只有350美元。

Airlines charge more when they can.

航空公司尽可能地提高票价。

It's an issue because of the way airlines price their flights.

这是一个问题，因为航空公司定价的方式不同。

It's not about the specific fare

不是具体票价的问题

Lufthansa, which made $41.5 billion last fiscal year, is suing the unnamed passenger for $2,392 for using the technique. While he's fighting back, others may not be able to fight against a major airline.

德国汉莎航空公司在上个财政年度赚了415亿美元，该公司正在起诉一名不愿透露姓名的乘客，要求2392美元的赔偿，理由是他使用了电子设备。在他反击的同时，其他人可能无法抵抗一家大型航空公司。

There is a price to pay

这是要付出代价的

Even if the airline loses on appeal, it's sending a message to fliers willing to game the system that there may be a cost.

即使航空公司在上诉中败诉，它也在向那些愿意利用这一系统的乘客传递一个信息，即可能会付出代价。

At the same time, the suit highlights how airlines can charge customers more to fly less.

与此同时，该诉讼突显出，航空公司可以向乘客收取更高的费用，以降低飞行成本。

"It's easy to understand why some travelers are tempted to risk it, especially if you live in a city where you don't have a lot of airline choices," Wilson says.

威尔逊说:“很容易理解为什么有些旅行者会冒险，尤其是如果你生活在一个没有太多航空公司选择的城市。”