What unethical practice involves buying a cheaper ticket with a connection and then not completing the trip?

Hidden-city ticketing is a practice where a traveler purchases a ticket that includes a layover at their intended destination, but they only use the first segment of the journey and skip the second leg. This is often pursued by travelers trying to save money on flights, as direct fares to certain destinations might be significantly higher than those with connection stops. By not completing the trip as intended, travelers exploit pricing discrepancies, which, while potentially financially advantageous, can violate the airline's terms of service.

Overbooking refers to airlines selling more tickets than available seats, dynamic pricing relates to fluctuating ticket prices based on demand, and seat blocking is the strategy of reserving seats to prevent them from being sold to other travelers, typically for marketing or pricing strategies. These practices do not involve the same journey manipulation that defines hidden-city ticketing.