Certified Travel Associate Practice

Which unethical ticketing practice involves buying two round trip discount tickets at a lower cost than a full fare ticket?

1. A. Card Mills

2. B. Hidden City Ticketing

3. C. Doublebooking

4. D. Back-to-back ticketing

The correct answer is: D. Back-to-back ticketing

The best option is back-to-back ticketing, as this practice involves purchasing two round-trip tickets that are structured in such a way that the fare is less than that of a single full-fare ticket. Passengers effectively use the segments of the flights they need while circumventing higher pricing, which airlines generally discourage. While "card mills," "hidden city ticketing," and "doublebooking" are indeed associated with unethical ticketing practices, they do not specifically refer to the strategy of buying two round-trip tickets to achieve a lower overall fare. Card mills typically relate to schemes involving multiple loyalty accounts; hidden city ticketing involves booking a flight with a layover at a destination you actually want to disembark at, and doublebooking refers to reserving multiple accommodations or flights for the same time. Back-to-back ticketing remains the most accurate description of the practice in question.