The Higher Intermediate Point is a designated stopover city on a multi-leg flight itinerary that costs more to fly to than the final destination. Tariff rules require the ticketing system to apply the fare for this intermediate city rather than the cheaper through-fare. Agents monitor these points closely because adding a stopover at a HIP drastically increases the total price of the ticket.
You can route through Paris, but it becomes a HIP and bumps the fare up by a thousand dollars.
Related terms
HIF
A ticketing rule that checks for a higher intermediate fare along a routed journey.
Ticket designator
An alphanumeric code on an airline ticket indicating a specific fare type or discount.
Cross-border ticket
An airline itinerary booked from a different country to exploit regional pricing differences.