I found an unusually cheap flight from Newark, NJ to Dublin, Ire for 360$. They layover is in Paris. Id rather go to paris, can I get off the plane and not take the final leg of the flight to dublin.
(the same carrier's flight from newark to paris is much more expensive - taxes fees etc)
if i carried my luggage on.. would there be a problem at customs if i were to exit the airport before my official final destination?
You would go through immigration/passport control, not customs, and that would not be a problem. However, you would have much bigger problems! You'll cause major security problems for the airline by being a no-show for the Paris-Dublin leg. If you have booked a roundtrip ticket, the return portion of your ticket will be canceled.
If you have your heart set on Paris and you don't mind the time and effort it would take to double back, you could book a cheap Dublin-CDG flight on Aer Lingus or a cheap Dublin-Beauvais flight on Ryanair. Since Beauvais is a long way from Paris, I'd pick Aer Lingus.
This is frequently discussed here with the conclusion that you run the risk of having your return flight canceled if you miss the leg. It depends on the airline's policy. But you would have no problems with immigrations. All they know is that you are entering the country. They would have no way of knowing if you skipped a leg. I think the big risk is being a no show on a flight that you have been checked into.
Now, having said all that, if you are a risk taker you might try being creative. Three years ago my son and girl friend were in a similar situation with a RT to Paris and a layover in Amsterdam. They wanted to get off in Amsterdam. They had no checked luggage. In Amsterdam she faked an "illness" and was too ill to continue on to Paris but told the gate people. They received a mild lecture or warning that the airline would not refund that portion of the ticket and that they would be responsible for paying for a new ticket to Paris, etc.,etc. The gate people determined that they had no checked luggage and took them off the flight roster. They had no problem with the return ticket from Paris.
Where are you returning from? Dublin? Then you still have to get to Dublin. (If it's a stopover in Paris, you couldn't just get on there.)
The airlines are hip to this type of scam. If you just get off, the remainder of your ticket will be cancelled. You would then be forced to buy a full fare ticket for the return. And no, they wouldn't credit you for the ticket you already bought.
The others are right about the rest of your trip being cancelled. So long as you are not checking bags and don't intend to take the return trip you should be fine.
I have skipped legs that I've been checked into without any problems. The airlines are used to this with business folks checking in and then not showing up. In general if on a connecting flight that I'm not taking, I try to tell the airline to save them the hassle of looking for me or delaying the flight. Immigration won't care.
What you are trying to do really only works partially and only on the return leg with a stopover. i.e. If I was flying London-Chicago-Denver, and I want to stay over in Chicago then I can skip the last flight and get another ticket back home. Either way, the airline will cancel all remaining legs of the original ticket.
