“Hidden city ticketing,” or booking a flight with the intention of getting off at the layover city rather than the final destination, is perfectly legal, but there are some factors to consider before making it a habit.
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Skiplagging or hidden-city flying is where you get off at the layover rather than the final destination. For example, a flight from New York to Orlando might be $250, but a similar flight from New York to Dallas with a layover in Orlando might be $130.
Mostly, yes! And in most cases, you can leave the airport during a layover in the US, even while traveling to an international destination. International travelers need to make sure they have a valid visa to travel in the US. But, whether you need to leave the airport or not during a layover is completely up to you.
Yes, you can leave the airport during domestic layovers. For instance, if you're a US citizen and have a layover within the country, it is legal and safe to leave the airport. Be aware that you'll probably be getting two boarding passes if the domestic layover is more than an hour.
Each airline, and even sometimes each airport, will have different rules about what is and is not allowed. As a general rule, most airlines will NOT automatically check your luggage through for an overnight connection. You will normally need collect your luggage when you land, and re-check it the following morning.
The only difference between a dayroom and an overnight layover is the timing of the flight connection. Dayrooms take place when the entire layover is on the same day, whereas an overnight layover happens overnight, meaning it will be the next day when you catch your next flight.
If you miss your connection booked with the same airline that your were on for your first flight, and the issue is due to a delayed take off or anything else that's in the hands of your airline, it's the airline's responsibility to rebook you on the next available flight.
If you don't show up for your connecting flight (or at the gate/ticket counter if you miss your connection), then the remainder of your ticket will probably be canceled.
Is skiplagging illegal? No, but it's against most airlines' contracts of carriage or the rules people must follow to fly with the airline. American Airlines and Southwest Airlines both put skiplagging first on their lists of prohibited booking practices.
It makes sense, because the practice saps revenue from them on two fronts: Not only do passengers underpay — potentially by hundreds of dollars per ticket — but the seat on the tossed leg also could have been sold to someone else. Most contracts of carriage from major airlines expressly forbid skiplagging as a result.
When layover flights are booked with the same airline, your baggage will be automatically transferred through to your final destination. However, if the two flights are with different airlines, you may have to claim and re-check your baggage during your layover.
Most airports offer temporary luggage storage, so if you have a longer layover and you'd like to explore the city, you can take advantage of this service. This way, you won't have to lug around all your things while you're out and about.
How long does a layover need to be to leave the airport? Because layovers are your choice, you can leave whenever you like, but seasoned travelers, including McGee, seldom leave airports for less than six hours. After all, airports themselves aren't usually in bustling, interesting areas.
If you have a layover and both flights are part of the same itinerary and booked on a single ticket, you typically do not need to check in again. Your checked baggage is usually tagged through to your final destination, and you would proceed directly to your connecting gate after going through security.
But many travel advisers say those guidelines result in itineraries that don't always work for passengers. “On average, 35 minutes is what they consider a legal connection,” said Loulu Lima founder of the Texas-based travel agency Book Here Give Here.