Is there a penalty for skipping a flight?

Most airlines only charge a fee for missing a flight if the passenger seems to have a habit of doing it purposely, commonly known as skiplagging, in which a passenger books a ticket with no intention of taking the secondary legs of a trip in order to secure a cheaper fare.



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Depending on the airline, travelers may be charged a rebooking fee to get on another flight. Some airlines may also charge the difference in airfare — meaning a missed flight can be a costly inconvenience.

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While not illegal, intentionally skipping segments on an itinerary does almost always violates airlines' contracts of carriage. For example, American's contract of carriage says this: Reservations made to exploit or circumvent fare and ticket rules are prohibited.

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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. ...
  • United Airlines and Delta Air Lines also prohibit skiplagging.


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Skiplagged deceives the public into believing that, even though it has no authority to form and issue a contract on American's behalf, somehow it can still issue a completely valid ticket. It cannot. Every 'ticket' issued by Skiplagged is at risk of being invalidated, the airline said.

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If an airline finds out what you are doing, it could simply cancel your ticket or even ban you from flying with it. That's what reportedly happened recently to a North Carolina teen who booked an American Airlines flight from Florida to New York but disembarked at his Charlotte connection.

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“Say I want to fly to Miami from New York,” he says. “Prices are high if I book direct, but if I fly New York to Miami to Orlando, I can save $130. I could book that, pocket the savings, and then get off the plane in Miami instead of continuing on to Orlando.”

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Throwaway ticketing is purchasing a ticket with the intent to use only a portion of the included travel. This situation may arise when a passenger wants to travel only one way, but where the discounted round-trip excursion fare is cheaper than a one-way ticket.

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“The practice, while discouraged by airlines and barred in their contract of carriage, is rarely against the law,” Russell explains. You do need to make sure that you have the correct visas and entry requirements for the country you intend to visit, however, just like you would with a direct flight.

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It could even ban you from the airline. In short, skiplagging isn't breaking the law. However, if you're caught, airlines will not be happy that you are costing them money and could opt to try to penalize you or challenge you in court.

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It's highly unlikely you'd face any repercussions if you do it once, but if you make it a habit or the airline sees an egregious pattern of hidden city ticketing, there could penalties from the airline, like losing your frequent flyer points.

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Although missing legs can cause problems for travelers, it's not actually illegal as such. After all, all you are doing is buying a product from an airline, and failing to redeem part of it. So legality isn't the issue.

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But skiplagging is controversial, and many airlines frown upon it – so much that it can be punishable by miles or status cancellations and even a lifetime ban from the airline.

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Skiplagged is the most well-known service for finding hidden-city or throwaway tickets. That's the practice of booking a less-expensive flight option without planning to fly the entire itinerary. Instead, you bail at a connecting airport rather than continuing to your final destination.

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What is hidden city ticketing? Also known as point beyond ticketing, hidden city ticketing is a way to find cheaper nonstop tickets by booking a connecting flight to a final destination beyond yours, but ending your journey at a layover point.

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Most airlines will cancel your return ticket if you miss a portion of your itinerary. if you book round trip, they will cancel your return and in some cases, offer no refund. if you are planning on doing this, buy two separate tickets.

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Airlines penalize customers who use hidden city ticketing so you're advised not to use your account, airline credit card or frequent flyer number when making your reservation. What is this? Possible consequences include invalidation of airline miles and revocation of elite status.

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Skiplagging is not illegal. But most major airlines, including American, Delta Southwest and United, don't allow it.

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So while you can technically travel on a one-way ticket, they also need some kind of official return ticket confirmation showing that you are leaving the country eventually. They won't necessarily care where that ticket goes, just as long as it's out of their country.

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