What is skiplagging and why do airlines hate it when you do it?

The practice goes by a few different names, including skiplagging or hidden-city flying. Passengers disembark at their layover city, leaving an empty seat on their next flight, and save money in the process. But airlines are cracking down on the practice, claiming it breaches their rules and costs them revenue.



People Also Ask

In its complaint, American alleges that Skiplagged's practices are deceptive and abusive. 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.

MORE DETAILS

Skiplagging may not be illegal in the eyes of the law, but it can be damaging for the passenger doing it, the airline and, to a lesser extent, other passengers. If you're caught, it could cost you. According to American Airlines' terms and conditions, this might involve: Canceling any unused part of your ticket.

MORE DETAILS

What Is Skiplagging—and Is It Illegal? Skiplagging is the practice of hopping off in your layover city instead of boarding the connecting flight to your ticket's final destination. Many travelers do this in order to capitalize on a lower airfare to your secretly intended destination (the layover city).

MORE DETAILS

If an airline catches you skiplagging, in most scenarios it will punish you as per the terms and conditions of the ticket you're flying on. The punishments could range from financial penalties to restrictions on future booked travel.

MORE DETAILS

Booking through the site is safe and secure. But there's a reason why we urge all travelers to exhaust all their other options to find cheap flights before booking a fare through Skiplagged. It's looked down upon in the travel industry (especially by airlines – surprise, surprise.)

MORE DETAILS

Bobby Laurie, who worked as cabin crew for US Airways (now American Airlines) and the now-defunct Virgin America, offers his top tips to avoid getting caught when skiplagging: Check in online or via an app instead of at a kiosk. Limit your interaction with airline staff.

MORE DETAILS

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.

MORE DETAILS

Does Skiplagged charge a fee? There is a service fee with each standard booking completed through Skiplagged, starting around $8.

MORE DETAILS

Skiplagged founder Aktarer Zaman identified a problem -- the seeming arbitrary nature of airfares -- and attacked it. Now United and Orbitz may eat him for lunch. Aktarer Zaman, the 22-year-old Skiplagged founder who got sued by Orbitz and United, has a B.S.

MORE DETAILS

A dummy air ticket is nothing more than a round-trip flight reservation from and back to the original departure country. A dummy ticket is not a paid return ticket. Basically, it is only a document that included travel itinerary details, but it's not a confirmed ticket.

MORE DETAILS

Skipping a connecting flight is generally not illegal, but it can have consequences. Airlines have rules that require passengers to follow the entire itinerary they've booked. If you skip a connecting flight, your remaining flights might be canceled, and you might not be eligible for a refund.

MORE DETAILS

His ticket was cancelled and he was allegedly banned from the airline for three years, according to his family. In Canada, the major carriers do not permit skiplagging. Air Canada explicitly lists hidden city/point-beyond ticketing as a prohibited practice.

MORE DETAILS

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.

MORE DETAILS

“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.

MORE DETAILS

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.

MORE DETAILS

Skiplagged's headquarters is located at New York.

MORE DETAILS

From a crew and equipment perspective, red-eye flights are as safe as any other flight. There are some potential risks to your personal health if you fly them often, though, particularly if you don't sleep well on planes.

MORE DETAILS