A layover is a stop between flights, also called a connection.
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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.
As in mass transit, a layover in long-distance travel may provide for a break taken by the operator. A vehicle is said to be laying over after it finishes its route and is waiting prior to a return trip, or is taking a break to change crews or for the crew to rest.
While skiplagging isn't illegal, American Airlines filed a civil lawsuit earlier this month against Skiplagged.com, accusing the company of unauthorized and deceptive ticketing practices and tricking customers into believing they've gained access to a secret loophole.
If your itinerary was purchased as one ticket (as in: you have only one itinerary and one confirmation number), and the connection time was too short and you miss the second (or third) flight, you can rest easy, no matter what happens. The airline will simply put you onto the next available flight, free of charge.
A layover flight is also called a connecting flight. If you book a layover flight, it means the plane will make a stop en route, with passengers disembarking the flight and changing services.
A direct flight is identified by a unique flight number. A transit flight, with a connection, has two distinct flight numbers. A flight that is not direct, or connecting flight, involves a change of aircraft.
Transit. Another point of confusion is layover vs stopover or transit. Once again, a layover is a stop that lasts less than 24 hours, while a stopover lasts 24 hours or more. On the other hand, Transit is simply the act of returning to the same aircraft after your layover at the airport.
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.
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.
In some cases, it may even ban you from flying with the airline temporarily — as in the incident with the teen earlier this summer. Even worse, you could be banned permanently.
A Flight Attendant required by the Company to deadhead shall receive full pay and credit based on scheduled block time or actual flight time, whichever is greater. Additionally, all premiums will apply to the deadhead.
Stopovers can range from as short as 24 hours to as long as 10 days, with no added cost to your airline ticket, depending on the program. To get the most out of a stopover, look for a program that offers other complimentary perks, too.
Deadheading refers to crewmembers, including flight attendants and pilots, who are being repositioned as part of their assigned trip. That is, they're flying as passengers while on duty. It's unclear when or how this term originated.
Skiplagging is not illegal. But most major airlines, including American, Delta Southwest and United, don't allow it. For one thing, airlines lose money on the practice, says Tim Huh, a professor at the University of British Columbia's Sauder School of Business, who co-authored a study on skiplagging last year.
American Airlines accuses the company Skiplagged of illegally selling its tickets to customers and using “unauthorized and deceptive ticketing practices” in the process. The lawsuit comes just a few weeks after American Airlines made national headlines when it caught a teen apparently planning to use the tactic.