Who was the kid who got sued by airlines?

He was a whiz kid up against a $21 billion company. Aktarer Zaman, now 23, didn't back down when United Airlines (UAL) and Orbitz sued him a little over a year ago for opening a website called Skiplagged.com to help travelers find cheap plane tickets.



The "kid" famously sued by the airlines is Aktarer Zaman, who at age 22 founded the website Skiplagged.com. In 2014, United Airlines and Orbitz filed a massive federal lawsuit against him for promoting "Hidden City" ticketing—a practice where a traveler buys a flight with a layover in their actual destination and skips the final leg because it's cheaper than a direct ticket. The airlines claimed his site constituted "unfair competition" and "malicious" interference with their business. Despite the high-stakes legal pressure, Zaman fought the case, and a judge eventually dismissed the lawsuit in Chicago on jurisdictional grounds. In 2026, Skiplagged remains a high-value tool for savvy travelers, and Zaman has become a folk hero in the travel community for defending the legality of a consumer's right to exit a plane at any stop, even as airlines continue to threaten to cancel the frequent flyer accounts of those caught "skiplagging."

People Also Ask

But Skiplagged, which has been around for a decade, has survived past lawsuits from the likes of United Airlines and Orbitz. It even brags about these victories on its site, boasting, Our flights are so cheap, United sued us ... but we won.

MORE DETAILS

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.

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. According to Business Insider, hidden city ticketing is a sneaky way to save money.

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

While this practice isn't illegal, it is very frowned upon by the airlines and can lead to problematic consequences, as experienced by a teen flying American Airlines recently. Risks of skiplagging include unexpected bills from the airline, forfeiture of frequent flyer miles or even a ban from the airline.

MORE DETAILS

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.

MORE DETAILS

But truth be told, we're the exception to the rule. While there are many pilot and flight attendant couples, and many flight attendants married or committed to other flight attendants, and many pilots with the same connections with other pilots, several factors have made those connections less likely.

MORE DETAILS

We provide verifiable flight reservations and they are visible on the airline reservation systems. There is an actual reservation made with the airline. The tickets we provide are NOT fake.

MORE DETAILS

Individuals can sue airlines in small claims court for damages caused by an airline's negligence. For example, damages can arise from personal injuries (for example a broken arm) or from emotional distress caused by an airline's negligent treatment.

MORE DETAILS

Booking a hacker fare isn't illegal, Cathy Mansfield, a law professor at Case Western Reserve University, told CBS News.

MORE DETAILS

Skiplagging is not illegal, but major airlines are trying to crack down on the practice. Last month, American Airlines filed a lawsuit against Skiplagged, a website that offers cheaper airfares for passengers, claiming their practices are “deceptive and abusive,” NPR reported.

MORE DETAILS

To do this, he advises checking in online or via an app, instead of going to a kiosk at the airport. Then, unless it is something urgent, it's better to 'avoid speaking to airline staff' for the entirety of the journey.

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

However, the FAA say that in general aviation 69% of crashes at night cause pilot fatality compared to 59% during day. Various FAA/NTSB reports state (f. ex: This) that there's more crashes during day than night but that's hard to interpret: There's a lot more planes in the air during the day.

MORE DETAILS

The “empty leg”, also referred to as “repositioning flight” refers to a situation when the airplane is sent on a mission without any passengers.

MORE DETAILS

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.

MORE DETAILS

Somebody with two below knee amputations will usually have an additional hand controller that operates the same functions as the pedals. For single above-knee amputees, pilots use their remaining leg to operate the plane.

MORE DETAILS