“Skiplagging” is a hot topic in tourism nowadays. So what exactly is this and is it worth the risk?
This week, American Airlines detained a US teenager after he allegedly used a flight hacking technique known as skipping (also known as “hidden city booking”) to book a cheaper flight to his destination.
Based on Carolina’s Queen City News, the teenager was scheduled to fly from Gainesville, Florida, to New York City, but he had planned to get off the plane during his transit in Charlotte. His North Carolina driver’s license is said to have raised a red flag for border agents about his true final destination, so he is believed to have been escorted to a secure area. where he was interrogated. His ticket was eventually canceled, and his family was forced to pay for a new, more expensive flight to get him home.
With that cautionary tale in mind, here’s an analysis of what lagging is — and why the risks may not be worth the potential rewards.
Related: Direct flight vs direct flight
What is skip?
In general, skipping is the art of exploiting certain routes by booking a multi-stop flight where one of the stops is your intended destination rather than booking a more expensive ticket directly to the destination. there. When you arrive at the airport for a stopover, you end your trip there by getting off the plane and walking, skipping the next leg of your journey. You may have heard of the Skiplagged.com website that allows regular people to book these tickets.
For example, a passenger can book a flight between New York and Las Vegas and transit in Dallas. In this case, Dallas would be the intended destination and where the passenger would disembark, cutting the journey short and not continuing to Las Vegas.
So why would a passenger do this?
It’s counter-intuitive, but under certain circumstances, this controversial tactic can yield significant cash savings. This is because flight pricing does not always follow the reasonable assumption that a longer trip will be more expensive. Instead, the cost of a journey is often based on the popularity of the destination or route — especially if it’s a direct flight — and the price at which the airlines have decided people will buy tickets.
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At face value, skipping, also known as hidden city bookings, seems like a smart strategy to save money while taking advantage of absurd airfares, but it’s not without risk.
As we saw this week, the savings may not be worth it if you get caught — a real risk as some airlines outlaw this practice as they increasingly use technology to help identify identify suspicious routes.
Skipping is illegal?
Skiplagging is technically legal, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t carry potential risks.
You may not face criminal charges for skipping or booking a hidden city ticket, but that violates most airline policies. If an airline finds you skipping, in most cases that airline will punish you according to the terms and conditions of the ticket you’re flying. Penalties can range from financial penalties to restrictions on future booked travel.
In some cases, ignored passengers have been taken to court by the airline. In 2019, Lufthansa sued a passenger after they paid 657 euros for a business class ticket from Oslo to Seattle via Frankfurt.
On the return flight, the passenger skipped the Oslo leg, instead flying from Frankfurt to Berlin on a different ticket. Lufthansa claimed the ticket should have cost 2,769 euros and demanded a refund of 2,112 euros plus interest.
The court ultimately sided with the passenger, but notably agreed that the airline’s lawsuit was valid. Lufthansa lost due to technical details in the new pricing method that the court found lacked transparency. The case could have easily gone the other way. Courts in Spain have reached similar conclusions in cases involving Iberian.
This current precedent sets the law in favor of the passenger. It’s unclear, however, and court battles can lead to inflated legal fees that most passengers can’t afford. Furthermore, even if you’re not breaking the law, the airline may decide it doesn’t want to serve you as a passenger anymore, delete your frequent flyer account. You can lose all your hard earned points.
It may even ban you from airlines.
In short, skipping is not against the law. However, if you get caught, the airlines won’t be happy because you’re costing them money and may choose to fine you or challenge you in court. Regardless of how you’ll pass your trial in court, getting there can be both lengthy and expensive.
Can you save money by skipping lag, and is it worth it?
In certain cases you can save significant money by skipping the delay, but this won’t be possible for all routes and the amount you save depends on the trip. fly.
For example, TPG found you can save $659 by using the skip feature to fly from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS).
In this example, book a one-way flight from JFK with the final destination being London City Airport (LCY) and transit at AMS will cost $458.
Booking the same flight but with Amsterdam as your final destination will cost $1,117. This is a significant difference, making it easy to see why this kind of hidden-city ticketing seems appealing.
By comparison, on other routes the savings can be much less.
For example, flying from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) will cost $160, while flying from Newark to Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) with a stop at LAX of $147. By booking a multi-hop flight, you’ll save $13.
Whether these savings are worth it depends on the risks you’re willing to take — which, in our opinion, may not be worth the rewards.
Sure, saving $659 is a lot of money, but if you get caught and have to buy a new ticket that covers the full fare, you’ll end up running out of pocket considerably. Worse yet, the airline you’re flying with could ban you.
Related: 22 great tips for traveling frugally
There are many other effective ways to find ways Save on plane tickets without carrying any risks. The proficient use of points and milesFirst of all, it is possible to save hundreds of dollars on your flight and open up to premium cabins that may not be in your budget if you pay with cash.
Being flexible with departure and destination dates can also help. use travel tools to help you find the best (legitimate) flight deals Also a good idea. Also you can consider rail Or opt for a bus instead of a plane if you’re traveling within the country.
What are the risks of skipping?
Skiplagging may not be illegal from a legal point of view, but it can harm the passenger doing it, the airline and, to a lesser extent, other passengers.
If you get caught, you may have to pay the price. Subject to American Airlines terms and conditions, this may include:
- Cancel any unused portion of your ticket. If you’ve booked a seat on a return flight, this will void the return leg of your itinerary, even if it’s an open leg from another city.
- Refuse to allow passengers to fly without a refund option — even if you’ve booked a refundable ticket.
- Get charged for the full actual cost of your ticket.
In other cases, airlines have also been known to blacklist passengers from future flights and cancel their frequent flyer numbers or points and miles accounts — wiping out their accumulated balances. accumulate or benefit their elite status.
Those are just the financial implications. Skiplagging can also pose other risks. For example, you won’t be able to check in your luggage because you won’t be at the final destination to collect it. And sometimes, customers are forced to check in hand luggage when the overhead compartments are full, so baggage check can be out of your control.
Another risk: If your flight is rerouted without a planned stop due to a delay or cancellation, you may find yourself stuck with a few good options. Or, if your original itinerary was cancelled, and the airline rebooked you for a direct flight that bypassed your intended connection point entirely.
In those cases, you may find yourself on a flight to a destination you never wanted to go to without an accommodation or option to get to your destination other than booking it in advance. other last minute flight.
Skipping a leg of your journey can also affect other passengers and the airline you’re flying with. According to an American Airlines spokesperson, “If a customer knowingly or unknowingly purchases a ticket and fails to fly all sectors of their journey, it can lead to operational issues with checked baggage. and discourage other customers from booking when they can. in urgent need of travel.”
In short, “Deliberately creating a void that a client or other team member could have used is an all-out bad outcome.”
Related: The best credit cards for airline elite status
bottom line
Skiplagging, or booking a hidden city ticket, seems like a smart and economical way to cut your commuting costs. However, it does carry some very real risks.
You could end up with a surprise last minute bill from the airline for the cost difference or worse, being blacklisted by the airline and losing a huge chunk of the miles you’ve spent years on. accumulation. So while we love a good savings tip, here’s one we’ll skip.
In short, please don’t do it!
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