Controversial Hack to Cut Plane Ticket Costs Carries ‘Super Big Risk,’ Warns Travel Expert in 2023.
“Travelers seeking to cut costs on airline tickets have turned to a money-saving technique known as ‘Skiplagging’ or ‘hidden city ticketing.’ This practice involves taking advantage of a peculiar quirk in airfare pricing.
Instead of booking a nonstop flight to their destination, passengers opt for multi-leg flights with a layover in their desired city. Upon reaching the layover stop, these savvy travellers choose to disembark, effectively skipping the final leg of the journey.
The allure of skip-lagging lies in its potential to offer cheaper fares than direct flights. Travel expert Sally French from NerdWallet revealed that passengers might be surprised by how frequently this approach results in savings.
However, the tactic has irked airlines, prompting many carriers to explicitly prohibit it and impose varying consequences if caught engaging in it.
While skip-lagging is not a new phenomenon, it remains controversial in the travel industry.
David Slotnick, a senior aviation business reporter at The Points Guy, highlighted its capacity to expose a peculiar and counterintuitive aspect of airline pricing models.
Yet, he emphasized that exploiting this strategy to save money carries a ‘super big risk’ and strongly discouraged travellers from attempting it unless they thoroughly understand the potential implications.”
Engaging in the money-saving practice of “Skiplagging” or “hidden city ticketing” can lead to significant consequences, including cancelled flights and airline bans.
Online travel booking platforms like Skiplagged.com have made it easier for travellers to exploit this approach, which involves booking multi-leg flights but intentionally disembarking at the layover destination instead of completing the final leg to the intended endpoint.
Skiplagged.com acknowledges the legality of the practice but warns users about potential risks. Airlines may become displeased with such practices, and while it can be a viable cost-saving method occasionally, frequent use may upset carriers.
A recent incident involved a teenager attempting this tactic with American Airlines, resulting in ticket cancellation after the airline discovered the intention to disembark early.
Consequences include last-minute rebooking, erasing initial savings, and potential bans from the airline’s frequent-flier program, leading to a loss of accompanying perks. Moreover, airlines can theoretically pursue legal action to claim damages from travellers who engage in this practice.
Airlines’ contracts or conditions of carriage, which passengers agree to when booking flights, typically contain rules that forbid skip-lagging, even if the specific term is not used. For instance, American Airlines’ contract explicitly states that the ticket is only valid for travel to and from the cities listed on the ticket and in the trip record.
The practice of “Skiplagging” or “hidden city ticketing” is explicitly prohibited by many airlines, including United Airlines, as it violates their fare and ticket rules. Airlines’ contracts, such as United Airlines, specifically state that purchasing a ticket with the intention of not flying all the flights to obtain lower fares through hidden city ticketing is not allowed.
Due to the potential loss of revenue and disruptions to their internal planning and data science, airlines generally disapprove of skip logging. For instance, airlines may miss the opportunity to sell an empty seat to another passenger or sell a more expensive nonstop ticket to the skip-lagging traveller.
Deviations from expected travel patterns can interfere with airlines’ flight scheduling and data analysis, leading to unpredictability in their data sets.
Skiplagged.com, which specializes in hidden city bookings, faced legal action when United Airlines and Orbitz filed a lawsuit against its founder in 2014. However, the case was dismissed by a judge the following year.
The operators of Skiplagged.com contend that the existence of this practice is a result of airlines’ pricing strategies, particularly with certain hub airports where airlines enjoy monopolies, which reflects in their pricing.
According to Dan Gellert, the Chief Operating Officer of Skiplagged.com, thousands of travellers book hidden city tickets daily with their platform and claim to have heard of no significant issues from users.
While hidden city ticketing, or skip-lagging, may offer potential cost savings, travellers should be aware of the additional risks and inconveniences associated with this practice.
One major drawback is the inability to check bags to the final destination, as they will be forwarded to the connecting city instead. This could lead to the hassle of collecting and rechecking baggage during the layover.
Bringing a carry-on bag is also uncertain since overhead space may be limited by the time passengers board the plane, resulting in potential forced check-ins. Moreover, travellers who opt for hidden city ticketing must book separate one-way tickets. If they are a no-show for any leg of the flight, the airline may cancel the return ticket.
Flight schedules become highly unpredictable when engaging in this practice. Airlines may reroute flights through different cities, causing changes to the intended layover destination.
Travel experts, including Sally French, emphasize that there are various alternative ways to find good flight deals. For instance, travellers willing to be flexible with trip timing and destination can explore options using services like Google Explore and Going, which allow users to set flight alerts.
While skip-lagging might tempt some travellers seeking savings, it’s crucial to weigh these potential inconveniences against other available strategies for finding affordable flights.
