Imagine booking a flight ticket and intentionally skipping a part of your journey to save money. Sounds unreal, right? You know what? That’s exactly what thousands of travelers are doing with a controversial travel trick called “skiplagging.”
If you have been on the search for cutting travel costs, you must have come across this term online. But exactly what is skiplagging? And why is this mysterious travel hack making airlines absolutely furious?
What is the Meaning of Skiplagging?
Skiplagging (also known as hidden city ticketing) is basically a flight option that saves money by tricking the airline system. What people have been caught doing is instead of booking a direct flight to where they want to go, people have been picking flights with a stop (or a layover) at their real destinations. Then, they just get off the plane at that stop and not taking connecting flight on purpose.
Take this skiplagging example—Let’s say you want to fly from New York to Dallas. A direct flight might cost $400. But if you book a flight from New York to Las Vegas that stops in Dallas, it might only cost $250. So you get off in Dallas and skip the rest of the trip to Vegas. That’s skiplagging.
The skiplagging flight hack sounds pretty clever, right? But it’s not always that simple.
Why Do People Try Skiplagging?
The reason for skiplagging is simple: people want to use this trick to save money. Airlines have weird pricing that doesn’t always make sense. Sometimes, a longer trip with stops costs less than a shorter direct flight. It’s crazy, but that’s how airline pricing works.
According to the information on the internet, you could actually save $600 by skiplagging flights from New York to Amsterdam. The direct flight may cost close to $1100, but picking a flight from New York to London that stops in Amsterdam can be close to just $400. That’s a huge difference. No wonder many travelers are tempted by this trick.
But here’s the catch—not all routes will save you this much money. Sometimes, the difference will only be of $10 to $20, which might not be worth the risk.
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Is Skiplagging Illegal?
After understanding the concept, the first question that probably comes to mind is: Is skiplagging illegal? The short answer is no. It is not against the law. You will not go to jail for doing it.
However, just because it is not illegal doesn’t mean airlines are okay with it. Every airline has its rules that say you cannot do this. So, while the police won’t arrest you, the airline can definitely punish you for skiplagging.
What Happens If You Get Caught Skipping the Part of Your Flight?
Getting punished by rewards programs and airlines is a real thing. These things can happen if the airline catches you skipping your flight intentionally.
- They might charge you the full price difference.
- Cancel the rest of your ticket (like your return flight).
- Make you pay for a new ticket on the spot.
- Take away any refund you were supposed to get.
- Ban you from flying with them again.
- Cancel your frequent flyer account and take away all your miles.
- Put you on a “no-fly” list.
- Stop you from checking bags in the future.
Similar things happened in 2023. A teenager was caught trying to skip his connecting flight. The airline representatives held him at the airport, canceled his ticket, and his family had to buy a new, more expensive ticket to get him home. So, when you are skiplagging, that’s the kind of trouble you’re signing in for.
Problems That Come with Skiplagging
Besides getting in trouble with airlines, there are other headaches:
- Baggage Issues: You cannot check bags because they will go to the final destination, not where you are planning to get off. And sometimes, even carry-on bags have to be checked if the plane is full.
- Flight Changes: If your flight gets canceled or changed, the airline might put you on a direct flight that skips your intended stop. Then you are stuck going to the wrong place.
- It’s Not Fair to Others: When you don’t show up for your connecting flight, it messes up the airline’s planning and might prevent someone else from getting a seat they really need.
Can You Use This Trick for Business Class?
Many people wonder if they can get skiplagged for business class to save money on premium cabin seats. While it’s possible, it’s even riskier. Business class tickets are expensive, so if you get caught, you will owe a lot more money. Plus, airlines pay extra attention to their premium passengers, making it more likely you’ll get caught.
Better Ways to Save Money on Flights
Instead of risking all these problems, try these safer ways to save money:
- Use points and miles to save on your flight purchases. You can sign up for airline credit cards for free and get bonus points for free flights.
- Be flexible with your travel dates and consider nearby airports. Sometimes, flying a day earlier or later saves hundreds of dollars.
- Plan ahead and book your ticket in advance for better prices.
- Compare flight prices across multiple websites to find the best legitimate deals.
Bottom Line
So, what is skiplagging? It is definitely a risky way to try to save money on air travel by not taking connecting flight on purpose. While the skiplagging flight hack seems like a clever way to fool airlines, the risks are usually not worth the savings. In most cases, you might end up owing a lot more money to the airline than the total price difference.
Piece of advice? Skip the skiplagging and use safer, legal options to save money on flights, as there are many.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Skiplagging means intentionally skipping a leg of a flight to save money on the trip. People book an indirect flight with stops (desired destination) and skip the flight to the actual destination.
Skiplagging flights is not illegal, but it is greatly prohibited by airlines, and they will punish you if you get caught with such conduct.
The airline will punish you for such practices. They might cancel your return tickets and charge you for a more expensive cabin or ban you from flying again.
If you get caught skiplagging a flight, you might have to pay more than you saved. Also, the airline may cancel your frequent flyer account and put you on the “no-fly” list.
Airlines hate skiplagging as it disrupts their flight operations and revenue. Also, such practices might prevent someone from getting the seat they wanted.
