Skiplagging: A Hidden-City Way Some Use to Save Money on Travel

What is Skiplagging?

Air travel is often perceived as expensive, but savvy travelers have uncovered a unique method to save on flight costs: skiplagging. This unconventional travel strategy involves booking a connecting flight to a destination and intentionally disembarking at a layover city, bypassing the final stop. However, delving into the intricacies of skiplagging reveals a complex debate around legal, ethical, and practical considerations.

How Skiplagging Works

Skiplagging operates on the premise that certain direct or connecting flights to a desired layover city can be cheaper than booking a ticket to that same layover city as a final destination. Travelers exploit pricing discrepancies to their advantage, saving significantly on airfare.

Imagine that you want to travel from City A to City B. However, a direct flight to City B costs (as an example) USD 700. As mentioned earlier, airlines may actually charge more for a direct flight than they do for a flight with one or more connections.

With that in mind, instead of buying a ticket directly to City B, skiplaggers buy a cheaper ticket to another random city with one or more connections. However, they make sure that the city they actually want to visit is included in one of those connections (e.g.: City A > City B > City C).  This ticket from City A to City C with a connection through City B may cost USD 500 instead of USD 700.

Now having saved USD 200, the skiplagger boards all their flights until they arrive at the city they intended to visit in the first place. Upon arriving, they exit the airport at that city. Any flights after their intended destination are missed.

Skipping the final leg makes the flight have an empty seat that the airline could have otherwise sold to someone looking to fly nonstop. While the plane will be a bit lighter, airlines have decided any fuel savings do not offset the price of the lost ticket sale.

This crafty practice, known as skiplagging, challenges traditional air travel norms and has sparked both controversy and fascination among frequent fliers and budget-conscious travelers.

Legality of Skiplagging

While skiplagging might seem like an ingenious hack, its legality remains ambiguous. Contracts of carriage often prohibit this practice, raising questions about the consequences of engaging in such behavior and potential legal actions by airlines.

Pros and Cons

Skiplagging offers substantial cost savings, allowing travelers to make the most of their budgets and potentially explore multiple destinations at a fraction of the cost.

Conversely, the practice comes with risks, including potential airline penalties, loss of frequent flyer miles, and limited flexibility in the event of flight disruptions.

Airlines’ Stance

Airlines actively combat skiplagging by implementing measures to deter and penalize passengers who exploit fare inconsistencies. This includes taking legal action and potentially banning passengers from future flights.

Impact on Loyalty Programs

Participating in skiplagging can negatively impact one’s standing in loyalty programs, potentially leading to the loss of accumulated miles and benefits.

Ethical Considerations

While skiplagging is a clever cost-saving strategy, ethical considerations arise, prompting debate on the fairness and integrity of exploiting pricing loopholes within the aviation industry.

In conclusion, skiplagging is a complex travel strategy that continues to captivate and divide the travel community. With its blend of potential cost savings and legal and ethical uncertainties, the debate around skiplagging reflects the evolving nature of travel practices and the ever-changing dynamics of the aviation industry. As travelers navigate the intricacies of skiplagging, weighing the benefits against the risks becomes pivotal in shaping their approach to modern air travel.