Summary

  • Skiplagging is a controversial practice where passengers book longer journeys and intentionally skip one leg of their trip to save money.
  • Airlines dislike skiplagging because it leaves empty seats on flights and goes against their contracts of carriage.
  • While courts have ruled that skiplagging is legal in some cases, airlines may still have leverage over passengers through frequent flyer programs and can ban them from future flights.

Recently, Simple Flying examined ticket prices on United Airlines' services from Houston to Panama City, which were recently expanded to thrice daily next summer. While tickets directly between the two cities start around $1,200 roundtrip, originating the ticket in Chicago and adding a stop in Houston can see these prices drop as low as $800.

Here, passengers are incentivized to book the longer journey and simply not take the first leg of the service. This is an example of a complex process known as skip-lagging, one that has become ever-more popular over time.

An Aerial Photo of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
Photo: Port of Seattle

Money is a finite resource, so catching a seat sale can be tricky when it comes to air travel, especially when travel dates are fixed. Skiplagging is one practice that enables travelers to get from point A to point B for "less than the going rate." However, doing so is controversial and most certainly frowned upon by airlines. Let's look at the practice of skiplagging and why airlines hate it.

What is skiplagging?

Skiplagging is the practice of booking an itinerary where the stopover is the actual and intended destination of the traveler. Using our 'point A to point B' phrasing, passenger could book a ticket that takes them from point A to point C, with a stopover at point B. The passenger's actual destination is point B, and they leave the airport at this point, leaving their seat empty on the B-to-C portion of the journey.

An unidentified aircraft landing at sunset.
Photo: Ian Schofield | Shutterstock

It is important to note that this practice will not work if the traveler wants to travel with checked baggage. After all, the luggage is tagged to the final (ticketed) destination. If you tried it, there would be severe consequences as the airline would likely have to offload your checked baggage after realizing your boarding pass wasn't scanned for the second leg of the journey.

Attempting to skiplag with checked baggage is extremely harmful for several reasons. Primarily, as airlines aren't allowed to take off with baggage checked by someone not present on the flight, this practice can result in heavy delays. Furthermore, it can result in one's return ticket being canceled if an airline is able to confirm the intended skiplagging.

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An aerial view of Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport.
Photo: Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport

Another major hurdle to navigate when it comes to skiplagging is the challenge of having to purchase multiple one-way tickets. On a roundtrip itinerary, one would likely have return tickets canceled if an airline realized that a passenger skiplagged on the way there.

An example of skiplagging

Previous research by Simple Flying found that one example of a route where airfares conducive to skiplagging could be found was Air Canada's domestic corridor between Toronto and Vancouver. By buying a connecting ticket from Toronto to Seattle via Vancouver, we found that the price could drop by as much as 25%.

Based on fuel and labor costs alone, a lower fare on a longer journey seems confusing. However, there are a few reasons for this price differential. Air travel is a competitive business, and specific routes will have more competition than others. If an airline knows it runs one of the few direct services to a city, it will charge as much as customers are willing to pay.

However, airlines know that passengers greatly prefer direct flights and, as a result, will lower fares on connecting itineraries to better compete with other airlines. Furthermore, airlines, especially those in North America, might have to pay more in airport fees for passengers disembarking in a particular location as opposed to another. Such costs often do not apply to connecting or "transit" passengers.

With bookings soaring at an all-time high this year, skiplagging has surged in the news. Business Insider reported this week that a flight between New York and Amsterdam in late June is about $2,850, flying with KLM. Instead, a flight between New York and London City via Amsterdam is $2,150. Theoretically, a passenger could avoid the final segment to London City and get a better deal, but KLM wouldn't be too happy about it.

Why is skiplagging controversial?

It should not come as a surprise that airlines dislike this practice. Essentially, they cannot fill a physically empty seat for one flight because an absent skiplagger is supposed to be sitting there. Many airline contracts of carriage these days expressly forbid the practice of skiplagging. Therefore, the airlines can claim that they are just enforcing the fine print when it comes to lawsuits.

If we take a look at Air France's regulations, we can see a warning against skiplagging at the bottom of the document:

"The fare is applicable for a ticket used fully, in sequential order for the specified journey and on the specified dates. As outlined in the General Conditions of Carriage, any non-compliant use noticed on the day of travel may incur an additional flat-rate fee at the airport for the amount of: €125 in the Economy cabin and €300 in the Business cabin, for flights within Europe... €500 in the Economy and Premium Economy cabins, €1,500 in the Business and La Première cabins... for intercontinental flights."

Smarter Travel notes that courts seem to be legally on the travelers' side, with Lufthansa and United having lost lawsuits against skiplaggers. A court in Spain even specifically ruled that skiplagging and hidden-city ticketing is legal.

Despite this, there are other things to consider, as airlines might have a certain amount of leverage over you. This could include your hard-earned, accumulated frequent flyer mileage, elite status, and membership. Airlines could even ban you outright. Considering all this, even if you think you can win a legal battle, you may not have the time, energy, or money to fight them in court.

A TAP Air Portugal Airubs A330neo taking off .
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock

One of the biggest catches for travelers who want to skiplag is that they cannot check a bag. After all, checked-in bags are sent to the final destination, and a passenger cannot retrieve them if they stop the journey at a middle point.

Ultimately, if carriers are forced to accept skiplagging as a legitimate legal practice, they will adjust algorithms to account for a higher no-show rate on flights. This will likely lead to more overbookings, hurting the consumer's wallet and experience in the long run.

Skiplagging in the news

Airlines are in a more financially sensitive position after the impacts of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. As such, skiplagging has been in the news more recently as carriers look to crack down on the practice to avoid lost revenue.

An Air France Boeing 777-300ER about to land at an airport.
Photo: Guillermo Quiroz Martínez | Instagram @gquimar.

For example, January 2021 saw American Airlines issue a warning to travel agents regarding the practice. Specifically, it informed these companies that it would monitor bookings to reduce instances of it occurring.

Have you ever engaged in the practice of skiplagging before? Do you think it is an ethically justifiable practice? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments.