Airline passengers who feel the pinch of sky-high ticket prices are increasingly resorting to the old trick to avoid wasting money by booking connecting flights to their destination city and skipping the second leg of their journey.
While not a latest concept, “skiplagging” – also often known as “hidden city” or “throwing out” tickets – is gaining popularity, much to the dismay of airlines.
The trend of skipping flights comes from flight booking site Skiplagged.com — founded in 2013 by then-22-year-old entrepreneur Aktarer Zaman — which beats another sites to popular destinations by greater than $100.
Dan Gellert, chief operating officer of Skiplagged.com, told The Post on Friday that there may be such a marked difference in price because “we exist to help travelers lower your expenses.
“We do not exist to help airlines sell tickets like other travel sites do.”
The post checked whether Skiplagged.com’s rates for a Honolulu hidden city vacation were cheaper than non-stop round-trip options listed on Google Flights from Recent York in early June.
The search result offered three options, starting at $872 and going all the way in which up to $937.
Connecting flights – often in Los Angeles – began at $812 on Google Flights.
Meanwhile, the Skiplagged Hidden City route from Recent York to Maui, with a stop in Honolulu, was listed for $799, almost $100 off.
Savings increased much more on a world flight from Recent York to Amsterdam.
A round-trip flight to the Dutch capital from June 1-5 began at $1,171 per non-stop flight on Google Flights.
Nevertheless, the identical search on Skiplagged found a hidden city itinerary that may cost the traveler $1,021 – $136 lower than a non-stop flight.
All of the travelers would have to do was cancel the second flight on the route from Amsterdam to Milan.
There is simply one catch – leaflets can’t be checked in luggage.
In any case, airports mark bags to reach the traveler’s “final destination”.
Skiplagged.com claims within the FAQ article says cost-saving strategies are “perfectly legal” but advises travelers to “a few things to take into account” as airlines have began to catch – and penalize – omissions.
Their suggestions include taking just one carry-on bag that can fit under the seat in front of you.
“Anything greater threatens to be checked in on the gate and all checked baggage will land” at your final destination with a ticket.
Knowing that this practice annoys airlines, Skiplagged.com also advises travelers not to “abuse routes in hidden cities.”
Also, “don’t link a frequent flyer account” to a travel itinerary, the FAQ advises.
Airlines have been known to deprive travelers with tickets to hidden cities of status or mileage account privileges, by NerdWalletbecause skipping is against the foundations of some airlines.
The outlet even cited cases where American Airlines passengers who missed a trip received a bill from the airline.
“It’s like a restaurant charging more for medium than large, then they get mad when a customer buys a large and eats half,” Gellert said of the airline’s anger over the omission.
The hunt for savings comes as flight prices proceed to outperform inflation, which has been high for 40 years, despite the fact that the airline industry has received greater than $50 billion in pandemic relief over the past two years.
Airlines blame higher fares on jet fuel costs, which have risen nearly 150% over the past yr, staff shortages and pent-up demand. reported CNBC.
Delta contract of carriage for international flights, it explicitly lists tickets in hidden cities – a practice it claims are used to “circumvent the published fare” – as prohibited.
Some airlines have tried to sue passengers who missed a flight, including Lufthansa, which in 2018 sought $2,300 in compensation from a flyer for using a hidden city ticket.
The airline dropped the lawsuit the next yr for an undisclosed reason.
United and travel site Orbitz even tried to sue Zaman in 2014 for “deceptive behavior”, arguing that his site deprived each corporations of $75,000 in revenue.
The case was dismissed in early 2015 after a Chicago judge ruled that the court had no jurisdiction over the case because Zaman lived and operated in Recent York City.
“Our flights are so low-cost that United sued us… but we won,” Skiplagged.com brags on its homepage.