“Skiplagging — or ‘hidden-city ticketing’ — is booking a trip where you plan on getting off at a layover city and throwing away the last leg or legs of a flight,” explains Clint Henderson, industry expert and managing editor for the Points Guy.
In the case of the teen in Gainesville, he was booked on a flight to New York City by way of Charlotte – a major hub for American Airlines. His family is based in North Carolina, however, and so he never had plans to get on the connecting flight to New York, his father, Hunter Parsons, told local media. Gate agents became suspicious of his intent after seeing his North Carolina license.
Most contracts of carriage from major airlines expressly forbid skiplagging as a result. If an airline catches you trying to skiplag, they could cancel your whole itinerary. Henderson also points to examples of travelers having frequent flier miles and memberships rescinded, or even rare instances of passengers getting sued.
Matt Meltzer, a Miami-based travel writer, said he’s saved hundreds of dollars on flights by skiplagging over the past several years. He views the teen’s recent experience as an outlier and doesn’t think gate agents at major hubs are looking for skiplagging. Be forewarned: On top of earning the ire of airlines, skiplagging comes with its own spate of logistical headaches. Chris Dong, a Los Angeles-based travel writer and points expert who used to skiplag, says you especially can’t do this on a round-trip flight.