Money is a finite resource, so, when it comes to air travel,
catching a seat sale can be tricky, especially when travel dates are fixed.
Skiplagging is one particular 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 this practice and why airlines hate it.
Skiplagging is the practice of booking an itinerary where the stopover is the true
and intended destination of the traveler. Using our 'point A to point B' phrasing,
a passenger would book a ticket flying them from point A to point C,
transferring at point B. The passenger's actual destination is point B and leaves the
airport at this layover, leaving their seat empty on the B-to-C portion of the journey.
It’s important to note that this practice won't work if the traveler wants to travel with checked
baggage, since it’s usually tagged to go through to the final (ticketed) destination. Skiplagging
with a checked bag will come with consequences as the airline would likely have to offload your
checked baggage after realizing your boarding pass wasn't scanned for the second flight.
Furthermore, this practice would only work as a one-way endeavor
as the airline would likely cancel the return tickets once it realizes you never
completed the first portions of your journey. As such, it is far from a watertight solution.
One example of a route where fares conducive to skiplagging could be found
was Air Canada's domestic corridor between Toronto and Vancouver. We found that on a
connecting ticket from Toronto to Seattle via Vancouver, the price could drop by as much as 25%!
There are a few reasons for this price differential.
For one, air travel is a competitive business, and specific routes will have more competition
than others. If an airline has to route customers via a stopover at a hub, then it will often lower
its fares to compete with other airlines running direct services. Additionally, an airline might
have to pay more in airport fees for passengers disembarking at one destination versus another.
Those fees might not apply to transit passengers. It’s unsurprising that airlines dislike this
practice. In essence, they are unable to fill a physically empty seat for one flight.
Many airline “contracts of carriage” expressly forbid the practice of skiplagging. Therefore,
when it comes to lawsuits, the airlines can claim that they're just enforcing the fine print.
Indeed, Air France's small print has 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…any
non-compliant use noticed on the day of travel may incur an additional flat-rate fee at the airport…”
Smarter Travel notes that, legally, courts seem to be on the travelers' side,
with Lufthansa and United having lost lawsuits against skiplaggers. In fact,
a Spanish court even specifically ruled that skiplagging and hidden-city ticketing is legal.
Despite this, there are other things to consider, including your hard-earned, accumulated frequent
flyer mileage, your elite status, and the membership itself. 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… Have you ever skiplagged before?
Do you think it’s an ethically justifiable practice? Let us know in the comments.