Social media users have most likely heard of the term skiplagging before, either through videos of hacks to save money when flying or those warning of the consequences should you get caught. But what exactly is skiplagging?

Skiplagging is booking an itinerary where the stopover is actually the intended destination. In other words, passengers would book a ticket taking them from point A to point C with a stopover in point B. The passenger never intends on reaching point C; however, point B is the actual destination. This means the passenger leaves the airport at point B and never gets on the final leg of the journey to point C.

Skiplagging only works if luggage isn’t checked and as a one-way method. Airlines most likely cancel the return tickets once it’s realized the passenger failed to make the second part of the journey.

Skiplagging has its draws for several reasons. For one, it saves money. Sometimes, the longer route is cheaper than the desired destination. Other times, when direct flights to a destination are sold out, skiplagging allows passengers to reach their intended destination without getting on the plane to the final point of the journey. There’s even a website dedicated to skiplagging called skiplagged.com, showing people how to find and book tickets for flights via skiplagging.

For travelers seeking a cheap flight or perhaps any flight not yet sold out to their intended destination, skiplagging sounds like the perfect solution, right? Well, this controversial approach to travel has its consequences.

Many airlines are against it. Airlines lose money when passengers skip one leg of the journey, leaving a seat empty that could otherwise be filled with another passenger. Some airlines see skiplagging as so problematic, passengers caught doing it could face punishment of miles or status cancellations and even a lifetime ban from an airline. Airlines like Air France even included warnings against skiplagging in its fine print.

Recently, American Airlines canceled a Florida teen’s ticket after it was revealed he booked a ticket from Gainesville, Florida, to New York City, with a stopover in Charlotte, North Carolina. The teen supposedly intended to leave the airport in Charlotte, as it was cheaper to disembark in Charlotte as a layover as opposed to booking a direct flight between Gainesville and Charlotte.

While the teen’s ticket was canceled, because skiplagging isn’t illegal, nothing more happened. But the risk of facing a lifetime ban from an airline is enough to deter many. In fact, American Airlines and Southwest Airlines list skiplagging as a prohibited booking practice. Passengers caught skiplagging could even be sued, as one man encountered in 2018 when he bought a Lufthansa ticket from Oslo to Seattle with a layover in Frankfurt. Lufthansa sued the passenger when he disembarked in Frankfurt, seeking the difference in ticket prices. While this specific case was dropped, it isn’t the only time passengers caught skiplagging faced legal action. It’s also worth noting even skiplagged.com faced several lawsuits over the years.

Those who don’t practice skiplagging may also have a reason to hate it: Skiplagging causes delays. Southwest Airlines claimed in a 2021 court report that skiplagging caused problems when flight crews and operations staff attempted to locate passengers booked on the flight, not knowing these passengers had probably already left the airport altogether.

Have you practiced skiplagging before? What are your thoughts on it? Do you think passengers should be allowed to skiplag? Do you think airlines should be able to take legal and more serious action against skiplaggers? Tell us your thoughts. Email us at letters@globaltravelerusa.com. Please include your full name and location.