There's been a lot of discussion about skip plugging, an air travel trend that has taken the skies by storm in recent years. For some travelers, this method, also known as hidden city ticketing, can save big on airfare. For others, skip lag turns a normal flight into a travel nightmare, with penalties ranging from canceling your return flight to being banned from all future flights with that airline.
The risks of slacking off often outweigh the rewards, as seen in many recent news reports about travelers facing such serious consequences if caught. I spoke to travel experts Anton Radchenko and Echo One to learn exactly what skip lag is, why it's dangerous, and other ways to save on airfare.
meet an expert
Anton Radchenko is the founder of AirAdvisor, a company that helps travelers obtain compensation for flight disruptions.
Echo Wang is a full-time traveler and founder of Cool Travel Vibes.
What is skip lag?
While researching flights for your trip, you may have come across instances where a direct flight to your chosen destination is significantly more expensive than a flight to another city via your chosen destination. There may be. Simply put, skip lag is when a traveler books a connecting flight, but to save money, they get off at the connecting city and don't take the rest of their booked itinerary. Websites like Skiplagged use this technique to promote discounted fares.
“Skip plugging is when you buy a multi-city ticket (from A to C via B), but get off at the desired destination (B) and skip the final leg (from B to C),” says one person. he explains. It's often cheaper than flying direct from A to B. ”
For example, let's say you want to fly from Los Angeles to London in April. You can book a nonstop flight from Los Angeles to London for $677. Alternatively, you can book tickets from Los Angeles to Dublin with a stopover in London for just $532 using the Skip Lag method. Leave the airport during your layover in London and pocket your savings.
However, it is important to note that this may only work in certain situations. You cannot check your baggage. If you don't check it in, you'll have to leave it to your destination. And as we'll see, there can be consequences if the airline catches you.
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Benefits and risks of skip plugging
With air travel becoming more expensive, travelers around the world are looking for ways to save on airfare. Although in theory skip lags can help you save money, most experts agree that they are not recommended given the potential consequences. “In general, airlines hate skip lag. If they discover a skip lag strategy, they have the right to invalidate your ticket,” says Radchenko. “This could put you in a situation where you have to purchase a new ticket to your destination, which could end up costing you much more than you originally planned and budgeted for.”
Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, and other major U.S. airlines explicitly prohibit this practice in their contract of carriage documents. Airlines cite a number of reasons why skip lag is prohibited, from operational issues such as delays to intentionally leaving the second flight on the itinerary empty, resulting in a loss of profit.
Similarly, schedule changes can wreak havoc on delayed plans. Airlines often change their schedules before departure, which can result in a different stopover city than planned. If that happens, you will have a hard time reaching your destination.
According to our experts, if you're going to try skip lag, you shouldn't do it on your favorite airline. “Airlines also have the right to ban travelers from flying in the future if they are arrested,” Radchenko explains. “Skip lag is not illegal, but it is a violation of the contract between the airline and you, the customer.” This distinction is essential. Although there is no law prohibiting this practice, airlines still have their own policies, as mentioned above, and violating these policies can have serious consequences.
“Outright bans are rare, but in some cases the airline may confiscate your earned points or miles, prevent you from earning future points, or cancel your membership in a frequent flyer program,” Radchenko said. I am. He continued, “This may seem like taking a sledgehammer and cracking a nut, but airlines are cracking down on this behavior. And they spend a lot of time and money building these perks. Losing the benefits could be a nightmare scenario for frequent fliers who have spent a lot of time on their flights.”
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Other ways to find cheap flights
If you don't want to risk the potential consequences, here are some other ideas that can help you save money on airfare. “Instead [of skiplagging], to find better discounts, try booking flights incognito or using a VPN,” suggests Wang. “Airlines use cookies to track your searches and sometimes increase prices. To avoid this, use an incognito or private browsing window.”
Another way to save money on flights is to have flexibility in choosing your departure and destination airports. “Consider using smaller, less crowded airports closer to your destination, which usually have lower fares,” Wang explains. As a full-time digital nomad, I do this frequently and can attest to its cost-saving effects. In some cases, the opposite may also work. You can also search for flights to larger hubs closer to your final destination to see if they are cheaper. Either way, flexibility is key.
You can also use airline miles or credit card points to save on airfare. With the right travel rewards credit card, you can transfer your points to your favorite airlines and book flights, paying only taxes and fees.
Finally, give yourself plenty of time to plan your trip. “According to his report on Expedia's 2024 Air Travel Hacks, you can also save money by booking around 60 days in advance for international flights and 28 days in advance for domestic flights,” Wang said. Masu.
