To get cheap flights, you generally buy a ticket months in advance, make stopovers, designate the least attractive seats or even wait for sale days, such as Black Friday. However, There is a trick with which flying by plane can be cheapercalled skiplagging or “hidden city flights”.
This tactic was discovered by Aktarer Zamanwho from New York founded a website called Skiplaggedin 2013, with the aim of helping travelers and their flight prices.
Pay attention: the skiplagging consists of Buy a travel itinerary with a stopover that is actually your intended destination, so you’ll skip the last leg of the flight. Sometimes, having your destination be a stopover can be much cheaper than a direct flight.
Can I get in trouble with the airline for the skiplagging?
Logically. You should know that airlines prohibit these types of methods. If you are caught, perhaps for doing it too often, the company is likely to punish you with your travel privileges or even face a financial lawsuit.
Companies like United Airlines, American Airlines and Southwest Airlines have already legally denounced Aktarer Zaman for practicing skiplagging. Recently, a federal jury in Fort Worth, Texas, ordered him to pay $9.4 million to American Airlines for this conduct.
According to the airline, the “hidden city flights” trick costs them millions in uncaptured revenue.
However, in an interview offered to The New York Timesthe 32-year-old said that some 12 million people have used his website in the last year, as it is a significant resource or advantage for travelers who care about flight prices.
On the website you can see the offers to practice the skiplagging, with savings ranging from $20 to $50 or $60 for a flight. A trip from Austin to Philadelphia dropped from €160 to €116 euros, according to the platform.
As in any other portal, you can mark the dates on which you want to fly, if they are one-way tickets and how many people, before starting the search for options. Nevertheless, Zaman clarifies that Skiplagged is a search resource, but does not issue tickets.
“We pass on customer information, but we don’t actually issue any tickets. Information is what people come looking for: most only look for that and price comparisons,” he said.
He also advises passengers that they do not do skiplagging too often with the same airline.
And regarding the financial losses of the airlines, he noted: “I do not agree at all that they are losing money. Let’s not forget that these travelers are really paying for both segments, the one they fly and the one they skip.
Read more about travel in the United States
- Air travel in the US now has a drastic change starting in 2025
- You travel with medications: this is the way to avoid having them confiscated