Skiplagging -- didn't know there was a word for this

[alexadeparis]

What should be illegal is the weird and arbitrary way their tickets seemed to be priced - it would eliminate this "Problem" - it's completely within the power of the airlines
They want to price gouge and then say it's against their policies if you find a way to get them out of your wallet.

 

[sponger76]

Sell the second leg to someone who needs it. Planes are so full these days, someone would purchase that ticket. If a layover is long enough that people get off the plane,

Nobody is just going to go to the airport and waiting until minutes before the flight departure to see if there's a no-show so they can buy a seat on a sold out flight. The only standbys are going to be people who already had tickets and are just trying to get on an earlier/later flight, or airline employees traveling for free. So it is lost revenue for the airline.

 

[sponger76]

What should be illegal is the weird and arbitrary way their tickets seemed to be priced - it would eliminate this "Problem" - it's completely within the power of the airlines
They want to price gouge and then say it's against their policies if you find a way to get them out of your wallet.

It's supply and demand. Airline A flies from LAX to NYC nonstop. Airline B flies from LAX to NYC via PHX. Airline C flies from LAX to NYC via ORD. Regardless of where (or if) there is a connection, people are paying to travel from LAX to NYC and most purchase based on the airfare from LAX to NYC, so the airlines prices those fares accordingly even if they have to put you on two flights to accomodate you instead of one.. If all connecting flights were priced point-to-point (LAX to PHX plus PHX to NYC or LAX to ORD plus ORD to NYC), it throws the whole pricing system out of whack and in the end the vast majority of passengers who need connecting flights, which is a significant portion of the travelers out there, would actually end up paying more for each ticket. So pick your poison.

 

[rapmarks]

Every year, I fly to Madison Wi through Chicago ohare. Last year my plane was an hour and a half late into Chicago. So if my daughter drove from Madison to Chicago to get me instead of me waiting six hours for next flight, I am going to get in trouble with the airline?

 

[sponger76]

Every year, I fly to Madison Wi through Chicago ohare. Last year my plane was an hour and a half late into Chicago. So if my daughter drove from Madison to Chicago to get me instead of me waiting six hours for next flight, I am going to get in trouble with the airline?

In my experience, they won't give you a problem when delays happen and result in you not making the connection. But if they see that you make it to O'Hare on time for your connection but skip it, that could result in issues. Once or twice, they *might* let it pass, but they really don't like seeing that as a pattern, and I wouldn't want to take the chance that the one time I do it, they catch it and decide to do something about it.

 

[BJRSanDiego]

I used to travel dozens of times a year between San Diego and DC. We typically used "nested" bookings or "straddling" (trip inside of a trip). It worked well and saved the company $.

 

[rapmarks]

In my experience, they won't give you a problem when delays happen and result in you not making the connection. But if they see that you make it to O'Hare on time for your connection but skip it, that could result in issues. Once or twice, they *might* let it pass, but they really don't like seeing that as a pattern, and I wouldn't want to take the chance that the one time I do it, they catch it and decide to do something about it.

Seeing as a paid probably double to get a flight to Madison, I am not going to have people drive to Chicago to get me unless I am stranded.

 

[sponger76]

Seeing as a paid probably double to get a flight to Madison, I am not going to have people drive to Chicago to get me unless I am stranded.

Yeah, it's kind of the reverse of the situations where people do these hidden-city ticketing tricks,. You actually want to go to Madison, which is more expensive than flying to Chicago because there's simply a lot less airline competition for Madison-bound customers as compared to Chicago-bound customers..

 

[wackymother]

This has been an issue forever. My MIL was a travel agent and when we went on our honeymoon, she desperately wanted to get us a much cheaper fare to Paris by booking some flight that stopped in Paris and then went on somewhere. But she knew we would probably get caught, so we flew direct to Brussels and then took the train to Paris. This was in 1985.

 

[1Kflyerguy]

The kid was flying alone it said. I am guessing when the agent said " What's your final destination?", he said Charlotte. Probably because he was not aware his parents were lying for all the previous flights they scammed.

While it is against their rules, it is not illegal. For people who have no frequent flyer miles or care about their relationship with a particular airline, traveling with out checked bags, etc, it can work. Just has some downsides when things goes wrong and either you are stuck or end up in a completely different city than you intended to be.

That what i was think as well. I am really doubtful any airline employee just started questioning this or any passenger out of the blue.

 

[PigsDad]

That what i was think as well. I am really doubtful any airline employee just started questioning this or any passenger out of the blue.

I also agree. I'm sure there is a lot more to the story than what the father, who was trying to scam the airline, was saying.

Kurt

 

[Patri]

Nobody is just going to go to the airport and waiting until minutes before the flight departure to see if there's a no-show so they can buy a seat on a sold out flight. The only standbys are going to be people who already had tickets and are just trying to get on an earlier/later flight, or airline employees traveling for free. So it is lost revenue for the airline.

That’s not what I said. Sell each leg separately at reasonable prices. The way it is now, the airline got all of its money. The hassle is the crew counting heads and someone is gone without notifying them why.

 

[VacationForever]

I do miss the days where each leg had a separate voucher. I used to book my flight from Singapore to the US, with Hong Kong as a stopover. Without paying extra, I could stay in Hong Kong for a day before continuing with my flights. These days you have to book as multi-legs.

 

[sponger76]

That’s not what I said.

Yes, you did say it: "Sell the second leg to someone who needs it. Planes are so full these days, someone would purchase that ticket." Well, they can't sell it to someone else because the airline doesn't know until the last minute that the person who wants to get off in the middle is not going to show up for that second leg.

The way it is now, the airline got all of its money.

No, in this scenario the airline doesn't get all of its money. Somebody wanted to fly point A to B but paid the lower price reserved for people flying from point A to C. The airline loses the difference between those two fares.

Sell each leg separately at reasonable prices.

As I said earlier in the thread, if the airlines charged separate fares for each leg, people who have to fly on connecting flights to get somewhere they actually want to go, which is a large number, would actually end up paying more overall. Seriously. In this scenario, the kid was ticketed on AA from Gainesville via Charlotte to New York. Go online and price an AA ticket from Gainesville to Charlotte. Then price Charlotte to New York. Add the price of Gainesville to Charlotte with the price of Charlotte to New York. That added fare will be more than the price of Gainesville to New York with a connection in Charlotte. If you were someone who actually wanted to fly from Gainesville to New York, tell me that's really how you would want the airfare to be priced.

 

[Patri]

Yes, you did say it: "Sell the second leg to someone who needs it. Planes are so full these days, someone would purchase that ticket." Well, they can't sell it to someone else because the airline doesn't know until the last minute that the person who wants to get off in the middle is not going to show up for that second leg.



No, in this scenario the airline doesn't get all of its money. Somebody wanted to fly point A to B but paid the lower price reserved for people flying from point A to C. The airline loses the difference between those two fares.



As I said earlier in the thread, if the airlines charged separate fares for each leg, people who have to fly on connecting flights to get somewhere they actually want to go, which is a large number, would actually end up paying more overall. Seriously. In this scenario, the kid was ticketed on AA from Gainesville via Charlotte to New York. Go online and price an AA ticket from Gainesville to Charlotte. Then price Charlotte to New York. Add the price of Gainesville to Charlotte with the price of Charlotte to New York. That added fare will be more than the price of Gainesville to New York with a connection in Charlotte. If you were someone who actually wanted to fly from Gainesville to New York, tell me that's really how you would want the airfare to be priced.

The second leg if it wasn’t part of the original ticket. I get what you mean about connecting flights, but that’s not what I’m discussing. (Didn’t the family pay the full price of the ticket, though the boy planned to get off halfway? The airline was paid for what it sold). Now leave me alone with my opinion. The powers that be aren’t reading this thread anyway.

My brain has been unleashing a memory. About 15 years ago I guess we skiplagged. I’m sure we used a travel agent then for the multiple flights on our European trip. Coming home, there was a long layover stateside, before the flight to another area airport. We would have gotten home quite late. The first airport was three hours from home, so we made arrangements to skip the second leg and have our son pick us up. I truly believe the travel agent said it was fine, but to let the second flight know we wouldn’t be on the plane. We did that day (not ahead of time) with no punishment.

 

[AnnaS]

I was not familiar/heard of "ski-lagging" - learned something new today.

 

[sponger76]

I get what you mean about connecting flights, but that’s not what I’m discussing. (Didn’t the family pay the full price of the ticket, though the boy planned to get off halfway? The airline was paid for what it sold). Now leave me alone with my opinion.

Uhhh, this entire thread is about a situation that is specifically about connecting flights. And no, the family didn't pay the full price of the ticket for travel from Gainesville to Charlotte. They paid the lower price for travel from Gainesville to New York. But if you're okay with trying to cheat a business out of what they want to charge for a specific product, that's on your moral compass. And if you don't want anyone to comment on your opinions, don't post them in a public forum.

 

[Patri]

Uhhh, this entire thread is about a situation that is specifically about connecting flights. And no, the family didn't pay the full price of the ticket for travel from Gainesville to Charlotte. They paid the lower price for travel from Gainesville to New York. But if you're okay with trying to cheat a business out of what they want to charge for a specific product, that's on your moral compass. And if you don't want anyone to comment on your opinions, don't post them in a public forum.

The airline charged them the NC price when he was caught, as I understand it. I’m not okay with cheating. I wonder if this is even that much of a problem for airlines. There are ways to change the policy, but I doubt that will happen. Airlines have to protect the bottom line and probably few people even do this. I just got tired of you trying to change my view of what COULD be done about this problem.

 

[sponger76]

I just got tired of you trying to change my view of what COULD be done about this problem.

Because your view doesn't work, as evidence of the steps I advised you to try?

 

[Patri]

Because your view doesn't work, as evidence of the steps I advised you to try?

What are you talking about? There is nothing I have to try.
Assume you have had the last word, and let’s be done.

 

[dago]

He has been barred from flying with AA for 3 years.

I guess I consider myself fortunate. I don't fly very often, and was never comfortable with flying, but I can remember doing something similar when I was a lot younger.
More than once I bought a roundtrip ticket from Boston to NY to Boston but never intended to return to Boston by plane. Back then (60 years ago) it was cheaper to get a roundtrip ticket rather than a one-way ticket. Don't know if that is the case now.

 

[sponger76]

He has been barred from flying with AA for 3 years.

I guess I consider myself fortunate. I don't fly very often, and was never comfortable with flying, but I can remember doing something similar when I was a lot younger.
More than once I bought a roundtrip ticket from Boston to NY to Boston but never intended to return to Boston by plane. Back then (60 years ago) it was cheaper to get a roundtrip ticket rather than a one-way ticket. Don't know if that is the case now.

For the most part round trip tickets are no longer cheaper than a one way. The primary exception would be round trip tickets purchased far in advance while the flight is lightly booked vs purchasing a one way at the last minute on a nearly sold out flight.

 

[DrQ]

Flight attendant reveals his top tips for 'skiplagging' WITHOUT getting caught after 17-year-old was banned by United for using money-saving travel tactic​

• Bobby Laurie worked as cabin crew for US Airways and Virgin America
• He says it is important to limit your interaction with airline employees
• Another tip to successfully 'skiplag' is to never check luggage

Flight attendant reveals tips for 'skiplagging' WITHOUT getting caught

Bobby Laurie, who worked as cabin crew for US Airways and the now-defunct Virgin America, says there are three things travelers should avoid if they want to try skiplagging.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[sponger76]

Flight attendant reveals his top tips for 'skiplagging' WITHOUT getting caught after 17-year-old was banned by United for using money-saving travel tactic​

• Bobby Laurie worked as cabin crew for US Airways and Virgin America
• He says it is important to limit your interaction with airline employees
• Another tip to successfully 'skiplag' is to never check luggage

Flight attendant reveals tips for 'skiplagging' WITHOUT getting caught

Bobby Laurie, who worked as cabin crew for US Airways and the now-defunct Virgin America, says there are three things travelers should avoid if they want to try skiplagging.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Their editors really suck at their jobs. The title says it was United, but the article itself says American.

 

[jabberwocky]

A recent example of how hidden cities work:

A flight from Boston (BOS) to Halifax (YHZ) is a short flight - less than 1.5 hours. Occasionally you will see this priced at around $500 CDN one way since there is little competition on this route.

If I add a leg to Vancouver that connects through Halifax, the same airline would charge $400 for the BOS-YHZ-YVR one way flight since there is a lot more competition on the BOS-YVR route and the airline has extra capacity on YHZ-YVR which would take stress off of their connecting hubs at Toronto and Montreal.

In this scenario, if the passenger were to get off at YHZ and abandon the YHZ-YVR leg they save $100.

I personally haven’t done it on purpose (that is a different story) but I know people who have.