With the cost of flights coming and going even on low-cost airlines, it's no wonder you're always looking for ways to save money on your flight prices.
Over the past few years, some travelers, especially in the US, have started using "skip lagging” to get lower prices on their tickets. But how does this strategy work?
Instead of waiting for a direct ticket, you wait for a ticket from point A to point B with a stop at point C. When you reach point C, you get off the flight and do not continue your route.
Let's take an example to understand: if we want to fly from Tirana to London, instead of waiting for a Tirana - London ticket, we wait for a Tirana - Dublin ticket with a stop in London and get off in London, without getting on the next plane to in Ireland. In this case, your destination is not Dublin, but the ticket was cheaper than a direct flight to London.
Sounds fantastic doesn't it? Not only that, but there is a website that specifically helps you with this! Established in 2013, skiplagged.com lets you see a variety of such deals for flights around the world, making it much easier to find them.
Naturally, every such opportunity has a catch. With "skiplagging" it is not recommended to wait for round-trip tickets, as airlines often cancel the return ticket if you use this technique on your outbound flight. Also, in case you book such a flight, you can take only one hand luggage with you, as any checked-in luggage will end up at the final destination. And no, don't even think of asking the airline to drop your luggage, as it could end badly.
Airlines absolutely do not want frequent travelers to use this boarding method. In 2014, United Airlines sued the creator of skiplagged.com, saying it had caused about $75,000 in damages. The charge was dismissed by an Illinois court on legal grounds, but there have also been cases where airlines have sued or billed travelers themselves for following this strategy.
In 2018, Lufthansa sued a passenger who booked a round trip business class ticket from Oslo to Seattle with a stopover in Frankfurt on both flights. On the return flight, the passenger disembarked and booked another Lufthansa ticket from Frankfurt to Berlin. The company identified this case and demanded an additional compensation of $2,400. In the end, the lawsuit was thrown out by the court, after it determined that the company's flight terms were not clear enough for the case at hand.
In another case, American Airlines billed a passenger $2,500 in 2020, after realizing he had used this strategy 52 times, while another passenger was permanently suspended from their loyalty program after using this strategy 95 times.
Legally, the courts have often sided with passengers in such cases, but as you can see, this has not stopped airlines from being extra vigilant and taking measures against travelers within their means. Therefore, take into account the risk that this strategy carries, as well as the above tips to have as few problems as possible.
We wish you luck 😉