Warning to budget travellers as child is detained at airport for viral flight hack
A YOUTH has been arrested at an airport after being caught using a popular money-saving trick on his flight.
In the hack known as “skiplagging,” passengers buy cheap indirect flights, with the intermediate airport as their ultimate destination.
3
3
Instead of catching the connecting flight, passengers disembark at the stopover and exit the airport there.
It’s also known as “hidden city” or “throw away” ticketing and airlines have been fighting it for some time, even though it’s legal.
A teenager, Logan Parsons, from Charlotte, America, was caught trying to use this technique on a flight from Gainesville, Florida to New York, via his hometown in North Carolina.
The indirect ticket was cheaper than a direct one as Logan planned to get off the plane and exit the airport in Charlotte rather than make the entire journey.
However, his North Carolina ID alerted airport staff, who, according to his father Hunter, took the teenager to a security room where he was questioned.
He said he had no problem with his son using the method and that his family had used it many times.
He said Queen City News: “We have used Skiplagged almost exclusively for the last five to eight years.
“He was kind of told he was planning to get off in Charlotte and wasn’t going to catch the connecting flight.”
After he was caught, Logan’s family had to buy him a new direct ticket, with airline American Airlines canceling his original flight schedules.
Although the practice isn’t illegal, American said it violated their terms and conditions, which is why they were able to cancel the tickets.
A statement issued after the incident said: “Purchasing a ticket without the intention of flying all flights in order to obtain cheaper fares (Hidden City Ticketing) constitutes and is a violation of American Airlines’ Terms and Conditions set out in our online Conditions of Carriage.”
An airline representative told Sun Online Travel, “According to our records, the customer was questioned about their trip at the ticket counter when attempting to check-in for their flight.”
“A member of our customer relations team has been in touch with them to address their concerns.”
The controversial hack is legal and can be much cheaper than booking a direct flight. However, it’s worth checking the airline’s terms and conditions to ensure similar incidents don’t happen.
There’s even an entire travel service called Skiplagged.com dedicated to the hack, informing users of “ridiculous travel deals you won’t find anywhere else.”
They also claim to “uncover gaps in airfare pricing to save you money.”
The service offers travelers the ability to search for a route that includes their desired location as a stopover in a “hidden city”.
Some airlines have called the practice “unethical” and strongly opposed it.
In 2019, Lufthansa attempted to sue a passenger for skilagging, with the airline claiming the passenger took advantage of the ticketing system. Daily Mail reportedbut the case was eventually dismissed.
Meanwhile, the travel expert revealed why you should book your package tour at short notice.
And airline staff explained the best way to get cheap flights – even revealing that the day you book makes a difference.
3