Latest news with #skiplagging
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Tourists are urged to 'skiplag' to get the best deal on flights
A travel expert has explained how tourists can bag a cheap long-haul flight but the hack does come with a few catches. Chelsea Dickenson, the Cheap Holiday Expert, explained how skiplagging works on her podcast, @passportspleasepod. She reveals: 'Skiplagging is when a passenger books a flight with a layover but intentionally gets off at the layover city instead of continuing to the final destination. 'And that is because the layover city is usually cheaper to fly to as part of a longer route.' As an example, Chelsea explains that a passenger could fly from London to New York. Instead of opting for a 'super expensive' direct route, travellers could find a flight that's London to Chicago with a change in New York. Chelsea says that the passenger would then get off in New York and exit the airport, instead of waiting for the flight to Chicago. But while the hack could be a way to score a cheaper flight, Chelsea warns that it's not always better value than booking a direct route. And there's another downside. She adds: 'The main con is that airlines absolutely hate it cause you're wasting a seat on one of their flights.' Airline staff may also be looking for the missing passenger when they don't board the second flight. Chelsea says: 'It's admin to them. They hate it. And you can get blacklisted by doing it. Some people have been totally told they cannot book with airlines if they've done it repeatedly.' Although Chelsea's tip picked up more than 265,000 likes on TikTok, a commenter issued another warning for travellers that are keen to try skiplagging. 'Nayla Kana' says: 'My first thought is, this would only work for passengers with hand luggage only. Because your luggage will be in Chicago now!' Another commenter said the tip would surely be unlikely to work for a return journey, and Chelsea agreed, saying: 'It wouldn't [work]! If you did it on the flight out, they'd probably cancel your return flight.'
The Sun
16-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Major airline's new ‘no show' policy comes into force – passengers risk losing money
A MAJOR airline's new "no show" policy coming into force could see passengers at risk of losing money. With summer soon approaching, people will hope to fly abroad for their dream getaways. 2 2 One airline's new policy issues repercussions for passengers who don't board their booked flight. This includes their reservation being cancelled, which also encompasses layovers and return flights. These passengers will also not be refunded for money or miles spent - nor will it be available as credit towards a future flight. Hawaiian Airlines' strict 'no-show' policy first went into effect on Thursday, May 15. According to Hawaii News Now, the airline have advised passengers on how to get the value of their ticket credited to their account. Flyers have been asked to let Hawaiian Airlines know if thinking they may miss their flight. It comes as airlines are cracking down on something called "skiplagging". This is a travel 'hack' where you book a flight with a connection at your intended destination. Instead of carrying on with the second leg of the journey, you stop and stay at the layover destination to save money. It might seem like a good tactic with a non-direct flight often being cheaper with savings up to 50 per cent. But it does violate airline terms and conditions and can lead to travellers being denied boarding and other penalties. There can be big consequences for anyone caught doing it, such as being banned and put on the no-fly list. It can lead to empty seats on the second leg of the flight and problems managing checked baggage. American Airlines, one of the biggest airlines in the United States, is stepping up its fight against skiplagging. After discovering how passengers were going about skiplagging, they are using analytical tools to track passenger behaviours and whether or not you continue on the second flight. Elsewhere, a traveler vowed to never fly with a budget airline again after he was slapped with a surprise $25 fee at the airport. The 45-year-old dad-of-three got into a heated spat with gate agents over the $25 charge to board his flight. He arrived at the terminal about 50 minutes before takeoff but was blocked from checking in at the self-serve kiosk, he told The New York Post. Confused, he went to speak with an airline employee - and was told he had to pay a $25 fee to check in with the agent. Unbeknownst to him, Frontier requires passengers to check in for their flight at least 60 minutes before departure. The incident unfolded at Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina.
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Travel + Leisure
08-05-2025
- Business
- Travel + Leisure
This Travel CEO Says Last-minute Bookings Can Be the Cheapest Way to Fly—Here's Why
From travel hacking to flying during the shoulder season, there are endless ways to save a few extra dollars when planning a vacation. One surprising trend involves booking flights a passenger never intends to board—and it has helped some travelers save thousands. Known as 'skiplagging,' the concept involves booking a flight with a connection that is cheaper than flying to a destination directly. For example, a traveler looking to get from New York City to Miami may find it more affordable to book a flight from New York City to Chicago with a layover in Miami, and then not board the second leg of the ticket. As people randomly scoured airline websites for the best skiplagging deals, start-ups such like Skiplagged have grown to help travelers find these discounts. 'Last-minute bookings are on the rise, especially among younger travelers who are waiting for price drops instead of planning in advance,' Skiplagged CEO Aktarer Zaman told Travel + Leisure. Zaman said skiplagging's growing popularity is two-fold: the pain of increasing prices on airline tickets and consumers becoming savvier about how airlines price the fares. He added that travelers who set price alerts, use tools like VPN to obscure their location, and compare prices across sites likely find better deals than booking directly with the airline. Airlines don't like skiplagging because it exposes the way they overpriced routes. The reality is that if airlines wanted to eliminate this practice, they could simply adjust their pricing to make direct flights more affordable. — Aktarer Zaman, Skiplagged CEO The amount of money that can be saved using skiplagging varies. Skiplagged told T+L that passengers recently saved $10,716 on two international tickets from Tokyo to New York City. Within the U.S., another passenger saved $4,255 on two tickets from Houston to Seattle. While skiplagging may be a unique way to book a ticket, the practice has recently faced controversy. American Airlines filed a lawsuit against Skiplagged in 2024 over its business practices and copyright infringement, and a federal jury awarded the carrier $9.4 million. 'American is pleased the jury recognized that Skiplagged infringed its valuable trademarks and awarded $9.4 million in damages for copyright infringement,' a spokesperson for American Airlines told T+L. 'This was an important next step in protecting American's intellectual property and valuable brand.' For its part, Zaman said the practice democratizes airfare pricing and allows more people to travel. 'Airlines don't like skiplagging because it exposes the way they overpriced routes,' Zaman told T+L. 'The reality is that if airlines wanted to eliminate this practice, they could simply adjust their pricing to make direct flights more affordable. Instead, they've chosen to enforce rules that benefit their bottom line while leaving consumers with fewer options.' Airlines for America, an industry group representing carriers in the United States, did not respond to a request for comment at the time of publication. For travelers interested in trying the service, Skiplagged said that 99.7 percent of customers have flown without issues. However, there are limitations, like not being able to check bags to a final destination. Another potential concern is if a flight gets rebooked or switched to a direct route without the layover, passengers could find themselves on a different vacation altogether ... or may need to "skiplag" back home.
