Passengers are risking getting banned in order to try the viral trend of ‘skiplagging’ on flights.
We’re always looking for ways to cut down our costs when traveling - after all, it can be expensive.
And skiplagging is another method that jetsetters are using to save their pennies.
Advert
It’s basically a way to buy a cheaper ticket while still ending up at your chosen destination.
Speaking to National Desk, Katy Nastro from Going.com explained how it works, saying: “For example, say you wanted to fly from Orlando to New York. You know, see the city, but the price tag is a little bit out of budget. Maybe it’s $150.
“However, you found a flight from Orlando to Richmond via New York and that’s only $88, which is a pretty nice savings."
Nastro added: “However, you got off in New York and you paid a fraction of the price for that direct flight price, but you bought a connecting flight.
“So, in essence, it’s basically like you bought a direct flight without the direct flight cost.”
However, while this might be a nifty money saver, airlines aren’t too happy about it and they’re trying to crack down on people taking advantage of it.
In fact, one teen named Logan Parsons was even detained at the airport after attempting to skiplag.
Other people have shared their own experiences of the money saving tactic online, with some taking to Reddit to explain more.
One user wrote: “My partner had her return flight canceled because she didn't take the arriving flight to her destination. She found a ride with a friend. I didn't contact the airport and they canceled her return flight. I didn't find out til she tried to check in the day before. Never called Delta to complain, as it was a cheap one way. But I'm almost positive they canceled it due to skiplagging.”
Another person said: “I took an earlier connecting flight on a different airline, and Delta canceled the return legs of my flight. I'd checked in with the Delta counter and let them know I wouldn't be on the plane, and they said everything was fine. And, they never sent any notification that the other legs had been canceled.
“It wasn't until I went to check in online the day before that I discovered it. The customer service rep was able to reinstate my tickets, and said that the system does the cancelation automatically.”