Last month, American Airlines gained attention when it reprimanded a teenager for engaging in “skiplagging.”
A family successfully utilized this strategy on a flight from Gainesville, Florida, to New York. The flight included a layover in Charlotte, North Carolina. The 17-year-old passenger chose to disembark at Charlotte, which was his actual destination, instead of boarding the next flight to New York.
Upon checking in at the Charlotte airport, the teenager’s North Carolina driver’s license raised suspicion from an American Airlines gate agent, revealing that he was utilizing a hidden-city ticket. As a result, the agent questioned the teen and canceled his itinerary, leading the family to incur an additional cost of $400 for a new nonstop flight.
The incident sparked a vigorous online debate, particularly after the family shared that American Airlines banned their 17-year-old from flying with the carrier for the next three years.
Lisa Parsons, the teenager’s mother, expressed her belief that American’s response to the skiplagging was “excessive.” She mentioned that the family had never used this method before and her son was unaware that it was frowned upon. However, American asserts that skiplagging goes against their rules. According to their contract of carriage, customers who intentionally do not fly all the segments of their booked flight can face consequences such as ticket cancellation.
Airlines consider skiplagging as a way to exploit the system since it can result in lost revenue. Airlines know that people are willing to pay more for convenient routes, making nonstop flights in high demand and typically more expensive than flights with layovers.
American further explained to Insider that skiplagging can also have negative effects on checked bags and prevent other customers from booking seats, especially in urgent travel situations. “Intentionally creating an empty seat that could have been used by another customer or team member is an all-around undesirable outcome,” the company stated.
While Parsons mentioned that her family is still trying to process their experience with American, she also expressed that they have become more knowledgeable as a result. “Perhaps that’s the silver lining for us,” she said. “And maybe it will prevent others from encountering the same situation.”
American holds a particularly strict stance on hidden-city ticketing. Their contract of carriage outlines the repercussions of skiplagging, including the cancellation of return tickets, revocation of elite flyer status, and denial of boarding. Most US airlines have similar policies, with United Airlines explicitly stating that customers may be banned for utilizing this method.
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