Teen’s Flight Ticket Canceled by American Airlines for ‘Skiplagging’

• A teenager had his ticket canceled by American Airlines when they discovered he had no intention of flying to his final destination.
• The teenager planned to disembark during his layover in Charlotte instead of continuing to New York City.
• American Airlines considers this practice, known as skiplagging, to be a violation of their terms and conditions.

American Airlines took the decision to cancel a teenager’s ticket when they discovered his intention to disembark during a layover in Charlotte, thus bypassing his final destination in New York City. This forced his family to purchase a direct ticket to Charlotte instead.

According to local television station Queen City News, the teenager originally planned to fly from Gainesville, Florida to New York City, utilizing the website Skip Lagged to find cheaper flights with layovers.

The teenager’s father, Hunter Parsons, stated that they had been using Skip Lagged for several years and this was the first time his son was traveling alone.

However, suspicions arose at the gate in Florida when the agent noticed the teenager’s North Carolina driver’s license and questioned his final destination. The teenager admitted he planned to disembark in Charlotte and not continue on to New York City.

As a result, an American Airlines representative canceled the teenager’s ticket, and his family had to purchase a new direct ticket to Charlotte.

The family claimed to be unaware that skiplagging, the practice of booking a flight with a layover and intentionally skipping the second leg, is prohibited by many airlines, including American. Skiplagging can save passengers money but results in lost revenue for airlines.

American Airlines provided a statement to Queen City News, explaining that purchasing a ticket with the intention of not flying all legs of the journey is a violation of their terms and conditions.

Hunter Parsons expressed concern about his son being detained and questioned by the gate agents in Florida, believing a stern warning and potential financial penalties would be more appropriate for a minor.

American Airlines recently announced their crackdown on skiplagging, and they have taken action against passengers caught skipping their final destinations in the past.

In previous incidents, a passenger was charged $2,500 for skiplagging on 52 American flights, and another person was kicked out of American’s frequent flyer program for skiplagging on 95 flights.

Neither Parsons nor American Airlines responded immediately to requests for comment from Insider.