Skiplagged: How to Use It to Find Cheap Flights And When You Shouldn’t

What exactly is a “skiplagged flight” and is it legal? Does it help you find cheap flights?

In the realm of travel hacks, skiplagged has been around for quite some time. Skiplagged is a hack that airlines hate and travelers love!

Here is all the information you need about skiplagged or hidden city tickets or skiplagging.

We are huge fans of helpful travel hacks, especially when traveling as a family. Purchasing three, four, or five round-trip tickets must significantly impact the travel budget, correct? Sometimes even a single ticket can be quite expensive!

Skiplagged rate OR Hidden City ticketing is a travel hack used by savvy travelers.

However, you should employ this technique with extreme caution. We recommend buying travel insurance whenever you travel, read more about the top 10 reasons to buy travel insurance.

What is skiplagging OR Hidden City Ticketing?

Skiplagging is a travel hack that is also known as hidden city ticketing or throwaway ticketing. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, you’re not alone.

Here is how Skiplagged works:

Suppose you wish to fly from Kansas City to Chicago but cannot find a fare that is within your price range. Search for a hidden city ticket and purchase a flight with a layover in Chicago from Kansas to the final destination of New York, it is less expensive than a direct flight.

When you arrive in Chicago, you simply deplane.

You do not complete the journey you booked, but you still reach your desired location and save money by doing so. The exercise of finding a hidden city ticket saves you a lot of money.

Skiplagged works best for one-way flights and you will find flights at a lesser cost but this hack may not work very well for a round-trip ticket.

What argument do airlines have against skiplagged or hidden city tickets?

When hidden city ticketing or Skiplagged is a problem created by airlines, it is hard to understand how airlines can be angry with people who use this strategy.

Airlines despise flyers who find a hidden city ticket or what is otherwise known as throwaway ticketing.

The reason is that throwaway tickets help flyers save money and airlines hate it because they don’t get to make more money on the same direct route from that flyer.

Nonetheless, airlines have a negative opinion of the hidden city flight practices used by travelers. Airlines hate the skiplagged strategy used by some travelers.

When purchasing a ticket, you implicitly agree to a contract of carriage, according to the airlines. The point being made by the airlines is that if a passenger does not take all of the flights they purchased, they have not fulfilled their contractual obligations.

For the majority of travelers, this is at best a weak argument. It seems odd that airlines might be able to penalize a traveler for not taking the flights for which they paid if they cannot also receive a refund in the event of an emergency.

However, some seasoned travelers do not use this travel hack due to the risk involved.

What websites sell tickets with hidden city options?

Skiplagged.com sells hidden city tickets.

Skiplagged is a flight search and booking website that helps travelers use the travel hack for a hidden city.

Skiplagged functions by displaying the original cost to reach a particular destination. Therefore, if you want to fly from Minneapolis to Atlanta but the prices are exorbitant,

Skiplagged may show you a flight from Minneapolis to Orlando with a stopover in Atlanta. Voila! You reach your destination for less money you just benefited from a hidden city flight!

Are there alternatives to Skiplagged?

If you google flights and find rates too expensive, here are some other sites where you may be able to find a cheaper flight:

• Kayak
• Priceline
• CheapOair
• Skyscanner
• Momondo
• MakeMyTrip
• Expedia
• Kiwi
• Edreams
• FlightHub

Can you use ‘skiplagged travel hack’ safely?

The verdict is still out on this. Although there have been a few lawsuits, technically speaking, skipping class is not illegal—at least not yet. Nonetheless, you should utilize this travel hack with caution because it does involve risk.

Here are the things you won’t be able to do if you skip class:

You will not be able to check your luggage, as it will be transported to the final destination. You cannot decide to deplane and request your checked or gate-checked baggage. The recommendation is to travel minimally (like just a backpack).

You will not receive miles for your purchases. Don’t even associate your frequent flyer number with your ticket. When the airline discovers that you skipped out on a portion of your flight, they may invalidate all the miles you’ve accumulated.

You will be unable to buy a round-trip ticket. Hidden city tickets are only applicable for one-way flights.

Even Skiplagged.com recommends using this travel hack sparingly.

Flying International? even if you are not traveling to the final destination, you may be required to present a passport or visa upon check-in or deplaning. At check-in, airlines may require proof of a return ticket. You can purchase a refundable return air ticket directly from the airline and cancel it as soon as you board the outbound flight if you encounter this.

If you are concerned about the concept of hidden city ticketing, you should avoid using Skiplagged and instead consider other alternatives.

Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs

How Does Skiplagged Work?

Skiplagged helps you find flights at cheaper rates on the same route that you wish to travel. Direct flights to your destination may be expensive. Skiplagged uses hidden city ticketing to find flights flying with a stop-over at your destination. This trick helps you fly to your destination at a lower price.

Must-Know Tips for Using Skiplagged

While Skiplagged is a good travel hack use it sparingly to avoid being black-listed by the airline. Search flights for one-way tickets and fly with only carry-on luggage. Skiplagged may not work for round-trip flights. If your intended destination is a mid-way stop-over from the entire itinerary you may not be able to collect your checked bag at the stop-over i.e. your intended destination. You also won’t be able to take benefit of the airline miles for these skiplagged flights.

How do I search Hidden City flights?

It only works for some destinations. Because some cities are major transit hubs, flights frequently stop in those cities. If you are flying through such a city, you may be able to find flight options that allow you to disembark in the layover city.

Can I book a roundtrip on Skiplagged?

While roundtrip flights are not recommended for skiplagged you can still book roundtrip flight booking. On skiplagged app or website, you may be shown two one-way flights, for departure to your desired destination from the departure city and a second flight to return to your destination.

Can I Use the skiplagged strategy for international flights?

Skiplagged is more useful for domestic flights. You may be able to find lower-priced flights with more stopovers on skiplagged.com, also the visa requirements for international destinations need to be considered for using this hack for international travel.

Can I make Skiplagged rate my standard travel preference?

Even Skiplagged recommends using this strategy sparingly due to the negative reaction from airlines. United Airlines had even sued skiplagged but skiplagged won. You can use the lower fares benefit from this strategy sometimes when direct flights are very expensive.

Conclusion

Skiplagged can save hundreds and help you find cheap flights. Use it with caution. If you are planning to travel internationally, read about the essential documents to travel internationally.

Travel safely!