You may not be aware of a clever travel hack that exists. This could help you save big on your airfare.
The airlines are taking all measures to stop it once and for all.
This is called “skiplagging”, and it’s what happens when someone wants to fly from Boston or Houston but the price of airfare is too high. They decide to buy a flight from Boston to Las Vegas, with a stop in Houston. It is less expensive than the direct Boston-to Houston fare. The passenger boarded the plane in Houston and left behind a portion of their ticket. They don’t actually complete the journey, but they have saved money.
What’s Skiplagged?
Skiplagged, a powerful flight search engine, specializes in finding hidden city fares. A hidden city fare is also known as skiplagging or point-beyond tickets. It’s when you book a ticket that takes you to another destination then you want. The destination on your ticket is listed, but the actual city you want to see is the one that’s actually there. With the intention to stay in city B, you book a flight A to B.
Skiplagged.com, an online travel agency with a metasearch engine to book flights and hotels, is a travel agent. It is the most popular hidden-city ticketing tactic.
Aktarer Zaman, then aged 20 years, started the website.
It was sued by United Airlines and Orbitz in November 2014. They claimed that the website had violated fare regulations. The court dismissed the lawsuit. [5] [6]
What Does Skiplagged Do?
Skiplagged helps you find cheap flights to places where there is no layover. You might want to fly from Kansas City to Chicago, but these flights are expensive. Skiplagged may be able to find a cheaper flight between Kansas City and NYC that includes a layover in Chicago. You book the flight to NYC, but you stop in Chicago for a layover.
Skiplagged shows it by flying from Atlanta to Orlando. You might find flights from Atlanta to Orlando for $250, but Atlanta to Dallas without a stop in Orlando costs $130. You can book the flight and get off in Orlando. This will save you $120.
Skiplagged lists these hidden cities in addition to the standard itineraries. This means you might be able to find a cheaper fare than searching on only sites like Google Flights or Kayak.
There Are Some Things That You Should Do When You Book With Skiplagged.
You cannot check your bag. Your bag will be checked through to your destination in most cases. This is especially true if you are going to DC but actually planning in Dallas.
You will need to book two one-way tickets and not a roundtrip. Or you can only miss one leg on your return. The rest of your trip can be canceled if you miss a leg on your ticketed route.
The airline will know that you are traveling to the destination indicated on your ticket. This means that you must comply with the entry requirements. This is particularly important if you’re flying to an international destination. You may need a visa, proof of vaccination, or a negative test.
The airlines won’t appreciate you doing this and could even take your frequent flyer miles away. You will need to contact them if they cancel your flight or remove your layover.
Skiplagged Excels At:
Hidden city ticketing. Skiplagged uncovers cheaper fares if you stop in a layover city.
Searching for cheap airfare to any destination? Skiplagged’s homepage will show you sample fares and allow you to search flights to “Anywhere”.
Search for flights using Skiplagged. You can filter by standard routing, hidden city, takeoff and landing times, stops, and airlines.
Get price alerts whenever cheap airfare becomes available.
What Skiplagged Is Bad At:
It is not as robust as other search sites. It lacks the same functionality as other search aggregators such as Google Flights and Skyscanner. Momondo and Kayak have (no flexible date search, no multicity/open-jaw searches, and you cannot search multiple locations simultaneously).
The search engine Skiplagged uses to find the lowest price doesn’t always work. It doesn’t search for online travel agencies like Priceline or Orbitz, so it can’t always get the best price.
An easy way to travel. We’ll show you below the caveats of booking hidden-city tickets.
Skiplagged: How To Find Cheap Flights
Let’s take the above example of booking a flight from Kansas City, Illinois, to Chicago for dates in April. (Skiplagged does not allow you to change dates).
Skiplagged: How Do You Search For Flights?
You can choose whether you want a roundtrip or a one-way trip.
Click “Search Flights.” The cheapest option will be shown, and there are two hidden-city fares. These hidden city fares can be identified by the “skiplagged rate” on the left, and the last leg (from ORD-BWI) is greyed.
Skiplagged: How Do You Filter Your Results?
You can also choose from a variety of filters, as you will see in the search results. This is the complete list:
There are many stops
Time for take-off and landing (i.e., Morning or night)
Flight duration
Layover duration
Preferred airlines
Arrival airport
Cities for layover
Skiplagged: Finding Hidden City Fares
It doesn’t matter if you want a hidden-city ticket; it’s more that you want to know when a hidden-city ticket is cheaper than the standard route. This is more likely to happen if the destination you wish to visit has a major hub.
For example, nearly all United Airlines flights from or to smaller cities in the American Midwest connect in Chicago. If you are looking for a Chicago flight, a hidden-city ticket with a layover in Chicago and a destination other than Chicago may be cheaper than one that ends in Chicago. If your destination is smaller and less-hub cities like Des Moines, it’s less likely that the route to Chicago would require a layover.
To put it another way, here’s an example from around the world:
You would like to fly from Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Miami. This flight is $500. However, a flight from Buenos Aires via Miami will cost you $400. Book a hidden-city ticket from Buenos Aires via Miami to save $100.
Skiplagged makes it easy to find these fares. They will simply show up in your search results if you are looking for a cheaper route than standard. It will be marked as a Skiplagged rate, and you’ll know that it’s a route through a hidden city.
If Skiplagged’s cheapest option includes a hidden-city ticket, you will need to book two separate round trip flights. The airline will cancel your return flight if you book a roundtrip ticket and then skip the last leg.
Skiplagged: Book A Flight
Skiplagged gives you the ability to book two separate one-way flights when you are ready to book. This is only available if the section of your itinerary you want to skip is on its return. If you skip a leg of an itinerary, the airline cancels all subsequent legs.
This example shows that you will book a hidden-city flight on your way to Chicago and standard routing back. You will need to book two one-way flights because the leg you want to skip is the one you take. Otherwise, your return flight to Chicago-to Baltimore would be canceled.
Skiplagged will direct you to the airline for any hidden-city flights. This means that cancellation fees will be applied to your fare. However, this is not always true if you book through an OTA. There may be additional fees that are not shown on Skiplagged. This could include fees for checked baggage and advance seat selection.
You can either book standard flights with the airline directly or through Skiplagged. Skiplagged charges an $8 service fee for these flights.
To find cheaper flights, you can search from your departure location to “Anywhere” for other options. For example, New York City to Portland is $58 one-way in June.
The Skiplagged App
Skiplagged offers an easy-to-use app for iPhone or Android that lets you search and book directly from your smartphone.
How to Use Skiplagged Rewards
You can earn $25 for every hotel or flight you book through Skiplagged. This money can then be used to book additional flights and hotels on Skiplagged. Your personalized link will allow you to earn money when people book hotels or flights on Skiplagged. Rewards are not available for all hotels and flights.
Log in to your Skiplagged Account to redeem rewards Click on a hotel or flight and then click “Travel Credits”. Then, hit “Pay with Travel Credits.”
Skiplagged: Frequently Asked Questions
Does Skiplagged allow you to check bags?
Skiplagged allows you to check your bags if you book a regular flight. However, if you are booking a Hidden City itinerary, don’t check your bags. You and your bags will be checked through at the official destination, not your layover.
You may find a way to circumvent international borders if you are crossing them. If you fly from another country, you may have to pick up your bag at the airport. You will have to collect your bag at Chicago customs if you are flying from Amsterdam to Chicago. It’s fine to check your bag at Chicago’s airport if you plan to finish your travels there.
Many international flights that have long layovers offer the option of picking up your check baggage at the layover location instead of having it shipped through to the final destination. These policies can differ from airline to airline. Make sure you check with your carrier for specific details regarding your route and airline.
What does Skiplagged mean by the hidden city?
Hidden city fare refers to an itinerary that ends at the layover point, even though you have a ticket for a flight beyond that. Skiplagged marks these fares as “Skiplagged rate” by crossing out any parts you won’t use and marking them with a checkmark.
Is skiplagged legal?
Although skiplagged and hidden-city ticketing may be legal, airlines do not approve of them. As long as you don’t book too many hidden-city fares in a short time, it is extremely unlikely that the airline will notice. Although there have been some lawsuits against hidden city ticketing, none of them have been successful. The airlines may also impose additional penalties such as banning you or canceling your frequent flyer points.
Is there a cost for Skiplagged?
Skiplagged charges a standard booking fee of $8. Hidden city bookings can be made directly through the airline.
Can I book a roundtrip with Skiplagged?
Skiplagged can also find standard roundtrip airfares at a fraction of the cost that doesn’t require you to skip a leg. If you are only looking to skip one leg on the outbound flight, you can book a roundtrip trip.
Can I skip the first leg of a flight?
This is a vital fact to know. The airline will cancel all future flights if you miss the first leg. Skiplagged will allow you to book two separate flights if you search for airfares and the cheapest option you find is in a hidden city. If you are flying one leg of the outbound trip, you must book two separate flights.