AA Bans Passenger for Skiplagging

[vjmatty]

I didn’t even realize this was a thing…I’m familiar with throwaway tickets by not using your return flight, but this involves ending travel at your layover connection.

 

https://wgntv.com/news/national/teen-banned-for-3-years-after-skip-lagging-flight-hack-family/amp/

[Brighton Line]

Hidden City Ticketing is the other name for it, been around for years even before specific websites were made to help purchase the ticket.

The thing is the kid didn't skiplagg as he never took the first flight and just admitted to planning on not taking the 2nd flight to NYC. 

[vjmatty]

9 minutes ago, Brighton Line said:

Hidden City Ticketing is the other name for it, been around for years even before specific websites were made to help purchase the ticket.

The thing is the kid didn't skiplagg as he never took the first flight and just admitted to planning on not taking the 2nd flight to NYC. 

Right, according to the article, his NC drivers license led to his being questioned after trying to check in, where he then admitted he wasn’t planning on flying to NY.  

[Globaliser]

3 hours ago, Brighton Line said:

Hidden City Ticketing is the other name for it, been around for years even before specific websites were made to help purchase the ticket.

 

I remember an anecdote about another AA operation that targeted passengers who were doing this regularly. They'd be met at the door as they disembarked the first flight, and offered a choice: because they were clearly confused by DFW's layout as they consistently missed their onward connecting flights, they could be escorted to the gate for their onward flight to ensure that they found it OK; or they could be escorted to the AA ticketing desk where they could pay the proper fare for the travel that they were actually intending to take.

[6rugrats]

Dad admits family has been doing this for seven to eight years.  Mom posted on another travel board (she has since deleted her posts) that they had no idea this was wrong and she’s been trying to contact skiplagged,com to warn them about what they were doing.  This webpage has many warnings so there is really no way they didn’t know this was not allowed.

This story would never have become public if dad had not done an interview.  No sympathy here.

[SelectSys]

It's interesting that the teen was made to pay the penalty of the father.  It seems that the father was the instigator and was the one that bought the ticket. 

 

"The purchased flight for Hunter Parsons’ 17-year-old son was from Gainesville, Florida to New York City with a layover in Charlotte, North Carolina. The plan was for the teen to get off the plane in Charlotte, where he lives, and not continue to New York City."  

 

The kid would have used whatever ticket was purchased for him.  I guess the good news is that the kid is only banned from one airline although AA does have its hub in Charlotte making the penalty a bit worse.

 

My gut suggests that the existence of sites like skiplagged.com are making this practice more common leading to a stronger airline response.  

[GeezerCouple]

3 hours ago, Globaliser said:

 

I remember an anecdote about another AA operation that targeted passengers who were doing this regularly. They'd be met at the door as they disembarked the first flight, and offered a choice: because they were clearly confused by DFW's layout as they consistently missed their onward connecting flights, they could be escorted to the gate for their onward flight to ensure that they found it OK; or they could be escorted to the AA ticketing desk where they could pay the proper fare for the travel that they were actually intending to take.

 

That's really terrific!

Soooo helpful!

😉

 

GC

[Z'Loth]

I'm still shaking my head over this "skiplagging" or "hidden city ticketing". As I understand it, it takes advantage of the fact that a ticket from A → B → C is cheaper than a ticket for A → B , and usually destination B is one of the following hub airports for American Airlines:

 

 

• Charlotte
• Chicago–O’Hare
• Dallas/Fort Worth
• Los Angeles
• Miami
• New York–JFK
• New York–LaGuardia
• Philadelphia
• Phoenix–Sky Harbor
• Washington–National 

 

Simple Flying has an article back in 2021 titled American Airlines Issues Skiplagging Warning To Travel Agents as this is a violation of their rules, or "conditions of carriage". From what I can see, this would not apply to cruisers as you have to travel with just a backpack that can fit under your seat as your checked baggage would make it to the ultimate destination. But, hey, those are the rules the airlines have set down. And, forget about using TSA Pre-Check as your Trusted Traveler Number is a form of Personal Identifiable Information, but has to be entered as part of your airline profile. 

Edited July 21, 2023 by Z'Loth

[6rugrats]

I have seen this backfire on pax who had to gate check bags.  They come down to baggage claims and ask for their bags.  Because their bag tags show the airport as a connecting city, the bags are stored in a separate facility, to be loaded on the next flight, and they don’t come out on the baggage carousel.  We just tell them they need to pick up their bags at their tagged final destination, and then send a report to our security dept about suspected hidden city ticketing.  Airlines certainly monitor this activity.

Edited July 21, 2023 by 6rugrats

[Globaliser]

31 minutes ago, Z'Loth said:

From what I can see, this would not apply to cruisers as you have to travel with just a backpack that can fit under your seat as your checked baggage would make it to the ultimate destination.

 

This can sometimes work even with checked baggage, but you have to really know the details of the fare rules and of the airline's policies and practices.

[Z'Loth]

What would really be amusing, if it were possible, is the airline "bumping" the skiplagger from their original flight, and rebooking them on a non-stop flight to the actual destination in basic economy. 

[Globaliser]

Just now, Z'Loth said:

What would really be amusing, if it were possible, is the airline "bumping" the skiplagger from their original flight, and rebooking them on a non-stop flight to the actual destination in basic economy. 

 

It can happen, although perhaps more likely as a consequence of IRROPS.

 

That can also wreck the plans of those who have booked a connecting itinerary and who intend to travel the whole booked journey, but who - perfectly legitimately - have also organised to do things at the connecting point.