skiplagging

[skip-lag-ing]

noun

1. the practice of purchasing an air ticket for a flight with a layover at one’s true destination, getting off at the layover point, and skipping the last leg of the flight: a workaround to avoid paying a higher fare for a direct flight to one’s destination.

   New York is a popular airline hub, which is key to skiplagging.

   While skiplagging is not illegal, in some cases the airline has caught on and threatened repercussions.

Word History and Origins

Origin of skiplagging¹

First recorded in 2015–20; skiplag ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

In a practice called skiplagging and hidden-city ticketing, travelers book a flight that includes at least one stop, but they leave the plane during a layover.

Read more on Washington Times

Generally skiplagging is not illegal, but airlines claim that it violates their policies.

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Skiplagging is buying a ticket for a connecting flight, with a layover in the city that’s the real destination for the traveler.

Read more on New York Times

Rising fares, in addition to fees for everything from beverages to printing boarding passes, have made skiplagging more enticing to passengers.

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On the last day of June, American Airlines agents at Gainesville Regional Airport in Florida canceled a North Carolina teenager’s flight after realizing that he had used a booking tactic called “skiplagging” or “hidden-city travel,” forbidden by airlines but used by some travelers to net flight bargains.

Read more on New York Times