I understand that skiplagging is finding a flight that is cheaper to go from point A, to B, with a planned trip to C, but just leaving the airport at B.
I don’t understand the basic concept of how this happens though. How is a flight from A-B-C, ever cheaper than a flight just A-B? The extra cost of the C leg would have to be entirely absorbed by the savings from A-B, how is that possible?
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The question has pretty much been answered here, but basically is supply and demand and the effects of the airline hub and spoke model.
That said, it’s worth making sure OP and other readers know that there a many risks with skiplagging. First, it’s against the terms and conditions you agree to when you purchase a ticket. Technically the airline can cancel your ticket and suspend your frequent flyer account if they catch you. Second, you can’t check a bag because that will go all the way to the final destination on the ticket. Third, and most importantly, if there’s any changes, delays, or cancellations, the airline has zero obligation to route you through the airport you intend to leave at. Let’s say you want to fly Delta airlines from Cincinnati (CVG) to Minneapolis (MSP) and “skiplag” by purchasing a ticket to Seattle (SEA) with no intention of flying the Seattle segment. Then the first flight from CVG gets cancelled because of bad weather in MSP so Delta re-routes you through Atlanta. They have zero obligation to get you to MSP and if you brought that up with the customer service agent, they would just as likely cancel your ticket. For this reason, it’s almost never worth the risk.
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