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?
In: 23
You’re assuming the price of an airline ticket is directly tied to the cost of operation. If B is a high demand destination, the airline will charge more just because that’s where people want to go, good old fashioned supply and demand.
Skiplagging works on the principle that planes are more economical to fly when full. Airlines will route travelers in a variety of possible patterns in order to put the most dollars in each plane, even if the actual ticket price is cheaper. It makes more sense for them to take a slight hit on a few passengers on that A-B flight than to run a whole plane A-C, because the plane’s going A-B anyway.
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