Skiplagging explained: How hidden city ticketing can save you money on flights

In the travel hacking world, skiplagging is a controversial (and risky) way to save money on airfare. Also known as hidden city ticketing, it involves booking a flight with a layover and leaving the airport at the layover point. You essentially take advantage of airline pricing models by skipping the last segment of your itinerary to secure a cheaper fare.

It’s a risky strategy that could have consequences, yet plenty of folks swear by it. So is skiplagging worth it? It can be but not in the long run. Here’s everything you need to know about this practice to help you decide if it’s worth the trouble: 

---

What is Skiplagging?

Skiplagging is a travel hack that involves booking a flight with a layover and skipping the final segment. Flights with stopovers can sometimes be significantly cheaper than a direct flight to the layover city.

By booking a “hidden city” ticket and then choosing not to continue to the final destination on the itinerary, travelers can save hundreds of dollars.

There are significant pros and cons to booking these flights:

Pros 

• It can save you hundreds of dollars on airfare.

Cons

• It only works if you’re traveling with a carry-on since bags are checked to the final destination.
• Airlines may cancel your return flights.
• You risk losing frequent flyer miles and status.
• Some airlines may ban repeat offenders.

Related: Expedia Air Travel Hacks Report offers insight on scoring cheap flights

How hidden city ticketing can save you money on flights

Hidden city ticketing can lead to airfare savings of 20-50%, depending on the route and season. For example, a nonstop one-way United flight from Honolulu (HNL) to Newark (EWR) costs $763 in March 2025.

Meanwhile, a Honolulu-Newark-Orlando (MCO) ticket costs just $216 one way. By tacking on an extra segment (i.e., a “hidden city”) to Orlando and skipping it, you would over $500. 

While the savings can be tremendous, the drawbacks are also significant. Because airlines typically cancel your return flight if you don’t complete the journey, hidden city ticketing only works on one-way flights. 

It’s also only possible if you’re traveling with a carry-on bag, since the airline will route your bags to your final destination (in the above example, that would be Orlando).

While it can save you money, this practice also violates most airline policies. Airlines frown upon it because it violates their terms and conditions. They may penalize you by canceling the rest of your trip or frequent flyer account. In extreme cases, airlines may also resort to banning repeat offenders.

So while you can save a lot of money in the short-term, the long-term drawbacks may not be worth it.

Related: How to join airline and hotel loyalty programs 

Is skiplagging legal?

While skiplagging is legal, it violates most airlines’ contracts of carriage. Airlines don’t allow it because it disrupts their pricing models, leading to lost revenue. They design fares based on demand patterns and hidden city ticketing undermines their ability to optimize pricing.

Airlines also consider it a breach of contract since passengers agree to complete the entire itinerary when they purchase a ticket.

It’s worth mentioning that Skiplagged.com, a website specializing in hidden city ticketing, has been sued by numerous airlines since launching in 2013. American Airlines, Southwest, United, and Orbitz have all taken Skiplagged to court. Most of these lawsuits were either dismissed or settled out of court.

Theoretically, airlines could take legal action against passengers who abuse their policies and cause them to lose significant revenue. Regardless of legal merit, is it worth the hassle? I don’t think so, but I am more risk-averse than the average travel hacker.

Airline policies and consequences

If an airline suspects a passenger of skiplagging, they may penalize them in several ways. It’s worth being aware of these consequences so you can decide whether it’s worth the risk:

• Rescinding frequent flyer miles and elite status
• Banning passengers from future travel on the airline
• Charging the traveler for the fare difference

I had a friend who once booked a hidden city ticket from San Francisco (SFO) to Istanbul (IST) via Dubai (DXB). This itinerary was around $500 cheaper than a direct flight to Dubai. However, he was checking a bag and wanted to retrieve it in Dubai. After some pushback, the Emirates staff at the airport agreed to route his bag to Dubai rather than Istanbul. 

They made it clear he was breaking the rules and might face consequences. While they ultimately allowed him to proceed, the staff also noted in the system that he was skiplagging. In the end, he was banned from the Emirates Skywards program.

He continues to fly Emirates but can no longer earn miles and status through the Skywards program. Granted, he’s been crediting those flights to Air Canada Aeroplan, but the ban wasn’t an ideal outcome for a frequent Emirates traveler.

Keep in mind this could very well happen to you if you decide to utilize hidden city ticketing. In fact, several Redditors have reported the same outcome when they’ve tried to take advantage of this method.

Related: 3 best tools for tracking points and miles

How to find hidden city flights

You can find hidden city flights on skiplagged.com, which specializes in identifying these fares. Not only can you see potential hidden city routes on their homepage, but you can also find these fares when searching for specific routes.

Skiplagged identifies hidden city tickets by crossing out the additional segment(s) and highlighting the discounted fare in green.

Let’s say you’re searching for flights between San Francisco (SFO) and Atlanta (ATL). A direct frontier flight might cost $132, but a flight with an added segment to Austin (AUS) can save you $37:

It’s also worth noting that if you book with Skiplagged, you’ll pay a $10 booking fee. The airline may also flag your ticket, increasing your likelihood of being penalized for not completing your itinerary. 

Tips for skiplagging

I want to reiterate that skiplagging is highly risky and I personally would advise against it. But if you decide to do it anyway, here are some tips for doing it successfully:

• Don’t book a round-trip itinerary: If you skip a segment of your itinerary, your return flight will be canceled. You could be on the hook for hundreds of dollars for a return flight.
• Don’t provide a frequent flyer number during booking: Adding your frequent flyer number can lead to airlines banning your account, preventing you from earning miles in the future.
• Don’t check any bags: Your bags are sent to your final destination, not the layover city. If you skip the final flight on your itinerary, your luggage will travel without you.
• Don’t reveal your intentions to airline staff: This is common sense, but revealing your plans to the staff will put an end to it immediately.
• Don’t do it frequently: Booking frequent hidden city tickets increases your chances of getting caught.

Related: My best point redemption wasn’t for travel

Final thoughts

While skiplagging can save you hundreds of dollars on airfare, the cons can outweigh the pros. When it comes to travel hacking, it’s important to play the long game. Unfortunately, I don’t see this strategy as conducive to that.

While I’ve done some risky things to earn miles in the past, I haven’t been banned by any airline – skiplagging might be the end of that.

I find redeeming points and miles to be a safer and more cost-effective way to lower travel costs. Is it always possible? No. Sometimes award space isn’t available, or direct flights are absurdly priced. But since I’m flexible with my travel dates most of the time, I’d rather change my plans than book hidden city fare and get in trouble later.

Not everyone has that option and you’ll have to decide for yourself whether the short-term gain is worth the potential long-term consequences (i.e., airline bans, lost frequent flyer miles, and status).

Related: Fly to Europe next summer for just 8,600 points each way

Frequently Asked Questions