Have you heard of the airline rip off on ticket prices, which can be avoided by something called Skiplag flying? The reason so many people use this controversial hack is because it’s cheaper to book a layover flight than a direct flight.

Also known as ‘hidden city’ or ‘throwaway’ ticketing, this practice has become increasingly popular over the last few years.

The cheap ticket hack involves buying a less expensive ticket with a layover in the city you want to travel to and then not catching the second flight.

Airlines do not want you to take an indirect flight that costs less than a direct flight and where you don’t take the connection and carry onto some farther destination.

But for us people who are not fond of being ripped off and wasting money, it's a nonstop flight to where YOU want to be without the price tag that airlines will charge for that very same seat in that very same airplane, and that very same flight.

Finding fares like this on your own isn’t easy, though it can be done, so price comparison sites like Kayak or the dedicated website - Skiplagged - were made for people to search for these hidden city fares.

Despite the cheap fares, there are some drawbacks to skiplagging - like not being able to check in your bags. If you check a bag, it goes to where that ticket was booked, and if you're getting off at the layover, and not going on to the destination... you'd never get your bag. And you can't book round trip either. 

“Travellers who do decide to skiplag should always book one-way tickets, that way their return trip won't be cancelled if the airline does cancel their ticket,” warns Edward Russell, airlines reporter for industry publications Skift and Airlines Weekly.

https://www.euronews.com/travel/2023/08/12/what-is-skiplagging-the-cheap-flight-hack-that-airlines-are-cracking-down-on

https://thriftytraveler.com/guides/how-to-use-skiplagged/

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/what-is-skiplagging-mean-illegal-flights-b2347686.html