The concept of throwaway ticketing, sometimes referred to as ‘skiplagging’, has gained traction in recent years as many travelers have reported significant savings by employing this tactic.
Katy Nastro from Going.com detailed how this money-saving trend has caught the attention of travelers.
She explained: “For example, say you wanted to fly from Orlando to New York. You know, see the city, but the price tag is a little bit out of budget. Maybe it’s $150.
“However, you found a flight from Orlando to Richmond via New York and that’s only $88, which is a pretty nice savings.”
Nastro elaborated further: “However, you got off in New York and you paid a fraction of the price for that direct flight price, but you bought a connecting flight.
“So, in essence, it’s basically like you bought a direct flight without the direct flight cost.”
Mike Bolen, a real estate investor from California, recently stumbled upon this approach.
He posted on Twitter: “This is wild. Trying to buy a plane ticket from the West Coast to Saint Louis, Missouri. All direct flights start at $564. But if I book a flight to Atlanta with a layover in STL the flight is $198. Why would you not just do a carry-on and get off the plane in STL? I am!”
While throwaway ticketing is not against the law, airlines are taking steps to discourage the practice as it results in financial losses for them.
There have been instances, such as a teenager being detained at an airport for attempting this, and others facing significant issues, indicating that it’s not without risks.
Jesse Collier recounted to Business Insider how a journey from Los Angeles to New York using this method resulted in a ‘nightmare’.
Although Jesse managed to pay only $146 instead of $400 for a one-way ticket, the experience was far from smooth.
The ticket allowed Jesse to carry one bag, but it was routed to Buffalo, meaning she couldn’t retrieve it upon arriving in New York.
“I found myself caught in this cycle of calling the customer-service line, being told that they would put my bag on a plane to New York City and that I could either have it delivered or go pick it up, only to be ghosted hours later and be told my bag never made it on that plane,” Jesse explained.
She ended up spending two days in the same outfit she wore during the flight, eventually receiving her bag at her NYC Airbnb at an extra cost of $60.
Given the potential complications, it may be wise to steer clear of this ‘hack’…