This legal trick to pay less for plane tickets annoys airlines so much they are trying to ban it

As the airline sector continues to recover, attracting nearly 5.2 billion passengers in 2025, the price of plane tickets remains a hot topic for travelers. In this context, a discreet but effective trick, perfectly legal, is gaining popularity among travelers seeking a substantial discount on their costs. Known as “skiplagging,” this technique involves purchasing a ticket to a final destination often further away, while disembarking at an intermediate stopover, thus saving on the reduced price of indirect flights. A method which, despite its legality, is the source of fierce contests by airlines, some of which are now trying to ban it. This controversy ignites a passionate debate between savvy travelers and industry players at a time when controlling travel expenses has become an essential issue.

At the heart of this process, a whole complex pricing system is revealed. The fares of tickets do not only reflect the distance traveled, but also the popularity of air routes and competition. Thus, a direct flight will sometimes be more expensive than a flight with stopover to another destination, offering an opportunity that travelers exploit to reduce their costs. However, while the savings can be significant, this trick remains a sensitive subject. On one hand, it democratizes access to certain airports and reduces ticket costs, on the other, it involves operational and contractual constraints, as well as real risks if detected. A fragile balance between economic opportunity and respect for established rules agitates the aviation world in 2025.

How this legal trick to pay less for plane tickets with skiplagging works

Understanding the mechanisms of skiplagging is essential to grasp why this trick, although perfectly legal, irritates airlines. This method relies on purchasing a ticket with a final destination different from the city where the traveler actually wishes to get off. Concretely, the passenger books a trip including one or more stopovers but does not take the last flight segment to the final destination indicated on their ticket. This choice is far from trivial and exploits differences in fares depending on routes, often dictated by market laws and competition between air hubs.

For example, imagine a Paris – Miami direct flight priced at around €650. Meanwhile, a Paris – Orlando flight via Miami could be offered for only €480. The skiplagger will therefore buy a ticket to Orlando but get off in Miami, saving €170 without explicitly breaking the law or aviation regulations. This difference comes from the fact that the Paris-Orlando ticket targets a clientele more sensitive to fares, while the Paris-Miami direct flight is valued at a higher level due to demand and the ease of the flight. This technique, which maximizes the economic value of the ticket, hence relies on flaws in the complex pricing system of airlines.

There are, however, strict limits to this practice. First, it only applies to one-way tickets. Indeed, if a passenger does not board one of the subsequent segments, the airline will automatically cancel all remaining flights, including the return. Second, checked baggage cannot be registered without risk, as it is transferred directly to the ticket’s final destination, making it impossible to retrieve at the stopover. This constraint forces travelers to carry only cabin baggage, which is not always suitable for all traveler profiles.
Finally, the practice of skiplagging relies on a trick that challenges the traditional pricing logic, thus creating significant friction between travelers and airlines, the latter seeking to protect their revenues.

The reasons airlines want to ban this legal way to pay less for plane tickets

Faced with the rise of skiplagging, airlines are not sitting idly by. Their contests against this method are primarily motivated by economic losses and major operational complications. The first point is financial: by allowing a passenger to buy a ticket for a distant destination but leave the plane earlier, airlines empty seats on a paying portion of the trip, resulting in direct lost revenue. The unoccupied seat on the final segment cannot be resold, representing a pure loss.

Beyond the lost revenue, skiplagging also creates logistical problems. When passengers do not take their final connection, it disrupts the calculations of the aircraft’s load and safety, essential for the smooth running of the flight. Ground staff sometimes must delay departure while waiting for these passengers who will not arrive, causing cascade delays and impacting service quality. These factors are far from negligible and heavily weigh on flight organization, especially in a context where punctuality is closely monitored.

Moreover, legally, the practice is generally considered a breach of the transport contract. Indeed, the passenger accepts the airline’s general conditions which clearly state that flights must be used in order. Not boarding a segment can lead to sanctions, ranging from outright ticket cancellation to removal of loyalty points, even legal action in some extreme cases. Some airlines have already initiated legal proceedings to counter this practice, considered fare fraud.

The economic and contractual stakes for airlines

To maintain their profitability, airlines have built their economic models around a complex revenue management system, yield management. This technique relies on fine segmentation of fares according to customer segments and routes. When skiplagging creeps into this system, it distorts occupancy forecasts and destabilizes the fragile balance. A passenger using this technique creates a financial gap difficult to fill in such a short time.

In summary, airlines’ opposition is therefore both a matter of revenue preservation, commercial integrity, and operational security. Despite often hostile public demonstrations against this practice, these major aviation players are more determined than ever to regulate or even ban it from their terms of sale.

Real savings and attractive benefits of skiplagging to pay less for plane tickets

Despite controversies, skiplagging appeals to many travelers because it offers real opportunities for savings. In a market where plane ticket prices remain high in 2025, achieving a substantial discount on tickets is a major advantage. For tourists as well as professionals, the reduced prices enabled by this trick make travel more accessible.

Examples abound to understand the impact of this method. Consider the following routes compared in real conditions:

Purchased itinerary	Traveler’s actual destination	Direct flight price	Price via skiplagging	Saving achieved
New York – Chicago (via Detroit)	Detroit	$350	$210	$140
London – Rome (via Frankfurt)	Frankfurt	€280	€190	€90
Amsterdam – Madrid (via Paris)	Paris	€220	€155	€65

These figures speak for themselves and explain why this trick is gaining more and more followers. Beyond the purely economic aspect, some travelers point out that it allows them to visit lesser-known and cheaper cities, while avoiding the prohibitive prices of direct flights. It is a way to increase the accessibility of many destinations without questioning legality.

To complement this approach, it is recommended to follow these practical tips:

• Book tickets in advance to take advantage of the best deals.
• Monitor fares via specific comparators and create price alerts.
• Travel light with only carry-on luggage to avoid constraints related to checked baggage.
• Favor one-way tickets to limit the risk of cancellation of remaining flights.
• Stay vigilant about general conditions of airlines to anticipate any potential risks.

Legal and risk-free methods to get discounted plane tickets in 2025

For those who prefer to avoid risks linked to skiplagging, there are several reliable strategies, all legal and commonly used in 2025 to reduce plane ticket costs without incurring penalties. These alternatives rely on flexibility, anticipation, and smart use of available tools.

The first method, date flexibility, is an effective weapon. By avoiding high-demand periods – school holidays, long weekends or public holidays – you can benefit from reduced fares, sometimes very attractive. Traveling midweek or outside the tourist season generally leads to noticeable discounts.

Next, airport comparison can offer an interesting lever. Many large metropolitan areas have secondary airports served by low-cost airlines, whose prices are much lower than those practiced in major hubs. For example, by choosing Brussels Charleroi or Milan Bergamo instead of their main airports, the traveler can optimize their budget without compromising their travel quality.

The use of flight comparison websites online has become a must. These platforms analyze millions of offers in seconds and identify the best prices available. Additionally, enabling price alerts allows immediate booking when the fare drops, ensuring maximum discount. Recognized sites include Skyscanner, Kayak, or Google Flights.

Finally, loyalty programs and credit cards linked to airlines are powerful levers. They allow you to accumulate miles and thus benefit from discounts, even free tickets. Good management of these tools can transform your way of traveling and significantly lighten ticket costs.

• Subscribe to newsletters to be informed of flash promotions.
• Assess value for money rather than focusing only on the price.
• Favor flights with stopovers – not for skiplagging, but to benefit from more advantageous fares.
• Choose credit cards offering miles bonuses for everyday spending.
• Check airlines’ social networks for exclusive promo codes.

The impact of skiplagging on the airline industry and its outlook amid contests

The phenomenon of skiplagging, while marginal, reveals a deep malaise in the structuring of air fares and questions traditional economic models of airlines. This practice, beyond the purely commercial aspect, highlights inconsistencies in how fare grids are constructed and invites a review. In 2025, as the industry must now contend with environmental issues, the question of seat optimization takes a central place.

Each empty seat left due to skiplagging represents an ecological inefficiency as well as a financial loss. The plane consumes the same amount of fuel regardless of its load factor, which mechanically increases the carbon footprint per passenger. Airlines must therefore fight against these practices to improve their environmental record and control their costs.

For many experts, the widespread adoption of skiplagging could push airlines to revise their pricing policies and introduce more transparency. They might seek to simplify their offers or limit price gaps between direct and indirect flights. Furthermore, strengthening contractual clauses could make this practice more difficult to implement.

Finally, the industry might rely on technological advances to better control bookings and boarding. More sophisticated tracking systems already allow detecting atypical behaviors and adapting rules on a global scale. The tension between revenue optimization and customer satisfaction remains a major challenge for 2025.