A Teen Detained At Florida Airport And Accused Of ‘Skiplagging’ Travel Hack
A teen detained at Florida airport and accused of ‘skiplagging’ travel hack. Logan Parson's first trip after becoming an independent traveler came to an abrupt end when airport security personnel apprehended the teenager and escorted him into an interrogation room.
Author:Velma BattleReviewer:Michael RachalJul 17, 20237.1K Shares129.4K Views
A teen detained at Florida airportand accused of ‘skiplagging’travelhack. Logan Parson's first trip after becoming an independent traveler came to an abrupt end when airport security personnel apprehended the teenager and escorted him into an interrogation room.
After spending some time in Gainesville, Florida, with his father, Logan intended to make the trip home by himself. His father made the travel arrangements for him on the way back, booking him a flight that began in Gainesville but terminated in New York.
New York, on the other hand, was not going to be Logan's final stop. Instead, he intended to disembark the aircraft during the flight's stopover in Charlotte, his hometown, and simply forego the remaining portion of his journey.
He intended to do this by adopting a travel hack known as "skiplagging," sometimes known as hidden-city ticketing. Customers can save money by taking advantage of pricing structures used by airlines through a practice known as skiplagging.
Direct flights to a destination are often more expensive than flights that have a stopover at another airport. It's possible that a ticket to Denver with a stopover costs $370, but a journey to San Diego with a layover in Denver that lasts several hours only costs $200.
Rather of purchasing a ticket that goes directly to Denver, it is in the traveler's best interest to instead buy a ticket to San Diego and get off the plane in Denver rather than investing in a ticket that goes directly to Denver. When he bought a plane ticket for his kid to go to New York, Logan's father, Hunter Parsons, had this notion in his head.
“„We’ve used Skip Lagged almost exclusively for the last five to eight years. Booked a flight from Gainesville regional to JFK via Charlotte.- Mr Parsons
Mr. Parsons dropped Logan off to the terminal of the airport in Florida, but a gate employee noticed that the adolescent's identification cards had been issued in Gainesville.
This is significant since Gainesville was also the place where Logan's aircraft was scheduled to make a stopover. The agent got suspicious of the youngster and reported him to airport authority. The airport officials then detained and questioned the young man.
“„Interrogated a little bit, ultimately taken to a security room. They kind of got out of him that he was planning to disboard in Charlotte and not going to make the connecting flight.- Mr Parsons
It has been stated that authorities from American Airlines phoned the boy's parents and insisted that they purchase a replacement ticket for a trip that departs directly from Gainesville to Charlotte after learning that the teen intended to skip his flight.
The airline business does not like skiplagged flights since it reduces the industry's revenues, hence the airline industry does not like skiplagged flights. In the end, United Airlines was unsuccessful in its attempt to sue a website that is only devoted to assisting travelers in locating better skiplagged rates.
Lufthansa went as far as to sue a passenger who skiplagged, alleging the customer should have paid $2,769 for a ticket but instead purchased one for $600 and got off the flight early.
A judge in Germany agreed with the traveler's position in the end and issued a favorable ruling. Although it is not currently against the law to bypass the queue when checking in for a flight, the airline industry is free to establish its own regulations and impose penalties on passengers who are found to be abusing this travel hack.
These sanctions might include the deprivation of travel points or, as in the case of the Parsons, the imposition of extra tickets fees.
Final Words
Not only did Mr. Parsons have to pay extra for his son's second ticket, but he was also left with the fear that his youngster, who had never travelled by themselves before, would be unsafe.
“„Our concerns are he is a minor and was kind of left to fend for himself several states away.- Mr Parsons
“„Purchasing a ticket without intending to fly all flights to gain lower fares (hidden city ticketing) is a violation of American Airlines terms and conditions and is outlined in our Conditions of Carriage online. Our Customer Relations team has been in touch with the customer to learn more about their experience.- Mr Parsons
Jump to
Velma Battle
Author
Travelling Expert
Michael Rachal
Reviewer
Travelling Expert
Latest Articles
Popular Articles