Is Skiplagging Illegal? Can Airlines Ban You?

Short answer: skiplagging is not illegal. No law makes it a crime to get off a plane before your ticket's final stop. But airlines have their own rules, and breaking them can still cost you.

What is skiplagging?

Skiplagging (also called hidden city ticketing) means booking a flight with a connection and leaving at the connection city on purpose, because that ticket is cheaper than flying there directly. Read the full explainer in our hidden city ticketing guide.

Is it against the law?

No. It is a breach of the airline's contract of carriage — the terms you agree to when you buy a ticket. That makes it a customer-service and contract issue, not a criminal one. Nobody gets arrested for skipping a leg.

Can an airline ban you?

Airlines' ticket rules generally say they can respond to intentional hidden city booking. Depending on the airline, that can include:

• Cancelling the rest of your booking, including the return flight.
• Removing or freezing frequent flyer miles or closing your loyalty account.
• Asking you to pay the fare difference for the trip you actually took.
• Refusing to sell you future tickets in repeat cases.

How often this happens varies by airline, and each carrier writes its own rules. Check the contract of carriage on the airline's own site before deciding.

Common skiplagging mistakes

• Checking a bag. It goes to the final destination, not where you get off.
• Booking a round trip. Skipping a leg usually cancels everything after it.
• Adding your loyalty number to a ticket you plan to skip.
• Assuming the route won't change. If the airline reroutes you, your planned stop may vanish.

Safer ways to get the same savings

• Compare one-way fares on different airlines.
• Check nearby airports at both ends.
• Be flexible by a day or two — see when to book a flight.
• Watch for bag and seat fees with our hidden fee calculator and carry-on size limits.

Who handles problems?

GhettoAirline is a comparison site — we never sell tickets. If an airline cancels or changes a booking, you deal with the airline or the site you booked through. See what happens if you skip a flight segment for more.

This guide is general travel information, not legal advice.