American Airlines Files a Lawsuit Against Skiplagged.com

As travelers find ways to save money, a strategy that has gained some traction online is buying airline tickets from Skipplagged.com.

Skiplagged.com is a website that offers cheaper flights to travelers. However, it isn’t like your typical flight wherein you get off at the intended travel destination on your ticket. Instead, the passenger leaves the plane on a layover.  Even if it’s not illegal, airlines claim that skiplagging violates their policies.

This time around, American Airlines is suing the travel website for letting people exploit this loophole in airline pricing.

Last month, a 17-year-old was caught skiplagging and was banned for three years. The passenger used Skipplagged.com and bought a ticket from Gainesville, Florida to New York City. However, instead of getting off New York, he tried to get off North Carolina but was caught because of his North Carolina driver’s license.

Airline Industry Loophole?

According to the lawsuit, Skiplagged.com deceived travelers by selling American Airlines tickets without the proper agency agreement. American Airlines also accused the website of copyright infringement for using their logos.

The suit said, “Many of the fares displayed on Skiplagged’s website are higher than what the consumer would pay if they simply booked a ticket on American’s website or through an actual authorized agent.” It then accused the site of using a “classic bait and switch: draw consumers in with the promise of secret fares, and instead sell the consumer a ticket at a higher price.”

This isn’t the first time an airline filed a lawsuit against the site. In 2014, just a year after it was launched, United Airlines and Orbitz filed a lawsuit against the website. The 2014 lawsuit accused its founder Aktarer Zaman of “deceptive behavior” and “unfair competition.”

In 2021, Southwest Airlines also sued the website. Southwest accused the site of not being authorized to display the airline’s fares or sell its tickets. In the end, United’s case was dismissed because it was filed in Chicago while Zaman lived in New York. On the other hand, Southwest’s case was settled out of court in June 2023.

Airlines Losing Revenue?

Why do airlines hate Skiplagged.com? United Airlines and Orbitz claim that the website cost them $75,000 according to their 2014 lawsuit.

But for American, they claim that Skiplagged.com can create “operational issues with checked bags and prevent other customers from booking a seat when they may have an urgent need to travel.” It added that “Intentionally creating an empty seat that could have been used by another customer or team member is an all-around bad outcome.”