Big Airlines are suing Skiplagged over plane tickets

[Rhodisia]

"Hidden city ticketing" can offer steep discounts on airfare. Basically, you book a flight past your destination, with your target destination as a stop on the route, and save more than if on the direct route. Skiplagged is one site that shows you these hidden deals.

For example, a direct flight from Milwaukee to Detroit on December 11 costs $407, but Skiplagged shows there are flights from Milwaukee to St. Louis stopping in Detroit for $104—$303 less. You'd book the MKE to STL flight and just not get on the connecting flight after it lands in DTW.

Original article here.

United Airlines and Orbitz are actually suing a website, Skiplagged.com, that helps passengers search for and book hidden city plane tickets. According to their federal lawsuit, United and Orbitz claim the site’s owner, Aktarer Zaman, “has used his website to intentionally and maliciously interfere with Plaintiffs’ contracts and business relations in the airline industry.”

Hidden city ticketing isn’t illegal. But as the lawsuit says, it’s “strictly prohibited by most commercial airlines because of logistical and public safety concerns.”

Original article here.

I think that someone using a hidden-city ticketing scheme is not breaking the law or doing really anything wrong.

What say you, NSG?

[Pope Joan]

What's bad is the way the airlines gouge for nearby flights. I appreciate this response to that abuse.

[The Grim Reaper]

On the one hand, fuck trying to fuck over consumers like that.

On the other hand, flying with empty seats is genuinely a serious concern - weight loads are everything in aviation.

I'm torn here. There just has to be a better way!

[Rhodisia]

What's bad is the way the airlines gouge for nearby flights. I appreciate this response to that abuse.

Basically how they make all their money.

[MERIZoC]

I see nothing wrong with it. (this method, I mean, not the suit.) But how do you get your luggage?

[The Nihilistic view]

I see nothing wrong with it. (this method, I mean, not the suit.) But how do you get your luggage?

Fly with just hand luggage. It's what most people do on shorthall and short trips even up to a week. If i'm going to a hot place I can fit a weeks worth of stuff in my small case that can qualify as hand luggage.

[Galloism]

On the one hand, fuck trying to fuck over consumers like that.

On the other hand, flying with empty seats is genuinely a serious concern - weight loads are everything in aviation.

I'm torn here. There just has to be a better way!

Generally speaking, the weight and balance envelope gets wider the less weight the aircraft is carrying, as the lift forces for a given surface remain the same while the load be manipulated is decreased.

It's not a safety issue. How do you think they get planes from the manufacturer to the hub?

[The Nihilistic view]

"Hidden city ticketing" can offer steep discounts on airfare. Basically, you book a flight past your destination, with your target destination as a stop on the route, and save more than if on the direct route. Skiplagged is one site that shows you these hidden deals.

For example, a direct flight from Milwaukee to Detroit on December 11 costs $407, but Skiplagged shows there are flights from Milwaukee to St. Louis stopping in Detroit for $104—$303 less. You'd book the MKE to STL flight and just not get on the connecting flight after it lands in DTW.

Original article here.

United Airlines and Orbitz are actually suing a website, Skiplagged.com, that helps passengers search for and book hidden city plane tickets. According to their federal lawsuit, United and Orbitz claim the site’s owner, Aktarer Zaman, “has used his website to intentionally and maliciously interfere with Plaintiffs’ contracts and business relations in the airline industry.”

Hidden city ticketing isn’t illegal. But as the lawsuit says, it’s “strictly prohibited by most commercial airlines because of logistical and public safety concerns.”

Original article here.

I think that someone using a hidden-city ticketing scheme is not breaking the law or doing really anything wrong.

What say you, NSG?

Yeah, I do this with trains sometimes in the UK. I don't use a website for it though. It's also often cheaper to beak a journey up into several ticket sections even if you never have to physically get off the train.

Fair play, if we have a genuine free market then the lawsuit will be thrown out. Though I suspect it will be upheld and prove what we have is not the free market but crony corporatism.

[Sdaeriji]

I see nothing wrong with it. (this method, I mean, not the suit.) But how do you get your luggage?

Fly with just hand luggage. It's what most people do on shorthall and short trips even up to a week. If i'm going to a hot place I can fit a weeks worth of stuff in my small case that can qualify as hand luggage.

A lot of our sales guys ship their luggage if they're going on extended visits somewhere. It often can be cheaper than bag fees.

[The Nihilistic view]

Fly with just hand luggage. It's what most people do on shorthall and short trips even up to a week. If i'm going to a hot place I can fit a weeks worth of stuff in my small case that can qualify as hand luggage.

A lot of our sales guys ship their luggage if they're going on extended visits somewhere. It often can be cheaper than bag fees.

Yeah, that's an option for longer trips.

[MERIZoC]

I see nothing wrong with it. (this method, I mean, not the suit.) But how do you get your luggage?

Fly with just hand luggage. It's what most people do on shorthall and short trips even up to a week. If i'm going to a hot place I can fit a weeks worth of stuff in my small case that can qualify as hand luggage.

Mmm, gotcha.