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What is 'skiplagging' and why do the airlines hate when you do it?

Scott Neuman

American Airlines' lawsuit is bringing renewed attention to a controversial travel hack known as skiplagging, or hidden city ticketing. Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

American Airlines' lawsuit is bringing renewed attention to a controversial travel hack known as skiplagging, or hidden city ticketing.

A new lawsuit brought by American Airlines against a controversial ticketing website is bringing renewed attention to "skiplagging," or "hidden city ticketing" — a technique used by some passengers to get lower fares.

Lufthansa Airlines Sues Customer Who Skipped Part Of His Return Flight

What is skiplagging.

It works like this: Say a passenger wants to travel from New York to Charlotte, N.C., but the nonstop route is pricey. So instead, they book a cheaper flight that takes them from New York to Denver, with a layover in Charlotte. Rather than fly all the way to Denver, they simply get off in North Carolina and ditch the rest of the ticket.

The practice isn't exactly new. "Travel agents have known about hidden city fares for decades, and in some cases travel agents would knowingly tell their customers," says Henry Harteveldt, a travel industry analyst at Atmosphere Research Group.

But as airline prices started to surge in late 2021 , skiplagging started getting a lot more attention.

One site that's helped popularize hidden city ticketing is Skiplagged.com . The website allows users to type in their desired destination, locating flights where that destination is actually a stopover en route to another city (with a less expensive fare). The customer simply exits the airport at the connecting city and never completes the second leg of the journey.

Last week, American Airlines filed suit against Skiplagged in federal court. In its complaint, American alleges that Skiplagged's practices are "deceptive and abusive."

"Skiplagged deceives the public into believing that, even though it has no authority to form and issue a contract on American's behalf, somehow it can still issue a completely valid ticket. It cannot. Every 'ticket' issued by Skiplagged is at risk of being invalidated," the airline said.

Officials for the site could not be reached for comment. But Skiplagged, which has been around for a decade, has survived past lawsuits from the likes of United Airlines and Orbitz. It even brags about these victories on its site, boasting, "Our flights are so cheap, United sued us ... but we won."

Why do the airlines dislike skiplagging?

Skiplagging is not illegal. But most major airlines, including American, Delta Southwest and United, don't allow it.

For one thing, airlines lose money on the practice, says Tim Huh, a professor at the University of British Columbia's Sauder School of Business, who co-authored a study on skiplagging last year. For a non-direct flight, "they have a lower price ceiling for it compared to direct flights so that they can attract customers."

When someone skips out on the final leg of a trip, airlines can't fill the empty seat, which would have sold for more money had it not been booked as part of a multi-stop itinerary.

"They are selling that seat with a 95% probability that you'll show up," Huh says. "That's what the airline accounted for. So that's a [big] loss in the system."

In addition, failing to board a connecting flight can cause confusion and delays at the gate, Harteveldt says. The airlines "will make announcements [such as] 'paging passenger John Doe or Jane Doe.' ... The airline doesn't want to leave people behind."

What are the risks for customers who skiplag?

If an airline finds out what you are doing, it could simply cancel your ticket or even ban you from flying with it. That's what reportedly happened recently to a North Carolina teen who booked an American Airlines flight from Florida to New York but disembarked at his Charlotte connection. The boy's father told Insider that American banned him from flying the airline for three years.

"If you've done this repeatedly, [the airline] is going to say you owe us money," Harteveldt says. "They may be willing to settle for a certain number of cents on the dollar. Maybe they want to collect all of it. But airlines can and will take steps to protect themselves."

There are other drawbacks as well, he says. Even if your attempt at skiplagging is initially successful, it's only likely to work for one-way travel. Once the airline realizes you didn't fly to your ticketed destination, it is almost certain to cancel your return.

Finally, any checked luggage would arrive at the ticketed destination without you. So, carry-on is it.

What is skiplagging? Everything about the controversial air travel hack airlines hate

PHOENIX – You search Delta Air Lines' website for a Thanksgiving flight to Atlanta. But the Phoenix-Atlanta flights on the day before the holiday are sold out.

Then you see a Delta flight to Orlando, Florida, from Phoenix for $260 per passenger in basic economy with a layover in Atlanta. You decide to book the flight and leave the plane in Atlanta instead of flying to Orlando.

This travel hack is called skiplagging. Some passengers use it to save money when the longer route is cheaper than the desired destination. Others use it to get to a destination where direct flights are sold out.

But skiplagging is controversial, and many airlines frown upon it – so much that it can be punishable by miles or status cancellations and even a lifetime ban from the airline.

In one recent case, American Airlines canceled a Florida teen's ticket for a flight from Gainesville, Florida, to New York City, with a layover in Charlotte, North Carolina. According to a report from Queen City News in Charlotte , the teen was detained at the airport and questioned over his intentions to disembark in Charlotte. Gate agents flagged him after noticing his North Carolina driver's license.

Learn more: Best travel insurance

Here's what travelers should know about skiplagging:

What is skiplagging?

Skiplagging, also known as hidden city ticketing, is when an air traveler buys a ticket for a flight with a layover before the final destination and departs at the layover airport.

A travel website called Skiplagged.com allows people to find and book tickets for flights with hidden city ticketing. The posted savings generally range from $20 to $60 each way, like a Phoenix-Honolulu flight on Jan. 24 for $146, advertised for $47 less than a direct ticket. In one extreme case, Skiplagged advertised a Phoenix-Charlotte flight on Nov. 24 for $124, a savings of more than half the cost of a $257 direct ticket.

Is skiplagging illegal?

No, but it's against most airlines' contracts of carriage or the rules people must follow to fly with the airline.

American Airlines and Southwest Airlines both put skiplagging first on their lists of prohibited booking practices. The airlines define skiplagging, which they refer to in the contract as hidden city ticketing, as "purchasing a ticket without intending to fly all flights to gain lower fares."

United Airlines and Delta Air Lines also prohibit skiplagging.

Skiplagged.com's FAQ page on skiplagging closes with these words: "You might upset the airline, so don't do it often."

Why do airlines hate skiplagging?

When American Airlines canceling the North Carolina teen's plane ticket went viral after national media picked up the story on July 12, some social media users wondered: Why are airlines making a big deal about travelers skipping a leg of their flight if they're getting money from the ticket either way?

One reason given is lost revenue. Many airlines operate on a "hub-and-spoke" system, where flights are routed from an airport that's a central point, or hub, which then connects with other airports within the region. Flights to and from smaller airports usually go through a hub airport before the final destination to fill their planes with as many passengers as possible.

Hidden city pricing reduces competition for routes by restricting an airline's ability to charge a low price for the flight in the connecting city, according to a 2022 study by business professors Jaelynn Oh of the University of Utah and Tim Huh of the University of British Columbia.

Oh and Huh think skiplagging could have the unintended consequence of increasing airfares.

The practice also can cause flight delays.

In a 2021 court filing , Southwest said skiplagging caused the airline problems when flight crews and operations staff tried to locate passengers booked for the flight who departed in the connecting airport.

Attempts to locate these passengers caused flight delays that affected other passengers and disrupted Southwest's flight schedule and on-time performance, according to the filing.

What can airlines do if they catch you skiplagging?

According to American and Southwest's contracts of carriage, they can cancel any unused part of a ticket, refuse to let the passenger and their bags fly, not issue a refund and charge the customer for what the ticket would have cost for the full route. Airlines may ban a passenger from flying with them in the future.

Some airlines have challenged the practice in court but without success.

In November 2014, United Airlines sued Skiplagged.com and its founder in court, claiming trademark infringement, according to court documents. A judge dismissed the suit the following year .

In 2018, Lufthansa sued a passenger who purchased a ticket for a flight from Oslo, Norway, to Seattle with a layover in Frankfurt, Germany. He departed in Frankfurt and flew from there to Berlin.

According to a CNN report citing German court documents , Lufthansa sought the difference for the itinerary should have cost, about $2,385. A judge in Germany dismissed the case over the airline's recalculated airfare. Lufthansa appealed, then later dropped the case .

What should travelers know before they consider a skiplagged flight?

Know that it is a risky practice that goes against your airline's rules and be aware of the potential consequences.

If you choose to skiplag, do not check a bag. If you do, or if you're forced to check a carry-on bag because there's no room for it in the overhead bin, that luggage will end up in the final destination on the itinerary, not at the connecting airport.

Reach the reporter at [email protected] . Follow him on Twitter @salerno_phx .

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What is skiplagging? The cheap travel hack that has airlines cracking down

Skiplagging is the money-saving strategy of booking a flight with a layover city as the intended destination, article bookmarked.

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The post-pandemic travel boom has people everywhere looking to jet-set to some far-away destinations, but it’s not always easy or cheap. It seems there are always new travel hacks popping up online, like how to secure an entire row of airplane seats to yourself or how to get extra legroom on a cramped flight. But no cost-effective travel hack has airlines up in arms more than the strategy known as “skiplagging”.

Skiplagging, also referred to as “hidden-city” or “throwaway” ticketing, is the practice of booking a less-expensive flight option with a layover city without planning to fly the entire route. Instead, the stopover is the traveller’s intended destination.

The reason so many people use this controversial hack is because it’s cheaper to book a layover flight than a direct flight.

For example, a flight from New York to Orlando might be $250 nonstop, but a similar flight from New York to Dallas with a layover in Orlando might be $130. If a passenger wanted to fly to Orlando using the “skiplagging” strategy, they would get off the plane at the layover destination in Orlando rather than flying all the way to Dallas.

In fact, there’s an entire travel service dedicated to this practice called Skiplagged.com , which alerts customers to hidden-city deals and “exposes loopholes in airfare pricing to save you money.”

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Skiplagged works by giving travellers the option to search for a route with a hidden-city destination, but the website notes that hidden-city flights are only available on certain routes. If these options are available, they will appear in the flight search results with the final legs of the journey crossed off and the price marked as “skiplagged rate”.

However, airlines are not happy with this cost-saving strategy.

In July 2023, a teenager, Logan Parsons, was detained at an airport in Gainesville, Florida for employing the skiplagging strategy. He was visiting Gainesville, Florida, with his father and planned to fly back alone. On the return trip, his father booked him a flight that began in Gainesville and ended in New York. Though, Logan planned to exit the plane during its layover in Charlotte, North Carolina, and forgo the final leg of his journey.

“We’ve used Skip Lagged almost exclusively for the last five to eight years,” Mr Parsons told Queen City News . “Booked a flight from Gainesville regional to JFK via Charlotte.”

His father, Hunter Parsons, reportedly dropped Logan off at the airport in Florida when a gate agent noted the teenager’s ID cards were issued in Gainsville — the same city where his flight was scheduled to stop for a layover. The agent became suspicious and reported him to airport officials, who detained and questioned the teen.

“Interrogated a little bit, ultimately taken to a security room,” Mr Parsons said. “They kind of got out of him that he was planning to disboard in Charlotte and not going to make the connecting flight.”

After American Airlines learned that Logan was planning to skiplag, officials at the time reportedly called his parents and forced them to buy a new direct flight from Gainsville to Charlotte.

The airline said in a statement: “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.”

In 2014, United Airlines teamed up with travel website Orbitz to sue Skiplagged CEO Aktarer Zaman. The airline claimed the practice of hidden-city ticketing was “unfair” and “strictly prohibited,” saying that the New Yorker’s website cost the companies $75,000 in lost revenue. However, the case was thrown out because it was filed in Illinois where the court did not have jurisdiction, as Zaman worked and resided in New York City. Zaman also maintained that the practice was “perfectly legal”.

Five years later, Lufthansa sued a passenger who did not take the last leg of their ticketed journey . Using throwaway ticketing, the traveller bought a business-class return ticket from Oslo via Frankfurt to Seattle for around £600. He flew Oslo-Frankfurt-Seattle-Frankfurt but failed to board the final leg back to the Norwegian capital.

The German airline claimed the trip should have cost the customer £2,769 , and asked him to pay the difference between that price and his paid fare. However, an initial court case ruled in the passenger’s favour.

American Airlines then sent a memo to travel agents in January 2021 warning of the practice. The airline reportedly said it planned to begin monitoring skiplagging and that identification of such behaviors could result in “an unfavorable outcome”.

While skiplagging seems like a cost-effective way to travel, it comes with many risks as airlines have cracked down on the practice in recent years. NerdWallet reported that skiplagged travellers could be faced with consequences from airlines, such as having loyalty miles taken away or being billed for the final leg of their journey.

Plus, skiplagging only works when passengers don’t check their bags – as checked bags will end up at the ticketed final destination rather than the layover city.

Booking a hidden-city ticket using the “skiplagging” strategy is a popular way to save money on expensive flights. But there are some risks involved with throwaway tickets, and passengers who break an airline’s rules may end up paying far more than they intended.

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Whether You Call It ‘Skiplagging’ or ‘Hidden-City Travel,’ It’s Contentious

Booking a flight with a layover in the city that’s the real destination for the traveler can net big bargains, but airlines prohibit the practice.

An illustration of a woman looking toward a plane and mountains and facing away from a city.

By Christine Chung

On the last day of June, American Airlines agents at Gainesville Regional Airport in Florida canceled a North Carolina teenager’s flight after realizing that he had used a booking tactic called “skiplagging” or “hidden-city travel,” forbidden by airlines but used by some travelers to net flight bargains.

The teen’s father, Hunter Parsons, said it was his 17-year-old’s first time flying unaccompanied and that both the timing and price of the booking made it appealing — for $150, his son was to fly from Gainesville to Charlotte, and not continue on the second flight to New York, a cost savings of roughly $300 if the family had simply purchased a direct flight to Charlotte. But Mr. Parsons’s son didn’t even make it past the check-in counter in Gainesville, where the airline agents questioned why the teen would fly to New York when his layover was in his hometown, Charlotte. He was forced to pay for a direct flight.

Skiplagging is buying a ticket for a connecting flight, with a layover in the city that’s the real destination for the traveler. Flyers disembark after the first leg and simply fail to board the second. Often the fare is cheaper than if they’d actually bought a direct flight to their desired destination. At least two websites now help unearth these deals for consumers.

Though it is not illegal, the practice is strictly prohibited by airlines in their contracts of carriage. And carriers have shown an erratic but heavy hand in administering punishment for those caught, eliminating a skiplagger’s frequent flier mile s in one instance and suing a passenger in another . Mr. Parsons said that American barred his son from traveling with the carrier for three years.

Experts say that travelers have flown this way for decades and that detecting improper use of connections is tricky, making enforcement a challenge for airlines. Here’s what to know about this open secret of flying.

How does it work?

Airline ticket costs are determined by many factors, such as energy prices, passenger demand for certain routes and competition from other airlines. They aren’t merely a reflection of travel distance. For travelers, this means that it can occasionally be more affordable to book a flight with a layover along a more competitive route and get off there, rather than booking a nonstop flight to the desired location.

For instance, a traveler in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., wants to fly to San Francisco. A recent search turned up a flight from Fort Lauderdale to Portland, Ore., with a stop in San Francisco, for about $124. A nonstop flight from Fort Lauderdale to San Francisco would cost about $220.

Skiplagged and Kiwi facilitate searching for and booking these kinds of deals.

But it requires staying undetected. You can’t check a bag or link a frequent flier account to collect the mileage. And travelers who show patterns — flying the same routes repeatedly and missing the last leg of a flight — are more likely to be caught.

Why is it gaining in popularity?

Short answer: the cost of airfare, which has soared in recent years.

Mary Cropper, a travel specialist with Boston-based Audley Travel, called airfare pricing a “perfect storm.” Rising fares, in addition to fees for everything from beverages to printing boarding passes, have made skiplagging more enticing to passengers. While she doesn’t advise her clients to book this way, she said she understood the motivation.

“Why wouldn’t someone want to save 50 percent on an airline ticket, something that’s just so expensive these days?” Ms. Cropper asked.

Aktarer Zaman, Skiplagged’s founder and chief executive, emphasized that his website has “empowered people to make their own decisions” by digging up alternatives to current airline pricing practices, which he described as “price gouging."

What are the risks?

Upon purchasing a ticket, travelers agree to a contract of carriage with the airline, which is a set of rules passengers agree to comply with. These cover everything from how a carrier will handle oversold flights to requirements regarding passengers’ clothing and behavior. These terms and conditions also often explicitly forbid hidden-city ticketing and lay out a raft of consequences should travelers circumvent the rules.

United Airlines reserves the right to permanently ban travelers who don’t complete their trip. They also say they can revoke status and wipe out accrued mileage. Alaska Airlines mentions that it can take legal action against passengers who violate their policies.

American says in its fine print that it has the right to a number of actions, such as canceling any unused portion of the ticket, refusing to let the passenger fly and billing the customer for what the intended route would have cost.

Curtis Blessing, a spokesman for American, called this type of travel an “all-around bad outcome” that could cause issues with checked bags and also prevent other customers, who might have urgent travel needs, from booking seats.

Airlines have mostly taken aim at the online providers, in past years filing a handful of lawsuits against Skiplagged and Kiwi. Earlier this summer, American sued Kiwi in federal court in Texas, claiming that the “rogue online travel agent” had repeatedly engaged in “abusive ticketing practices,” including booking hidden city fares for its customers, according to court documents.

So far, litigation has been unsuccessful in blocking this travel hack. One lawsuit filed in 2014 by United against Skiplagged was dismissed, while in 2021, Southwest Airlines sued Skiplagged for using the carrier’s data. Skiplagged argued that they were not the ones actually distributing Southwest tickets; they showed flights but directed users to other websites for booking. Both parties later agreed to drop the lawsuit, Mr. Zaman said.

In 2018, Lufthansa sued a passenger who had booked a round-trip flight from Oslo to Seattle but then stayed in Frankfurt, the flight’s layover city. The airline later dropped the lawsuit .

However, there are plentiful anecdotes online of passengers who say they’ve been threatened with lifetime bans and with the loss of all their frequent flier mileage .

Is it an ethical way to travel? How much of an issue is it for airlines anyway?

“The question is whether you think it has any impact on the provider and whether you care,” said Robert Mann, an aviation analyst and a former American executive. Airlines say that exploitation of hidden-city fares results in empty seats that could have been booked by others.

In its lawsuit against Kiwi, American also said that passenger no-shows can delay flights by triggering searches for the traveler and any luggage involved, and waste fuel that is calculated by passenger count.

Others say that these fares are a loophole of an airline’s own making, and a reflection of their pricing priorities . By law, airlines can set whatever prices and routes they want .

“It can be argued charging much higher prices for shorter distances is unfair and especially penalizes frequent fliers to hub cities,” where high demand generally means costlier airfare, said Paul Hudson, the founder of a passengers rights advocacy group called Flyers Rights .

What can you do if you’re penalized for skiplagging?

Very little. Bart Banino, an attorney at Condon & Forsyth, a firm specializing in aviation law, emphasized that passengers are obligated to adhere to the airline’s terms and conditions — that contract of carriage — whether that means traveling on the route they’ve purchased, or paying a fare difference when they’re caught breaking the rules.

Mr. Hudson cited a past Supreme Court ruling that found that carriers have the right to claw back frequent flier miles, for whatever reason.

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2023 .

Christine Chung is a travel reporter for The Times. She previously covered breaking news. She joined The Times in November 2021. More about Christine Chung

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What is skiplagging? Everything about the controversial air travel hack airlines hate

You search Delta Air Lines' website for a Thanksgiving flight to Atlanta. But the Phoenix-Atlanta flights on the day before the holiday are sold out.

But skiplagging is controversial, and many airlines frown upon it — so much that it can be punishable by miles or status cancellations and even a lifetime ban from the airline.

Here's what travelers should know about skiplagging.

No illusion: Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport is busier than ever. This is why

What is skiplagging?

Skiplagging, also known as hidden city ticketing, is when an air traveler buys a ticket for a flight with a layover before the final destination and departs at the layover airport.

A travel website called Skiplagged.com allows people to find and book tickets for flights with hidden city ticketing. The posted savings generally range from $20 to $60 each way, like a Phoenix-Honolulu flight on Jan. 24, 2024, for $146, advertised for $47 less than a direct ticket. In one extreme case, Skiplagged advertised a Phoenix-Charlotte flight on Nov. 24 for $124, a savings of more than half the cost of a $257 direct ticket.

Is skiplagging illegal?

No, but it's against most airlines' contracts of carriage, or the rules people must follow to fly with the airline.

American Airlines and Southwest Airlines , which collectively operate more than 70% of the flights at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, both put skiplagging first on their lists of prohibited booking practices. The airlines define skiplagging, which they refer to in the contract as hidden city ticketing, as "purchasing a ticket without intending to fly all flights to gain lower fares."

United Airlines and Delta Air Lines also prohibit skiplagging.

Skiplagged.com's FAQ page on skiplagging closes with these words: "You might upset the airline, so don't do it often."

Why do airlines hate skiplagging?

Airlines: "We can sell more tickets than there are seats on the plane, but don't you dare give us money by buying a ticket you don't plan to use." https://t.co/uT680qVgbZ — Greg Olson (@Greg21Olson) July 12, 2023

One reason given is lost revenue. Many airlines operate on a "hub-and-spoke" system, where flights are routed from an airport that's a central point, or hub, which then connect with other airports within the region. Flights to and from smaller airports usually go through a hub airport before the final destination to fill their planes with as many passengers as possible.

Oh and Huh think skiplagging could have the unintended consequence of increasing airfares.

The practice also can cause flight delays.

Attempts to locate these passengers caused flight delays that affected other passengers and disrupted Southwest's flight schedule and on-time performance, according to the filing.

Bigger schedule: American Airlines is adding dozens of flights in Phoenix. Here's where you can go

What can airlines do if they catch you skiplagging?

Some airlines have challenged the practice in court but without success.

In November 2014, United Airlines sued Skiplagged.com and its founder in court, claiming trademark infringement, according to court documents. A judge dismissed the suit the following year .

In 2018, Lufthansa sued a passenger who purchased a ticket for a flight from Oslo, Norway, to Seattle with a layover in Frankfurt, Germany. He departed in Frankfurt and flew from there to Berlin.

What should travelers know before they consider a skiplagged flight?

Know that it is a risky practice that goes against your airline's rules and be aware of the potential consequences.

Airport dining guide: Where to eat while you wait at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport

Reach the reporter at [email protected] . Follow him on Twitter @salerno_phx .

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: What is skiplagging and is it bad? What flyers should know

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What is ‘skiplagging’ and should you use it as a travel hack for your next flight?

Skiplagging may not be illegal, but the airlines can enforce rules on passengers..

Passengers wait in a check in line for Qatar Airlines on Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022, in DFW...

By Alexandra Skores

12:29 PM on Jul 21, 2023 CDT

A teen that wanted to skip his last leg of travel to save money on his airfare is bringing to light a travel hack that got him in trouble with American Airlines by using a controversial strategy: skiplagging.

“Skiplagging,” or booking a flight with a layover to skip the last leg of travel, is a common hack for travelers who don’t want to pay for a direct flight, but it ultimately ends up costing the airlines for seats on planes. Or travelers use it to get cheaper tickets to a destination.

It’s also sometimes known as “hidden city” ticketing.

For example, an airline may charge more for a ticket from Dallas to Cleveland than it does for Dallas to New York. But in certain instances, the plane may connect in Cleveland and the passenger can simply walk off the plane for less money.

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That’s because sometimes an airline charges lower fares between destinations to stimulate demand or move aircraft and crew.

According to Insider, a teen planned to ditch during his layover in Charlotte, instead of New York City, where his final leg of travel ended. His father told Insider that he was caught when a gate agent noticed his North Carolina ID.

“The practice of hidden city ticketing is prohibited by American’s Conditions of Carriage and agency agreements,” said Curtis Blessing, spokesman at American Airlines. “In some cases, there are entities acting as accredited agents of American, but fraudulently obtaining American’s content and misrepresenting its products and services to the detriment of the traveling public.”

If a customer knowingly or unknowingly purchases a ticket and doesn’t fly all the segments in their itinerary, it can lead to operational issues with checked bags and prevent other customers from booking a seat, Blessing said.

“Intentionally creating an empty seat that could have been used by another customer or team member is an all-around bad outcome,” Blessing said.

In 2021, American released a notice to travel agents that it would be monitoring bookings for this sort of behavior, according to SimpleFlying. There’s even a website called Skiplagged.com , which claims to “find flights the airlines don’t want you to see.” In 2015, a Chicago judge threw out a lawsuit from United Airlines against the website, according to CNN .

While it isn’t illegal to skiplag, the airlines can take further action against a passenger who tries to take advantage. Southwest Airlines ’ contract of carriage states “purchasing a ticket without intending to fly all flights to gain lower fares” as a prohibited booking practice. American’s conditions of carriage states the same language for a prohibited practice.

It also doesn’t work with round-trip tickets. Airlines usually cancel future legs of a trip if a passenger misses an earlier flight.

Airlines can ban or suspend customers from future flights if they discover the behavior.

Related: How the blistering heat is impacting American Airlines’ hot-weather hubs

Alexandra Skores , Aviation Reporter . Alexandra Skores is the aviation writer for The Dallas Morning News, covering airlines, air travel and the aerospace industry. She's a graduate of the University of Iowa. Alexandra has previously worked at the Oregonian in Portland, Oregon and The Gazette in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

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What is skiplagging? All about the travel hack airlines hate.

Airlines have banned the practice, but it hasn’t stopped fliers from doing it

Earlier this week, an unaccompanied minor departing Gainesville Regional Airport in Florida found himself in headlines after he was denied boarding to an American Airlines flight. He hadn’t committed a crime, nor was he accused of being unruly.

His offense? Attempting to make use of a money-saving hack that gutsy fliers use every year.

It’s called skiplagging, and although it sounds playful enough, it’s hardly a game in airlines’ minds. In fact, most carriers regard it as a form of fraud.

Here’s everything you need to know about the controversial practice.

‘Two seats left’ and other flight-booking conspiracy theories, debunked

What is skiplagging?

“Skiplagging — or ‘hidden-city ticketing’ — is booking a trip where you plan on getting off at a layover city and throwing away the last leg or legs of a flight,” explains Clint Henderson, an industry expert and a managing editor for the Points Guy.

“Say I want to fly to Miami from New York,” he says. “Prices are high if I book direct, but if I fly New York to Miami to Orlando, I can save $130. I could book that, pocket the savings, and then get off the plane in Miami instead of continuing on to Orlando.”

It might seem counterintuitive: You’re ultimately flying fewer miles in the sky, so why should it cost more money on the ground? Well, airlines typically price flights with a connection at a lower rate than directs because the latter are often in higher demand. Plus, as Henderson points out, carriers want to route as many passengers as possible through their dedicated hubs to increase efficiency and thereby cut costs. That means you can usually save money by connecting through one of these primary bases of operation.

Easy wins, good habits, better living.

Google Flights added a low-price guarantee. Here’s the fine print.

In the case of the teen in Gainesville, he was booked on a flight to New York City by way of Charlotte — a major hub for American Airlines. His family is based in North Carolina, however, so he never had plans to get on the connecting flight to New York, his father, Hunter Parsons, told local media. Gate agents became suspicious of his intent after seeing his North Carolina license. That’s when he was pulled aside for questioning, his ticket was canceled and the family had to purchase a new one, Parsons said.

Multiple news outlets have reported that the teen was “detained” during the incident, but a spokesperson for American Airlines refutes that description.

“Our records indicate the customer was questioned only at the ticket counter about their travel, while attempting to check-in for their flight,” AA spokeswoman Andrea Koos said in an email. “A member of our customer relations team has been in touch with them to address their concerns.”

What are airline policies on skiplagging?

The fact that the teen was denied boarding underscores how serious airlines take skiplagging. It makes sense, because the practice saps revenue from them on two fronts: Not only do passengers underpay — potentially by hundreds of dollars per ticket — but the seat on the tossed leg also could have been sold to someone else.

Most contracts of carriage from major airlines expressly forbid skiplagging as a result. If an airline catches you trying to do so, it could cancel your whole itinerary. Henderson also points to examples of travelers having frequent-flier miles and memberships rescinded, or even rare instances of passengers getting sued.

“The airlines are getting increasingly sophisticated and smart about it,” he adds. “I expect that will get even more prevalent as technology improves further.”

How to get a refund for your canceled flight

In the meantime, it remains a somewhat sticky subject in travel. It can be difficult to prove what a passenger’s itinerant intentions truly are.

Matt Meltzer, a Miami-based travel writer, said he has saved hundreds of dollars on flights by skiplagging over the past several years. He views the teen’s recent experience as an outlier and doesn’t think gate agents at major hubs are looking for skiplagging.

“If I was getting on that flight and someone accused me of not intending to fly to New York, I’d just say: ‘Nope! Got “Hamilton” tickets tomorrow night. Very excited. Go Mets!’”

And it’s not exactly a solid business practice to preemptively accuse your paying customers of fraud. Representatives from both Delta and United declined to comment for this story; Delta pointed to a link to the airline’s Contract of Carriage, which expressly prohibits hidden-city ticketing. United , American and Southwest also prohibit the practice in their contracts.

So should you skip skiplagging?

Despite airlines banning the practice, some travelers are shirking the rules — and there are resources dedicated to helping them do it. Most notable is Skiplagged.com , which helped popularize the practice, and the term itself, when the site launched in 2013. (United Airlines and Orbitz unsuccessfully tried to sue the site a year later.)

The flight-booking hack dividing the internet

Be forewarned: On top of earning the ire of airlines, skiplagging comes with its own spate of logistical headaches. Chris Dong, a Los Angeles-based travel writer and points expert who used to skiplag, says you especially can’t do this on a round-trip flight.

“Airlines will cancel your return flight if you’re a ‘no show’ for any segment of a booked itinerary,” Dong said in an email.

If there’s a schedule change, or if a flight is delayed or rerouted, which can be common in a stormy, busy travel season , then, as Dong points out, “there’s a possibility your entire skiplag plan could go out the window.”

Finally, Henderson introduces another pitfall: “What if you are last to board, and they make you check your carry-on?”

“You’ll be in trouble, because your bag will end up in the wrong city,” he said. “The airlines can take your loyalty account, ban you from the airline and even sue you. It’s definitely not worth the risk to try this just to save a few dollars. Don’t do it!”

Brad Japhe is a London-based travel writer. You can follow him on Instagram: @journeys_with_japhe .

More travel tips

Vacation planning: Start with a strategy to maximize days off by taking PTO around holidays. Experts recommend taking multiple short trips for peak happiness . Want to take an ambitious trip? Here are 12 destinations to try this year — without crowds.

Cheap flights: Follow our best advice for scoring low airfare , including setting flight price alerts and subscribing to deal newsletters. If you’re set on an expensive getaway, here’s a plan to save up without straining your credit limit.

Airport chaos: We’ve got advice for every scenario , from canceled flights to lost luggage . Stuck at the rental car counter? These tips can speed up the process. And following these 52 rules of flying should make the experience better for everyone.

Expert advice: Our By The Way Concierge solves readers’ dilemmas , including whether it’s okay to ditch a partner at security, or what happens if you get caught flying with weed . Submit your question here . Or you could look to the gurus: Lonely Planet and Rick Steves .

Long layover? This travel hack saved me hours at the airport, got me to my destination faster, and cost $0.

I recently cut a long layover very short at the airport.
My flight from Maui landed in Chicago with over five hours before the final leg to Philadelphia.
I spoke to an airline agent about changing my flight. Minutes later, I was in the air.

There's nothing worse than waiting for what feels like an eternity at the airport for a flight — especially after you've just spent hours sitting on a plane.

I was prepared for this on a recent trip back from Maui to Philadelphia , with one very long stop in Chicago .

But after getting little sleep on a close-to-eight-hour, overnight flight, I didn't want to accept that I had to wait five hours in Chicago before getting on the two-hour flight home to Philly.

With a little ingenuity, however, I found a way to avoid the wait and get home before that flight even departed. The best part? It didn't cost me a thing.

The key to my success was simply checking the departures board to see if we could make an earlier flight

My first flight left Maui's Kahului Airport at 5:16 p.m. local time and landed at Chicago O'Hare International Airport at 6:05 a.m. in that time zone. The next wasn't scheduled to leave until 11:11 a.m.

I knew it'd be a hellish itinerary when I booked it, and could've planned to go on an earlier flight from Philadelphia from Chicago but it left just over an hour to make it in time — and that's if there weren't any delays . (My rule of thumb is to leave at least an hour and a half between flights.)

Of course, the flight landed early in Chicago.

Just as I was gauging my husband's temperature (lukewarm) on leaving the airport to get breakfast in Chicago , and doing the math to work out how long we'd have once we actually got into the city proper, I remembered that flight.

I was bleary-eyed and exhausted, but in that moment, I found the energy to run to the closest departures board. There it was: the 7:25 a.m. flight to Philadelphia International Airport, with an arrival time of 10:28 a.m.

If we could catch that flight, I could be napping by 11 a.m., I thought.

I asked the airline if we could switch to an earlier flight

It was Memorial Day Monday, one of the busiest travel days of the year , but I didn't lose hope.

We made a beeline for a nearby United gate — both of our flights were with the airline — and asked if there was room on the earlier flight.

A staff member at the gate advised us to ask an airline agent in the airport or a virtual one through United's app about making the switch.

We couldn't see a United agent in the part of the terminal we were in, but there was a stand with a QR code you could scan to speak to an airline agent. It pulled up a page on the United app, and I started a chat with an agent.

With the clock ticking, I was skeptical that the virtual assistant could help us in time — by this point, the flight was boarding in 20 minutes — but nevertheless I asked if we could switch, and if there'd be a fee to do so.

We made it onto an earlier United flight (not pictured). Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Then we remembered our bags.

I asked the assistant if our checked luggage would make it onto the flight . They said they'd do their best, and it depended on whether the bags were scanned after we'd made the change. Worst case, we could figure it out with the airline and get a 20-minute ride from our house to the airport to pick up our stuff later.

The next challenge was getting to the gate in time. We legged it through the giant (and honestly, beautiful) airport to get to another terminal, and even had to hop on a train to get there.

Looking for the gate, I realized we had to go through security again since it was a different terminal. Not ideal in a time crunch. Thankfully, we're both TSA PreCheck members so we got through pretty quickly.

We made it to the gate just before our group was called, albeit out of breath.

Even our bags made it, though it wasn't a guarantee

While the plane was taxiing, I remembered the AirTags in our checked bags.

I opened the Find My app and looked for my bag, and my husband did the same. Somehow, they were in the correct terminal!

Luckily, the rest of our journey went smoothly. Our flight left 10 minutes early, and we — and our bags — were back in Philly by 10:24 a.m., and home by 11 a.m. (10 a.m. in Chicago).

With the time difference, we would've had another hour and 10 minutes at the airport before our original flight. And we were snoozing in the comfort of our own home when it took off.

If you want to do something similar, here's my advice:

Next time you have a long layover, check the departures board. Track down an airline agent to ask for a switch to an earlier time if there is one.

If there are seats available, ask if there's a fee to switch. If there is, decide if it makes sense for your budget.

Understand that even if you make it for the flight, your bags might not. Put AirTags in your checked bags if you have them to see if they make it — if they don't, contact the airline ASAP to make a plan to get your stuff from the airport.

Stay flexible when traveling. If this trick worked for me on one of the busiest travel weekends of the year, it might just work for you.

Main content

The Best Flight Booking Hacks For Savvy Travellers

April 14, 2021

Vera Andrews

Let our inside expert walk you through the best flight booking hacks to find a great airline deal. No sleeping on the floor required, I promise. These flight hacks are for savvy travellers who know when to spend and when to save – and they’re not just for budget airlines.

Let’s go.

If you book or buy through some of the links on this page, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

The Best Flight Hacks to Find a Great Deal

Let’s get right to it.

1. Search in Incognito or Private Browsing Mode

The first and simplest of the tricks to get cheap flights is to search for flights using incognito or private browsing mode.

Whether you are searching directly with airlines or on a search engine like Kayak, your searches are tracked using persistent cookies. These cookies are planted in your web browser and allow the airlines or search websites to identify you when you return to finish your booking. Their pricing algorithms will detect the cookies and adjust up the prices to create a sense of urgency, forcing you to buy before they raise prices further.

Browsing incognito or using private browsing will protect you from such price manipulation.

How to Enable Incognito/Private Browsing Mode and Cheat Air Fare Rises:

For Google Chrome, click the 3 dots at the top right corner -> New incognito window or use the shortcut: ctrl + shift + N (or cmd + shift + N for Macs).
For Firefox, click on the 3 bars at the top right corner -> New private window or use the shortcut: ctrl + shift + P (or cmd + shift + P for Macs).
For Safari, go to File -> New private window or hit the shortcut: cmd + shift + N.

Alternatively, you can install add-ons to your browser to do this automatically for you:

Self-destructing cookies ( Firefox , Chrome ) is a browser extension that automatically deletes cookies for you to prevent tracking.

2. Compare Airfares: Shop Around

You’ll find many different flight search engines on the web, employing different search and pricing algorithms, with no one holding a monopoly over cheap flights. What this means is that there’s almost always another site selling it for less.

Simply searching for the same flight on a different website often results in a lower price. But there’s a trick to doing it the right way: search on a website owned by a different conglomerate.

Many of the most popular flight search websites are owned by large conglomerates and utilize the same algorithms. For example, Kayak and Momondo are both owned by Booking Holdings, so searching for the same flight on these two sites is pointless – you’ll simply get the exact same results.

To help you get started, these are my recommendations for websites to search flights on, grouped by their parent company:

Kayak and Momondo (owned by Booking Holdings.)
Skyscanner and Trip.com (owned by Trip.com Group.)
Google Flights
Tripli.com (new player on the block)

Searching across these websites will find you very different results, giving you the best chance of finding a lower price on the same flight.

This can get tedious, though. In which case, try an automatic flight price shopping browser extension such as BuyLo . The browser extension pops up at checkout automatically and will run a search for a lower price flight on the exact same route for you. It’s effortless and just takes around a minute, so it’s one of the best cheap flight hacks around.

3. Error Fares

One of the best airline ticket hacks involves error fares. We’ve talked about how the algorithms on flight booking sites can work against you, but they can sometimes work for you.

Sometimes airlines make pricing errors such as:

Calculation errors made in converting one currency to another
Dropping the last zero by mistake (e.g, pricing a flight at $100 instead of $1,000)
Technical glitches in the systems of online travel agencies, which omit surcharges from the fare total
Clumsy interns manually entering prices

How to Find Flight Errors:

How do you go about finding such errors? Firstly, they will sometimes show up in flight search engines. When doing broad, whole month searches, it would be glaringly easy to see such fares. They will be orders of magnitude lower than prices on any other day of the month.

However, these error fares get snapped up quite rapidly so it’s highly unlikely that you would just come across them by chance. The surest way to get notified about them is to sign up for notifications from a flight deal website such as Scott’s Cheap Flights , Dollar Flight Club , Secret Flying or Airfare Watchdog . You can sign up for email alerts or subscribe to their social media feeds to hack flight prices automatically.

However, note the following when taking advantage of error fares:

There is a risk that the airline will not honour the fare. However, cancellations are quite rare, especially for reputable airlines. The airline will ultimately have to weigh the cost of selling underpriced tickets against the damage to its reputation, loss of customer faith and potential legal ramifications if they decide to cancel the tickets.
Error fares often only apply to a very specific flight and the dates and times for the flight might not work for you. Obviously, cheap flight tricks are only worth anything if you end up with the flight you want!

4. Price Alerts Airfare Hacks

It’s usually the case that last minute flight bookings are the most expensive.

But when is the best time to book?

There is no one rule as it entirely depends on the origin, destination, dates and times.

But there is a work around. For example, when you are using a flight booking site like Kayak or Google Flights, you can subscribe to price alerts.

For example, on Kayak, their price advice box pops up at the top left of the search results page. Clicking on track prices will allow you to subscribe to price changes on a specific route.

However, note that this will only tell you when it’s a good time to book a specific route. The price on the ticket will still vary based on the selected time, airlines and booking gates. To guarantee finding the lowest prices, I would recommend price shopping the selected flight or using an automated tool like BuyLo .

5. Disguising Your Device

When it comes to using tricks to find cheap flights, if you want to cover all bases then this one of the least well known plane ticket hacks.

Another way that flight booking sites’ algorithms try to outsmart you is through price discrimination based on device. In a nutshell, the device you are using tells a lot about you and how much you can afford. For example, Apple users tend to be more wealthy, so they are shown higher prices.

This form of price discrimination is harder for the end user to detect. After all, who’s price shopping flights on the exact same site across devices? But don’t worry, we did our research and it is a thing.

So our advice is simple:

If you are booking on your phone, don’t.
If you are booking on a Mac, use a User Agent Switching Browser extension ( Firefox , Chrome ). Browser extensions such as these allow you to fake the device you are using, tricking the algorithms into showing you a lower price.

British Airways Business Class Travel Writer Abigail King Sleeping Mid flight

6. The Layover Flight Hack

Hack airline tickets even more with this top tip.

Don’t tick the “direct flights only” box while booking tickets. Most flights that have a transfer or layover tend to be cheaper than direct flights. It would take longer to get to your destination but the savings could more than make up for it!

Consider this: Suppose a flight with a layover takes 3 hours longer to get to your destination but would save you $600. You should take the flight with the layover unless your time is valued at > $200/hr.

Also, consider super long layover flights, even multi-day layovers. Why would anyone do that? Because you could leave the airport during the layover, making your vacation a two destination vacation instead of one!

Some airlines even provide FREE hotel accommodation for long layovers! For example, EgyptAir’s layover service will provide a free hotel, meals and transportation. It’s entirely possible to visit the pyramids during your layover !

There are plenty of useful resources with more information on airline stopover programs (e.g., here and here ). However, note that many of the programs are suspended during the pandemic but they are expected to come back as lockdown restrictions get lifted globally.

The flight layover hack can often really surprise you.

7. Use a Flight Deal Finding Browser Extension Like Buylo

If these flight booking hacks are too much of a hassle to apply yourself, you could outsource it to a browser extension like BuyLo . In a nutshell, it’s like Honey but specific to flights. Here’s how it works:

Simply search for flights at on a supported airline/booking site (see list here )
Go to the checkout and BuyLo will automatically pop up to run a search for a lower price.

Here’s an example of BuyLo finding £2,791 in savings on a £6,700 business class flight from London to Boston:

It only took about a minute to run. Pretty neat!

So how does it work? Basically, BuyLo automates price comparison, incognito search and device spoofing – three of the airline hacks we’ve mentioned in this flight hacks guide. It works for Economy and Business class flights and supports every currency. It’s your best chance of finding the cheapest flight.

However, it’s important to note that none of these flight booking hacks can guarantee that you will save money. But if there are savings to be found, these flight hacks will find them.

Booking a Flight Tips

Booking using a credit card can earn you loyalty points or cashback. Look into deals before making a big purchase. Watch out for foreign transaction fees when spending abroad, though. It may be better to choose a different method of paying while actually at your final destination.
It’s not only the budget airlines that charge for luggage these days. Check the baggage policy when comparing prices.
Most airlines allow children to travel free of charge when they are under two years old. They also usually allow for extra luggage like pushchairs and car seats. However, these are not guaranteed so double check the fine print before booking .
Being flexible with your departure date can open up cheaper air fares. Enter in a range when searching for flight deals.
It’s usually better to book return tickets with the same airline but don’t rule out booking one way tickets with separate airlines. Depending on a variety of factors, this may be the best way to hack airline tickets.
Make a note of when check-in opens and when you can reserve your seat. Some airlines charge extra for this, now, so if it’s important for you to sit with someone or near the toilet, for example, then make sure you don’t miss the booking deadline.

More Flying Hacks

OK, so you’ve mastered the airfare hacks. What about the flight itself?

Check out our ultimate guides to flying more comfortably here:

21 Long Haul Flight Essentials – fall in love with flying again
The Ultimate Travel Packing Checklist – it’s all here
The Best Carry On Luggage – find the right suitcase to fly
The Ultimate International Travel Checklist – does what it says!
Can laptops go in checked luggage? What you need to know.

What is skiplagging? Here’s more on the travel hack that airlines hate

The latest trending topic on the budget-traveling side of social media isn’t a favorite of the airlines, here’s what professionals on the practice suggest.

Travelers walk through the Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City on Aug. 2, 2022.

By Rebecca Olds

Traveling for cheap is one of the trendiest topics of the last decade. Travel is on everyone’s bucket list, but not everyone can afford a first-class or even coach ticket, especially if it’s a family trip.

More and more social media users are drawn to accounts that help travelers get the biggest bang for their buck, teaching anything from how to get reimbursed for getting kicked off an overbooked flight, how to use credit card points and air miles for free vacations and getting free hotel stays for overnight layovers.

What is the latest trending topic on the budget-traveling side of social media? Taking advantage of layovers using skiplagging.

How does skiplagging work?

“Skiplagging,” or “hidden city ticketing,” is finding good flight deals with layovers at your final destination and stopping there instead of continuing on, per skiplagged , a website that specializes in the practice.

Essentially, you jump ship at the layover instead of catching a connecting flight.

Is skiplagging illegal?

While skiplagging isn’t illegal, per skiplagged, it’s very possible you might upset the airline if it’s a common occurrence.

Delta, United, American and Southwest all prohibit the practice in their Contracts of Carriage, per The Washington Post . If the airline catches you, they’ve been known to cancel future flights, not allow you to board the flight and cancel your rewards account.

Just keep in mind, as travel writer Matt Meltzer told the Post, it’s rare for the airline to catch skiplaggers, but it’s not impossible.

If you decide to risk it, skiplagger.com gives a few things to be aware of.

Travel with a passport even if you’re not going all the way to the international destination.
Only use a backpack so there’s no chance of getting your bag checked at the gate.
Don’t use frequent flyer accounts or rewards programs, it’s easier for the airline to track the skiplagging.
Don’t overuse the same routes.
Bad weather may mess up your travel plans.

What are the best travel hacks?

For more travel tips that don’t carry the same risk as skiplagging, here are five digital creators to follow on Instagram to learn more:

Alex Payne, the Travel Hacking Mom .
Stacey, pointsforfamilytravel .
Annie Hall, letstravelhack .
Angel Trinh, penneywisetraveler .
Jess Bohorques, pointsbyj .

How to Get FREE Extended Layovers & Hack One Trip Into TWO (Updated 2024)

If there's anything worse than long-distance flying, it's knowing you're making a layover in an interesting destination, but can't visit it. For the globetrotter at heart, this is small-scale heartbreak.

Luckily, airlines have begun to pick up on this. Countries worldwide are more than keen to turn passing-through travellers into cash-wielding tourists, even if only for a few days.

The good news? You can create a multi-day stopover (that is, an extended layover, not just hours in the airport) on your own. Here's a complete list of airlines that offer free multi-day layovers, and how to book them yourself!

Psst , want to grab yourself a free city tour during your next airport layover? Here's 7 airports that offer free tours during your layover, that don't require a visa!

Method 1: Build your own stopover (extended layover)

Step 1: search from your origin to your final destination.

Let's say I want to fly from New York City, USA to Sydney, Australia . Let's pop that into Skyscanner (or download the app ) for February 14.

The cheapest result is $609 USD. We can also see from the results that Los Angeles is a common connecting point from New York City to Sydney. With that in mind, we can make a multi-day stopover out of our layover. Why not have an extended layover and spend a week in Los Angeles while we're there?

Step 2: Use multi-city search to extend layovers into stopovers

We can go back to Skyscanner and use the multi-city search function to extend that layover into a trip. We put in our original departure date of February 14 from New York City to Los Angeles, but then set the second flight from Los Angeles to Sydney a week later on February 21.

The resulting flight with the same airlines is $628 USD . So for a difference of just $19, we now have a week-long trip in Los Angeles before heading over to sunny Sydney.

For this trick to work, you must book the flights together using a multi-city search like the one offered by Skyscanner . This ensures that the entire trip is bundled together and served by partnering airlines, which gives you the best price. In this example, booking 2 direct flights as separate searches resulted in a total price of $756 USD , a difference of $128 USD in extra costs that can be avoided by using the multi-city search tool.

Method 2: Find airlines that offer free stopovers

While Skyscanner is great for creating your own multi-day layovers, some airlines offer special layover pricing plus bonuses, such as a free hotel stay. Here is a list of airlines that offer free layovers (and perks!) from around the world.

North America

Stopover destination(s) : Vancouver, Toronto, or Montréal, Canada Departure point(s) : United States or Canada Final destination(s) : United States or Canada Stopover duration : One night Terms & conditions : Can obtain an overnight hotel stay if layover is 6+ hours (incurs $49 CAD fee if Tango/Flex class, free for Latitude, Premium and Business Class). Can book stopovers on both legs of a return flight. Stopover can be added to existing booking, must be an end-to-end trip (not multiple destinations). How to book : Air Canada Website

Stopover destination(s) : Helsinki, Finland Departure point(s) : International (various) Final destination(s) : International (various) Stopover duration : 5 hours up to 5 nights Terms & conditions : Nil How to book : Book on FinnAir website, select stopover duration on booking

Iceland Air & Wow Air

Stopover destination(s) : Reykjavik, Iceland Departure point(s) : Canada, Europe, Iceland, Scandinavia, United States Final destination(s) : Canada, Europe, Iceland, Scandinavia, United States Stopover duration : Iceland Air offers a max 7 days, WOW Air offers as long as you want. Terms & conditions : With Iceland Air, WOW Air – simply book it yourself on their search engine, luggage fees will incur and prices vary with supply/demand. How to book : Iceland Air website (select # of days for stopover in dropdown menu when booking flights), WOW Air website (check off the “stopover” option on the search page)

TAP Portugal

Stopover destination(s) : Lisbon, Portugal Departure point(s) : Manchester or London Final destination(s) : International Stopover duration : 1 night with hotel accommodation Terms & conditions : Eligible on flights with overnight layover and no same-day connections. Not eligible on flights between Lisbon and Casablanca and Marrakech. Deal subject to hotel availability. How to book : Book on TAP website

Stopover destination(s) : Beijing, Chengdu, Dalian, Hangzhou, Shanghai Departure point(s) : Domestic and international Final destination(s) : Domestic and international Stopover duration : Up to 24 hours visa-free Terms & conditions : Free shuttle ride and hotel overnight for layovers <24 hours. How to book : Must phone Air China hotline or visit Air China representative to book. Details here .

China Southern Air

Stopover destination(s) : Guangzhou Departure point(s) : Various domestic and international Final destination(s) : Various domestic and international Stopover duration : 8-24 hours Terms & conditions : No onward flights in the same day. Free shuttle, hotel, and breakfast provided. How to book : Book hotel on China Southern Airlines website .

Singapore Airlines

Stopover destination(s) : Singapore Departure point(s) : International (various) Final destination(s) : International with stopover in Singapore, or Singapore as final destination Stopover duration : 1 night hotel Terms & conditions : Valid on stopovers or final destination in Singapore until 31 March 2017. NOT free, starts at $65. How to book : Singapore Air website

Thai Airways

Stop over destination(s) : Bangkok Departure point(s) : Australia Final destination(s) : Europe Stopover duration : 1 free overnight hotel stay in Bangkok Terms & conditions : Valid only on economy class fares to Europe departing from Australia between September to December 2016. How to book : Book on Thai Airways website or with a travel agent

Turkish Airways

Stopover destination(s) : Istanbul, Turkey Departure point(s) : Australia Final destination(s) : Europe Stopover duration : Maximum 2 nights hotel accommodation Terms & conditions : Max 2 nights hotel for stopovers of 10+ hours for economy class passengers, or 7+ hours for business class passengers waiting for international flights. How to book : Details on Turkish Airlines website , or call for details at +90 212 4440849.

Ethiopian Airlines

Stopover destination(s) : Addis Ababa Departure point(s) : International Final destination(s) : International Stopover duration : 8-24 hour connection (1 night hotel stay) when connecting through Addis Ababa Terms & conditions : Must be booked on arrival and subject to availability How to book : Book at airport on arrival, details here .

Middle East

Stopover destination(s) : Dubai, UAE Departure point(s) : International (various) Final destination(s) : International (various) Stopover duration : Varies Terms & conditions : Must have an Emirates flight booked that stops in Dubai. Hotel costs may incur extra charges. Full details here . How to book : Can be added by travel agent or on Emirates website or call center.

Stopover destination(s) : Abu Dhabi, Dubai Departure point(s) : International, at least one flight (inbound or outbound) passing through Abu Dhabi Final destination(s) : International, at least one flight (inbound or outbound) passing through Abu Dhabi Stopover duration : Minimum 2-night stay. Terms & conditions : Prices start at $37 USD per person including hotel. Full terms and conditions here . How to book : Book on Etihad website .

Qatar Airways

Stopover destination(s) : Doha, Qatar Departure point(s) : International Final destination(s) : International Stopover duration : 5 hours to 4 days not requiring a visa in advance Terms & conditions : Transit visa required (free, offered on arrival with confirmation of onward journey). Full details here . How to book : Book on Qatar Airways website under multi-city booking.

Virgin Australia

Stopover destination(s) : Abu Dhabi or Dubai Departure point(s) : International Final destination(s) : International Stopover duration : One night with hotel stay Terms & conditions : Valid only for business class flights if you have a flight connecting through Abu Dhabi or Dubai How to book : Book flight that connects through Abu Dhabi or Dubai on Virgin website or with travel agent

So the next time you have to make a layover, see if you can turn it into an additional adventure. The more travel, the better! 😉

Do you know of an airline that offers free stopovers not listed here? Share some thrifty love below!

Hack your way to cheaper travel

We know you love to travel for less, and it’s now easier than ever with Kiwi.com’s travel hacks, unique search options, and customizable filters. Discover more about how they work and go grab yourself a flight deal at Kiwi.com.

Explore travel hacks

Self-transfer

Our self-transfer hack helps you reach any destination even if airlines don’t provide it as an existing itinerary. How does it work? It’s fairly straightforward. You give us the “where” and “when” and we create a travel itinerary out of separate flights from different airlines. You get where you need to go – for less.

Hidden cities ticketing

Our hidden cities hack is great if you like to travel to popular destinations and you want to beat the high prices on popular direct routes. Let’s say you want to travel from Amsterdam to Barcelona, but it costs too much. We’ll find you a two-leg itinerary with a layover in Barcelona, where you decide to say “Hasta la vista, second leg!”

Throwaway ticketing

Throwaway tickets help you hack the often expensive one-way fares. So, if an airline is selling a round-trip ticket cheaper than a one-way ticket, we’ll offer it to you, even though you’ve set your search filter to one-way.

Nomad — the ultimate multi-city flight search

With Nomad, our unique multi-city search tool, you simply input three or more destinations, your length of stay and travel dates, and the cheapest possible route will be found in a flash. Don’t overload your browser or fry your brain trying to figure out the best and the cheapest multiple-destination itinerary — save all that energy for your trip!

Flight price alerts

We know that flight prices change all the time. Our price alerts keep track of this and will notify you when the cost of your trip changes so that you can book when you see a price you like. No need to search for the same route again; just set up your personal price alert and trust our Kiwi-Code, which checks billions of routes every day.

By subscribing you agree to receive offers according to the conditions described in our Privacy Policy .

Flexible ticketing options

We give you Flexi, Standard, and Saver ticket options because we understand that sometimes, you need a flexible ticket that allows you to change or cancel your trip; and other times, you just want to grab a bargain and not pay a penny more.

Kiwi.com Guarantee

Our Guarantee gives you peace of mind whenever and wherever you travel. It protects you on all your connections, whether you’re traveling by plane, bus or train. It covers carrier cancellations, delays, and schedule changes.

Multimodal flight, train, and bus search

Our flight, train, and bus search gives you extra freedom. With this search tool, you can combine air and ground travel options into one itinerary. It really comes in handy when traveling to a city with no airport!

Price FX for lower exchange rates

Our goal is to make travel simple, cheap, and transparent, so when you buy a ticket with us, we won’t charge you any unfair exchange rate fees as many airlines do. When you pay in your chosen currency, we’ll only charge the middle market rate.

We hack the system, you fly for less

Technology that makes travel cheaper and simpler for everyone.

Kiwi-Code sees 95% of all the flights from around the world and performs billions of flight price checks every day to give you the most up-to-date search results, always. What does that mean for you? It’s simple: you get more travel search results than you would anywhere else. You see the deals and travel options that airlines don’t want you to see and other search engines can’t even find. This is how, when you book with Kiwi.com, you’re getting some of the best travel deals on the internet.

Travel innovations that shake things up

Kiwi.com is completely independent of any airlines and online travel agents, which gives us the freedom to reinvent and reimagine the travel industry and its technology. And that is exactly what we do. We shake things up so you can use that technology with ease when booking your trips. We want to set travel tech trends that others will follow, because we believe that it’s the only way the travel industry can make traveling more accessible for everyone.

We want our travel tech to show you all of your travel options, so that you can decide whether you want to stick with the standard itinerary, or whether you want to take advantage of our travel hacks that might make the journey cheaper or more convenient.

Travel is about freedom. So are our hacks.

Kiwi.com suits both experienced and inexperienced travelers who are looking for regular travel search results, but are also asking for something extra — like our travel hacks. We realize that not all our travel hacks are suited to just any trip, but we still want to give you the final say. That’s why, when you search for a specific destination or route, the search results on our Kiwi.com website or on the Kiwi.com app will consist of all the standard options from all the relevant carriers, plus any available travel hack options: routes that feature self-transfer, hidden cities, and throwaway ticketing.

What is a travel hack?

At Kiwi.com, what we call a “travel hack” is anything that makes your travel experience easier and cheaper, and that positively disrupts the way flight and travel search engines work.

Our four main travel hacks are:

What is self-transfer?

The self-transfer hack helps you travel anywhere by connecting airlines and carriers that don’t usually cooperate with each other. It’s an extremely useful hack especially when there are no direct flights between smaller airports.

Our self-transfer hack is synonymous with virtual interlining, a complicated-sounding term for a simple idea: making planes, trains, and buses connect, even when it’s not normally an advertised combination. With our Kiwi-Code, we made self-transfer work by creating an algorithm that seamlessly combines flights, trains and buses into one itinerary. This way, we give you routes that other travel companies can’t map out, and it saves you from having to spend long hours looking at every possible airline, every possible connection, and every possible price to piece them together on your own.

This travel hack involves buying flight tickets to a less popular destination with a layover in a popular destination, compared to buying the direct flight to the popular destination. In other words, a flight between city A and city C with a layover at city B might be cheaper than a direct flight between city A and city B.

On most travel search engines, this lower price would only be visible if you were specifically looking to travel from New York to Des Moines, but Kiwi.com can take connections into account as well. That means, if Chicago is your destination, we’ll find it hidden within an airline’s itinerary. You get the cheaper ticket, and simply end your journey in Chicago.

Throwaway tickets

When you buy a throwaway ticket, you have the intention of traveling with it to your destination, but you don’t intend to use the return part of the ticket. This hack comes in useful when you want to travel one way, but the round-trip fare is cheaper than a one-way ticket.

For instance, if you intend to fly from London to Rome, you may find out that a one-way ticket costs €600, but that the round-trip fare is only €300. Therefore, you buy the cheaper ticket from London to Rome and back. You board the flight to Rome but not the flight back to London, and the second half of the ticket gets discarded when you don’t show up for the return flight. You can “throw away” only the return leg of the trip, as not showing up for the outbound flight usually leads to the entire reservation being canceled by the airline.

Nomad multi-city flight search

Multi-city trip options have long been a feature of online travel agencies. But travelers always had to create their own itineraries, often experimenting with different combinations in dozens of browser windows to make their own comparisons and eventually find the best route.

Now with Nomad, Kiwi.com does the work for you — in seconds. You save hours of your time, and potentially significant amounts of money, when searching for cheap flights with this revolutionary multi-city tool. Nomad from Kiwi.com allows you to input multiple destinations and your desired duration of stay in each of them, before it calculates the cheapest possible route. In other words, Nomad shuffles the destinations you input and finds you the most cost-effective itinerary.

This is precisely what Kiwi.com is all about: using technology to make travel easier and cheaper for everyone.

It’s not just our hacks that help you save money

Many people who book with us don’t need to use travel hacks to get to where they need to go. This is why, aside from coming up with more hacks, we’re also constantly improving all other aspects of our business to make our customers’ booking and traveling experiences smoother and cheaper.

Travel search features

We always make sure that when you’re looking to book a flight with us, we can offer you exactly what you need to travel as smoothly and cheaply as possible. Both the Kiwi.com website and the Kiwi.com app have search features that allow you to search for a particular trip when you know exactly how, where and when you wish to travel; but we also have very customizable filters, so you can find cheaper tickets if you’re on a limited travel budget.

Search to: Anywhere

Try the Kiwi.com Search to: Anywhere feature — it lets you discover interesting places you normally wouldn’t think of, and you can sort them by price. You could be somewhere amazing for next to nothing in no time! You can also choose to fly anytime , extending your options even further.

Other custom search filters on Kiwi.com include:

Time of stay: set a concrete or flexible time frame for how long you’d like to stay
Interactive calendar: shows you prices for each day of the month so you can select the best deal
Set price range: only search for trips within your budget
Airport radius: search for trips that start or end within a set radius of your departure or destination, so that you can find a cheaper flight from or to a nearby airport
Transport: choose from airplane, bus, and train routes, or a combination of all three
Carriers: search for your preferred airline, train or bus operator
Exclude countries: remove routes that go via countries you think might be difficult or inconvenient to enter, such as countries with visa or Covid-19 related travel restrictions
Times: depart or arrive at a certain time of day
Duration: choose a maximum travel time
Days: pick the day of the week that's most convenient for you to travel

Adding the Kiwi.com Guarantee to your trip means that every part of your journey is protected from unexpected changes, whether it’s a flight, train journey, bus trip, or a combination. It means that you can contact us 24/7 if things go wrong, and depending on the problem, we can provide:

protection against unexpected schedule changes
accommodation and contribution towards airport transfer costs
contribution towards refreshment costs
an alternative itinerary or refund

Flexible tickets

When you buy from Kiwi.com, you can select one of three levels of ticket flexibility: Flexi, Standard, and Saver. Each of these differently-priced tickets provides a different level of rebooking and cancellation flexibility. This means that you can choose the right ticket to suit your budget and travel plans.

At Kiwi.com, when you decide to pay in your home currency, we simply charge you the middle of the market rate. Airlines can charge up to 6.5% in exchange rate fees — a common (and generally hidden) extra cost for the customer. Booking with Kiwi.com means you get the fairest exchange rate.

Do you have your eye on a specific trip? We’ll notify you when the cost of it changes, and you can book exactly when you like the price. No need to search for the same route again; just set up your price alert and trust our Kiwi-Code, which checks billions of prices every day.

This is what Kiwi.com is all about: using technology to make travel easier and cheaper for globetrotters like you.

Frequently asked questions.

The term "travel hack" applies to anything that positively disrupts the way flight and travel search engines work, and makes the customer's travel experience easier, cheaper and more accessible as a result.

A good travel hack saves you money or time, or sometimes even both. Here are some of our hacks that can help you cut costs or speed up your search:

Take advantage of throwaway ticketing , hidden cities , or self-transfer . When you search for a trip on our website, all the results that feature these hacks will be marked with a little green star and the words ‘Travel hack’.
Use Nomad , our unique multi-city tool for planning and booking itineraries with more then three destinations. It’ll save you a lot of time (and money too, in most cases).
If you’re flexible with your plans, you can search for flights for whenever to wherever using our Anytime and Anywhere search filters. This will find you the best deals available from your departure point.
When planning your trip, you can also look for prices from nearby airports . Do this when you search by extending the radius from your preferred airport to allow options departing within that area to appear in your search results.

Yes. You can’t get into any kind of legal trouble for taking advantage of our throwaway ticketing, hidden cities, or self-transfer travel hacks.

“Skiplagging” is another term that some use to refer to our hidden cities travel hack, which involves saving money on your ticket by using an airline layover as a final destination. To read more about how this works, click here .

Finding cheap flights doesn’t have to be mind-boggling or time-consuming. Here are some tips that can help you simplify or speed up your search for great deals:

Make use of travel hacks such as throwaway ticketing , hidden cities , and self-transfer .
Don’t forget to consider ground transport. Buses and trains can often be cheaper and sometimes even quicker than getting a flight.
Include nearby airports, bus stations and train stations in your search to uncover even more travel options.
Set price alerts for the dates and routes you’re looking for, so you can keep track of price changes and grab the best deal.

When you search for cheap flights with Kiwi.com, this is exactly what you’ll get: some of the cheapest airfares on the market.

You don’t strictly “search” for travel hacks; a hack will appear in a search result if our Kiwi-Code determines that that hack will make the itinerary cheaper. In other words, when you search for a trip on Kiwi.com, we’ll show you every available deal, including itineraries that feature travel hacks. The most common travel hacks which make itineraries cheaper are self-transfer , throwaway ticketing , and hidden cities :

Self-transfer combines flights from carriers that don’t usually cooperate, making it possible to travel with the big carriers and the low-budget airlines on the same journey. This is the travel hack that’s at the very core of our product.
Throwaway ticketing catches round-trip tickets that are cheaper than their one-way counterparts.
Hidden cities is about finding you a ticket with a layover at your intended destination that is cheaper than the direct fare.

All you have to do is look out for the green-star “Travel hack” icon in your search results, click on the itinerary, and you’ll get all the information you need to travel for less.

We can help! Try our Nomad search tool and you’ll be saving time, energy, and most importantly, money. Gone are the days of checking multiple websites to piece together a complex itinerary on your own — with Nomad, you can book your entire trip in just a single search.

From the Kiwi.com homepage, select Nomad from the dropdown menu in the search form.
Set your departure city, departure date, and the number of nights you want to be away.
Add the places that you want to visit and the lengths of time that you want to spend in each one.
Based on your search criteria, we’ll build the cheapest itineraries for you.
Choose your adventure and book your trip!

Some airlines offer flexible tickets, which tend to be more expensive, but that give you the option to travel on any date or change the date of your trip as many times as you like. With Kiwi.com, you can choose between three simple ticket types regardless of the carrier(s), so you can find the right balance between traveling for cheap and the having the flexibility you want.

If your plans might change but you still want to save a seat, we recommend that you choose our Flexi ticket. If you end up changing your trip, you’ll only pay the fare difference for the new booking. If you cancel, you’ll get back 90% of the amount you paid, either as a monetary refund or in Kiwi.com Credit.

The Standard ticket provides a reasonable degree of flexibility. If you change your trip, you’ll only pay the fare difference for the new booking and we’ll cover the rest. If you cancel your trip, you’ll get €10 in Kiwi.com Credit to put towards a new booking. This applies only to bookings originally priced at €20 or more.

If your plans are set in stone, we recommend the Saver ticket at the very cheapest price. If you need to change your trip, you’ll have to pay for the new booking in full. If you cancel your trip, you’ll get €10 in Kiwi.com Credit to put towards a new booking. This applies only to bookings originally priced at €20 or more.

Price FX (FX = “foreign exchange”) is a foreign exchange rate tool that bypasses the all too common pitfall of high airline exchange rate fees that customers are charged when they pay in their preferred currency.

If you pay on an airline’s website in a currency that the airline doesn’t use, your money will go through a foreign bank — a bank that operates in the airline’s primary currency. When this happens, there is usually a cost to cover the conversion of your money through the bank. Price FX, however, means that when you book with Kiwi.com in your local currency, regardless of what an airline is charging, we will only ever charge you exchange fees based on the middle of the market rate.

Avoid higher exchange fees by booking with Kiwi.com. When you search for flights on our website or in our app, the prices of the results will be in your specified preferred currency, and any exchange to calculate those prices will have been made according to the middle of the market rate.

If you must book directly with an airline, you can cheapen any exchange rate fees by setting the currency on the website to that at the point of the flight’s departure (e.g. to US dollars if you’re departing from New York). You should then only be charged by your own bank according to their fees.

In the top right-hand corner of our webpage, you should see a flag. Click it to adjust your currency preferences. In our app, go to Profile > Settings > App preferences > Currency to set your preferred currency.

Flight disruptions occur more frequently now than ever before, so it’s good to have a plan B in case any of your flights are canceled, delayed, or rescheduled. This is why we offer the Kiwi.com Guarantee to cover your entire trip, so that you’re protected in case of any changes or cancellations instigated by the carrier(s).

Here’s when the Kiwi.com Guarantee comes in handy:

your trip gets canceled, entirely or in part
your trip gets rescheduled by more than 24 hours, entirely or in part
part of your trip is delayed to the extent that you miss your connection(s)
your baggage is delayed at reclaim or there are long queues at immigration to the extent that you miss your connection(s)

In any of these cases, we’ll offer you either a refund or an alternative journey to your destination. The exact rules depend on how long it is before your departure day at the time of the disruption occurring.

The Kiwi.com Guarantee covers your entire trip, whether you use self-transfer or not, and no matter whether you’re traveling by plane, train, or bus. We strongly recommend that you add the Guarantee to your booking if you have a complex itinerary with several flights and layovers.

Price alerts help you keep track of flight prices and ensure that you find out that the price of your trip has gone down exactly as it happens. Setting up price alerts is easy:

Sign into your Kiwi.com account.
Search for a trip ; set dates, departure and arrival points, as well as the number of passengers and baggage options.
Toggle the ‘Set up price alerts’ slider on your desktop or tap the bell icon in the app (both of which are in the top left-hand corner of the results page).
Enable push notifications in the app to get instant alerts, and make sure you whitelist Kiwi.com in your email settings. And that’s it — we’ll send you emails and push notifications when the price of your trip drops.

Flying often seems like the best mode of transport, but it doesn’t work in all cases of A to B. For example, if you’re traveling to a smaller city that doesn’t have an airport, you might need to book both a flight an onward bus or a train. With Kiwi.com, you can book the entire journey in one smooth transaction without needing to compare lots of prices and schedules on different websites. This ultimately means that you’re able to pick the most convenient travel option to suit you.

On the results page, you can then filter itineraries by mode of transport — choose to see or hide itineraries featuring flights, trains, and/or buses. You’ll find these filters at the top of the screen on your mobile device, or on the left-hand side of your desktop screen. Here’s what they look like:

If you decide to combine a flight with ground transport, it’s important to be mindful of the layover duration versus the time it takes to get between the station and the airport, so that you don’t miss your connection. Remember that if you have the Kiwi.com Guarantee and any part of your trip is rescheduled or canceled, we can help you out with an alternative journey or a refund.

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5 Google Flights Hacks That Save You Time and Money

By Gilbert Ott

Image may contain Airport Transportation Vehicle Aircraft Airplane Airfield and Airliner

Behind its basic search boxes and playful logo , Google Flights uses arguably the most robust airline software in the business, known as the ITA Matrix. With all that power, you have the ability to find exactly what you're looking for at the best price possible—you just need a little know-how to tap into its best features. Here are a few.

Use "destinations" for spontaneous trips

Google Flights knows you may just want to get away—today, tomorrow, September. It gets it. While on the site, you can enter your departure city, and scroll down to "destinations," where Google will show you a map of the world, complete with prices for specific dates or a general time range of your choosing. Who knew Rome was cheaper than Raleigh in August? This is the perfect wanderlust tool with visual prices on a map.

Be flexible and save cash

If you're willing to leave or arrive to a location near your intended departure or arrival point, you may be able to pay a fraction of the price. Google Flights allows you to enter up to five departure points and destinations at once, saving time, effort, and hopefully some cash with each search. Simply enter up to five airport codes for the departure field and an additional five for the destination field, separated by commas. If you're going to Europe, flying into nearby cities can often save a fortune, since travel is cheap once across the pond, thanks to a competitive travel landscape ripe with budget airlines .

Image may contain: Vehicle, Transportation, Aircraft, Airplane, Landing, and Flight

Get all the legroom, Wi-Fi, and entertainment details

No need to grab a ruler or start Googling airline cabin layout plans. Google Flights offers information on in-seat power ports, Wi-Fi, and legroom alongside every flight search. You can find it when clicking on any specific flight, a crucial tip when comparing deals, since that $37 saved may not seem quite as worth it when you accidentally forgo Wi-Fi , power ports, and an additional 2 inches of legroom on that other flight you should've booked. Pro tip: Google automatically creates a list of "Best Flights" based on connection times and amenities.

Search once, set alerts, rejoice in savings

Not quite ready to buy, or just want to see how fares change? Although searching exhaustively for the greatest deal of all time offers a certain thrill, it's far more practical to have it pop into your inbox automatically; just tap the "track prices" button. Google Flights will search for your flight request hourly and daily and let you know if things change, up or down. The platform has even developed smart tools to warn you when the fare may increase or decrease, along with the percentage of certainty behind its thoughts. (This is similar to Hopper's price predictor, and both reportedly work comparably, with roughly 80 percent success rates .) Not only will you find out if there really is a magic day to buy, you'll likely score savings when it notifies you of a price drop. Plus, who doesn't love a good graph?

Use the multi-city tool

You may not like connections, but you'll love them if you know how to use them. If you find a flight using the standard round-trip search, with a layover in a city you want to explore, you can attempt to extend that layover by switching from a simple round-trip to "multi-city." Using the multi-city tool, you'd search from your departure point to the connection city as your first segment, and then attempt to enter a later date, from the connection city to your final destination. Not all tickets will allow for this flexibility, but many will. And hey, turning a six hour-grinding layover in London into two nights in an amazing city on the way to your destination sure beats the alternative.

By signing up you agree to our User Agreement (including the class action waiver and arbitration provisions ), our Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement and to receive marketing and account-related emails from Traveller. You can unsubscribe at any time. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Travel hacks, insider tips to enjoy a long layover at LAX like a California local

There is an inside joke among locals in Los Angeles — their airport is always under construction.

With over 75 million passengers last year, Los Angeles International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the country. With nine passenger terminals it holds the record for most terminals in the world , according to travel deal platform Going.

In 2017, LAX began an ambitious $30 billion renovation to redesign the airport experience . Although the upgrades aren’t entirely finished — the airport expects the project could end in 2030 — the completed renovations have already made LAX a much more enjoyable place to be.

Which is surprising for anyone from Los Angeles to admit.

For those on a long layover after landing in the City of Angels, hitting the streets might be tempting. But for any tourist unfamiliar with Los Angeles, between the traffic, the sprawling landscape and an often-long Transportation Security Administration line awaiting your return, it’s very easy to lose track of time and come dangerously close to missing a flight.

Redditors agree the safest sight to see is the In-N-Out down the street. Or there’s the LAX-adjacent food hall Proud Bird , for comfort food and cold beer.

However, travelers on an LAX layover are in luck: They don’t need to leave the airport at all to make the most of their short stint in California.

The renovation project has connected all nine LAX terminals for the first time. If there are a few extra hours between flights, travelers can access any airport area with a brisk walk. From end to end, terminals 1 through 8 — including the Tom Bradley International Terminal, aka Terminal B, between terminals 3 and 4 — the walk is a little over 2 miles and takes about 35 minutes.

Along the way, tucked within the sprawling airport, are places for peace and relaxation, if you know where to look.

Best views of coastal tarmacs

The best location for plane spotting at LAX is the Delta Sky Club. But this year, Delta updated its lounge policies and even some elite status holders can’t enter without booking an upgraded class.

For all of us in economy, those views might be off-limits. But don’t worry — there are plenty of opportune places to watch the planes go by.

Plane spotters can find views of different airfields between Terminal 3 and Terminal 4. The indoor lookout is perfect for catching takeoffs and landings.

Before security, passengers can catch also views of the iconic Theme Building between terminals 1 and 2.

The space-age landmark has become LAX’s most famous feature, constantly appearing in movies and TV shows. The four-legged, modern building was constructed over 60 years ago and the Los Angeles City Council designated it a historical monument in 1992.

LAX invested in eateries with celebrity pull, like Ludacris’ Chicken and Beer and The Kitchen by Wolfgang Puck . But if you can’t step out of the airport for some of Los Angeles’ more iconic eats, you can still find them inside the airport.

In 1991, Urth Caffé opened its doors in Manhattan Beach. The food has made it an Instagram-worthy mecca, often with lines wrapped around the corner for its “health-conscious approach,” and there are now locations all over Southern California. The airport menu of Urth Caffé & Bar is a bit limited, but its breakfast items are still worth a try.

The giant doughnut statue that locals and tourists easily recognize at Randy’s Donuts in Inglewood made its way inside Terminal 7 in 2023, as a miniature version. Made fresh daily, the doughnuts are delivered from the original location.

While See’s Candies has expanded to other parts of the country, its original shop opened in Los Angeles in 1921 , and more than half of the company’s stores are still in California. There are several See’s Candies outposts in LAX. A great souvenir to bring home is the Milk California Brittle, made with California almonds and wrapped in milk chocolate.

The Grove, a reputable outdoor mall in Los Angeles, has a longstanding Farmers Market that’s charmed locals for nearly a century. There’s a mini version inside LAX with a variety of meals, snacks, coffee, wine and tea, plus a relief that’s an homage to the market’s distinguished clock tower.

Like other airports in the state , LAX remakes its corridors into a curated museum.

One of the more captivating pieces is a 94-foot-long, hand-painted mural between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 called “Bird’s Eye View.” Painted by Erin Miller Wray, the mural reenacts when a plane prepares for landing. With bright colors and geometric shapes, the mural reveals itself deeper with a closer look, but after stepping back, you start to see the bigger picture.

The mixed-media piece “Awake in the Dream” by Chenhung Chen uses drawings and sculptures to convey information about the Taoist concept of chi and the artist’s beliefs about nature. Chen took wires and electrical conduits and stapled, wove, bound and crocheted them into a fresher outlook.

Killing time in LA

Forgot to pack an Xbox or a PlayStation? Make your way to one of the Gameway lounges. The premium video game lounges are in Terminal 3 and Terminal 6. Make a reservation to settle into the leather gaming chairs and dig into popular titles like Fortnite, FIFA, Madden, Call of Duty and Minecraft.

If you’re more interested in relaxing after a long flight, LAX travelers can check into a Be Relax Spa . Located in Terminal 1 and Terminal B, the spas offer massages, manicures, pedicures and facials. Be Relax recommends making appointments, but it also accepts walk-ins.

Although LAX has been making improvements, more projects are still on the way, such as the highly anticipated Automated People Mover train system — an over-2-mile elevated guideway.

The seemingly never-ending construction is expected to wrap up in a few years and, once complete, the new LAX may challenge its rotten reputation as one of the worst airports in the country .

EXPLORE Random Article

How to Handle Long Layovers at an Airport

Last Updated: January 10, 2022

This article was co-authored by Amy Tan and by wikiHow staff writer, Amber Crain . Amy Tan is a Travel Planner and the Founder of Planet Hoppers, a boutique travel design team founded in 2002. Planet Hoppers specializes in brainstorming and creating itineraries for dream vacations, honeymoons, exotic adventures, family reunions, and group trips. Planet Hoppers is a TRUE accredited travel agency and a member of the Signature Travel Network, the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), and Travel Leaders. Amy earned a BA in Communications and a BS in Physics from the University of California, Davis in 2000. This article has been viewed 455,403 times.

For most travelers, a layover feels like a painfully boring delay. It doesn’t have to be, though! Try to think of a layover as an extra travel bonus that allows you to get out and explore, even if you only see the inside of the airport. It can be a positive experience, one that allows you to meet new people and see new things. It may even become a productive part of your business trip or an extension of your vacation. While you may never get excited about layovers, there are lots of ways to make them more bearable.

Planning for Expected Layovers

If there's a map, print it and mark what you want to see when you get there.

Typically, this service isn’t free. Depending on how long your layover is and what you plan to do while there, you may find the price tag more than worth it.

If you are an infrequent flyer, inquire about a one-day pass. [3] X Research source
Membership can run as much as several hundred dollars a year, so unless you travel a great deal, it probably isn’t worth it to become a full-fledged club member.

Step 4 Carry on what you'll need during the layover.

Stay within airport guidelines by only carrying on liquid toiletries that are under three ounces apiece.
If you’re traveling with children, bring along a coloring book or video game that will keep them occupied, too.

Being Productive

If you plan on doing an intense workout, find out if the airport offers shower facilities.
Airport Gyms is a useful website where you can search for fitness centers in or around airports in the U.S. and Canada. Visit the site at http://www.airportgyms.com/ .

Step 2 Catch up on email, homework or work tasks.

If you’re a student, get started on that paper that’s due next week, or try to get through a few chapters of your assigned reading.

Step 3 Make a to-do list for when you arrive at your destination.

Include errands and other necessary stuff on your list, but don’t forget to block out some time to see the sights and even just to rest.

Step 4 Find out if you can bump your flight.

This won’t always be a realistic option, but if you have the opportunity, take it!

Passing the Time

For instance, buy one of your favorite magazines to read when you need breaks from a dense novel. Switching gears occasionally may prevent you from getting bored with even the most thrilling of books.

Some airports have designated sleeping areas with comfy chairs where you can secure your belongings.
If you’re truly exhausted and facing a long layover, check out the room pricing at the airport hotel. Some airports even offer rooms that you can rent out for a few hours at a time.

Find out what your airport offers before grabbing something from the closest fast food chain. Some have extremely nice restaurants with gourmet offerings. [11] X Research source

Try not to openly stare at people or be obvious about what you’re doing. You could make them uneasy, or even arouse suspicion.
If you see someone interesting and it feels natural to do so, walk over and introduce yourself. A good chat will make the time fly.

Leaving the Airport

Step 1 Find tourist attractions close to the airport.

Don’t forget to factor in unexpected surprises like traffic! Having a layover adventure is awesome, but missing your flight? Not so much.

You may need a travel visa to enter/depart some countries. Research before you leave the airport!
You may want to confirm the required documents with an airport attendant before leaving.

Step 5 Return to the airport 2-3 hours before your flight.

Depending on what time you're traveling, things may be pretty crowded when you get back. Be sure to factor this in when planning an excursion.

Expert Q&A

↑ Amy Tan. Travel Planner & Founder, Planet Hoppers. Expert Interview. 12 March 2020.
↑ http://www.travelchannel.com/interests/airports/articles/layover-survival-guide
↑ https://www.hurtigruten.us/must-read-articles/travel-tips/10-tips-for-handling-a-long-layover/
↑ https://www.smartertravel.com/2017/06/19/airport-layovers-9-ways-make-layover/

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Tokyo Cheapo (繁體中文)

Where Time Stands Still: Surviving Layovers in Japan's Busiest Airports

Time slows to a crawl. You start to wonder if the faux-leather seats really are any more comfortable than lying down on the floor…

Like it or not, spend long enough traveling in and around Japan and eventually you’re going to end up spending some time on a layover. If you’re lucky, that just means staving off boredom for a few hours. If you’re not so lucky, you could find yourself flushing upwards of 8 hours of your life down Japan’s high-tech toilets. But lose not hope, weary traveler. A quick look at this guide and you’ll be ready to ditch your bag in a coin locker and get exploring. You might just enjoy yourself!

Narita International Airport

Frustratingly, getting between central Tokyo and Narita can be a real pain. At roughly an hour from most of Tokyo’s main attractions, it’s just close enough to be tempting, just far enough to cause real problems when transport issues arise.

Unless you’ve got a lot of time kill, you’re better off sticking to the Narita area than heading into downtown Tokyo. If you’re really desperate for some city action, there are a bunch of transport options , just be sure to leave plenty of travel time for your return trip.

Fortunately, Narita Airport offers a wide range of guided tours of the local area, complete with shuttle buses during the day. Not so keen on the idea of a volunteer companion? It’s still worth checking out their website for inspiration. It details tour routes to suit a range of budgets—as well as a list of nearby cultural events sorted by date. Just rock up at the Narita Transit & Stay counter in the airport before 5pm for help arranging your volunteer or self-guided tour. There are often also cultural shows and exhibitions to enjoy within the airport.

If you’ve arrived late at night, your options are decidedly less bountiful. Your best bet is probably to grab a shower and relax in privacy at Terminal 2’s capsule hotel . Prices start around ¥ 4,900 per night.

Want more information? Check out our more detailed guide to surviving your Narita layover .

Haneda Airport

Haneda may be Japan’s busiest airport, but an overwhelming majority of Tokyo’s international flights go through Narita. That means you’re actually not all that likely to spend a long layover here—but it does happen.

Haneda lacks many of its sister airport’s amenities. But what it lacks in lounges, cultural events and volunteer tours, it makes up with its proximity to central Tokyo. There are plenty of transport options , so it’s well worth stretching your legs outside the airport if you’ve time. Many countries don’t require a visa for short stays, otherwise you may need to arrange a one-day tourist visa.

If you’ve had your fill of the usual tourist hotspots, or you’re worried about getting back in time, you might want to consider staying local and exploring Ota. It’s only a 10-minute journey, and with temples, shops, bars and even a 24-hour onsen (natural hot-spring bath), you’ll find something to do whenever you arrive.

See our detailed guide for more ideas on how to spend your Haneda layover .

Fukuoka Airport

While the airport itself isn’t much to write home about, it’s only a hop, skip and a jump from the action of the city itself.

In terms of ways to pass your time outside the airport, consider yourself lucky—Fukuoka is full of cultural and culinary delights that many travelers leave off their itineraries. Check out our guide to Fukuoka for more ideas on how to spend your day there.

Owing to the airport’s proximity to the city center, flights stop at 10pm and resume again around 7am—so expect your terminal to be a ghost town later on. The airport apparently forbids overnight stays, kicking people out at around 10:30pm, though I have to imagine there are exceptions to this rule (presumably some people can’t leave the airport for visa reasons). Unless you’re happy taking your chances snoozing on a chair, a good plan is to find a reasonable place to stay, slurp down a bowl of the local ramen, and sleep though your layover.

If you’re looking for a reliable no frills option, Fukuoka Backpackers Hostel is within walking distance of Hataka Station—just remember to let them know in advance if you’re arriving late. If your flight leaves early in the morning be prepared to book a taxi, as public transport from the city center doesn’t start until after 5:30am.

Kansai International Airport

Situated on an artificial island to the southwest of Osaka, Kansai International is among Japan’s most inconveniently located airports for potential explorers. There are a few possible routes , but getting the train to Osaka is the most popular option.

Getting there takes around an hour from Osaka’s city center. Factoring in a return journey and a couple of hours to get through security, your time gets eaten up pretty quickly—so leaving the airport is only really an option for longer layovers.

Unlike the location, the facilities here are great, including 24/7 eating options, coin-operated showers and an observation deck. There’s also a dedicated sleeping area, which offers free blankets and pillows at night. If you can rest while the world rummages around you, it’s certainly your cheapest bet. There are a few lounges that allow you to pay for entry, but with their lack of sleeping facilities, there’s not much point unless you’re just looking for somewhere slightly more private.

If a comfortable bed is something you can’t go without, Bigtree Guesthouse near Izumisano offers some of the most reasonable rates in the area, just a couple of stops from the airport on the Nankai line.

If you are making the journey into the city, check out our full guide for so many ideas you’ll want to come back with a longer layover.

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This Google Flights Hack from TikTok Finds Cheap Airline Tickets to Any Destination

A TikTok user, who goes by 'Around the Atlas,' went viral last week after discovering a Google Flights hack that finds affordable airline tickets

@aroundtheatlas/TikTok ; Getty

One TikTok user seemingly cracked the code for finding cheap flights .

Last week, travel influencer @AroundTheAtlas posted a video , which has garnered over 4 million views, that featured a search hack for air travel.

"Did I just unlock a cheat code or did everyone know about this?” she wrote over the start of the post. In the clip, she recorded her screen to let followers in on her discovery.

She navigated to Google Flights and typed her departure city, London, into the box that read “Where from?” In the “Where to?” box, instead of adding her desired destination, she typed “Anywhere.” And instead of adding desired trip dates, she left them blank.

From there, she was able to look at a map, to choose where that “anywhere” might be. She hovered over Barcelona, commenting that roundtrip flight is priced at £26 (or about $31.74 USD). Meanwhile, she noted, a roundtrip flight from London to New York City is cheaper than it would normally be, priced at £336 (or about $410.51 USD).

While prices only apply to certain dates, the creator said it could be helpful with booking travel if the exact timing isn’t important.

“Does anyone else know about this? Because I feel like the world is gatekeeping how insane this is,” she added.

Getty Images

Users in the comments were excited by the finding.

“THANK YOU me and my mum want to go on a holiday somewhere but flights are just too expensive this is soo helpful,” one person wrote, while another added, “I travel a lot and always use Google Flights… didn’t know this 'to anywhere' though… thanks."

Some commenters noted that the discounts generally apply to "cheaper" airlines, flights with long layovers or departures at undesirable hours.

Regardless, TikTok loves a good travel hack. Last month, a video from a Southern California's Ontario International Airport employee went viral, which reminded travelers to remove old airline stickers from their luggage . Evidently, sometimes suitcases get lost because the wrong sticker scans and the bag is sent to the wrong airline.

“Let's say you flew American [Airlines], and then a month later you flew Southwest," the airline worker explained in the video.

“Well, there's a little sticker that goes on for American [Airlines] that tells the computer that it should go to there… so if your month-old American sticker is on there, there's a chance it scans it instead of this one. It just depends how it's clocked and where the stuff is. It might end up over there and not get on the plane," he added.

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10 TikTok-approved Packing Essentials That Flight Attendants Won’t Travel Without — From $10

Best of all, everything is under $50.

Travel + Leisure / Tyler Roeland

Flight attendants, by nature, are highly seasoned travelers, and are therefore brimming with untapped knowledge on how to make your time in the sky (and on the road) all the more enjoyable. Thankfully, many of them have taken to TikTok to share their treasure trove of tips and tricks for optimized packing — and we took notes.

We dove into flight attendant TikTok to discover exactly what they bring along when prioritizing comfort, functionality, and safety, and many of their top picks are available at Amazon. From supportive travel pillows and cushions , to portable door locks and even a compact humidifier for dry nights, these are the 10 products airline workers won’t travel without — all under $50.

Clarks Calla Ease Loafer Flat

Comfy shoes are pivotal for long travel days, and nobody knows this to be true more than flight attendants. If you’re looking for a slightly more stylish option than your favorite pair of running sneakers, take it from one airline worker on TikTok that these cushy loafers from Clarks are a top-notch selection for spending extended time on your feet thanks to the foam-cushioned insoles, a long-lasting 100 percent leather exterior, and thick, sturdy outsoles. Plus, right now you can score these shoes for up to 58 percent off in one of the four neutral colors.

Zzrui Upgraded Portable Door Stopper Wedge Alarm

Whether you’re staying in a hotel alone or with a group of friends, it never hurts to come prepared with additional safety measures, and flight attendants swear that this portable door wedge alarm is exactly what you need to feel secure. Simply turn it on and place the device against the door before you head to sleep, and if any pressure is applied it will emit a blaring noise to scare away intruders. One flight attendant shared that they prefer to use one for the primary door of their room and another for any potential adjoining rooms.

HotLogic Mini Portable Electric Lunch Box

It’s no secret that the food in airports isn’t necessarily top notch. To avoid paying for overpriced food, flight attendants on TikTok rave about the HotLogic lunch box, a portable oven that heats up pre-packed meals or dinner. You can easily stow it in your carry-on or hotel room without having to turn to a cheap microwave that won’t evenly heat your food. And not only has it earned a stamp of approval from countless airline workers, but it has also racked up more than 32,800 five-star ratings at Amazon after travelers revealed that it “changed” their “layover eating life.”

AceMining Portable Door Lock

This best-selling safety device has made it into numerous TikToks from flight attendants who swear by the added protection it provides to hotel room doors, and for just $15, it’s a no-brainer addition to your carry-on the next time you travel. The compact lock is easy to use: Just close your door around the metal attachment and insert the second piece into the frame once the door is closed. Not only does this act as additional security, but it also stops housekeeping from entering if you’re hoping to get some extra shut eye in the morning. It’s durable, packable, and well-suited for a wide range of doors — so long as they open inwards.

Jisulife Mini Portable Humidifier

Air travel can be incredibly drying to the skin (especially during long-haul flights), but this portable humidifier is here to transform your next hotel stay — and flight attendants swear by it . The slim and packable device offers up to seven hours of use thanks to its rechargeable battery, and it instantly adds moisture to the air when placed into any cup of water. It’s quiet, easy to use, and a game-changer for both your skin and sinuses.

Twelve South AirFly SE Bluetooth Wireless Transmitter

Gone are the days of using airline-issued earbuds with the help of the flight attendant-approved AirFly Bluetooth Wireless Transmitter. This pocket-sized device can be plugged into your plane seat and connects to up to two pairs of wireless headphones at once, eliminating the unnecessary tangle of cords while allowing you to watch a movie with your seatmate. You can easily control the volume directly from the device, and it even boasts more than 20 hours of battery life on a single charge. It’s really no wonder that flight attendants love it for longer flights when they’re off duty.

Tessan Power Strip

There’s generally a finite number of outlets available in any given hotel room, so one flight attendant on TikTok recommended this compact power strip as a simple solution to ensure that every device has access to a charge. They shared that they love being able to “plug everything in in one spot” so they don’t have to “worry about finding plugs all over the room.” And with three outlets and three USB ports, everything from your laptop to your e-reader can stay fully charged at all times. Plus, the extension cord provides easy access to hard-to-reach plugs.

J Pillow Travel Pillow

Nothing makes sleeping on a flight more difficult than your head continuously lolling around, which is why flight attendants point to the thoughtfully designed J-Pillow as their favorite hack for restful sleep. This pillow gets tucked around the back of your neck much like a traditional travel pillow, while under-chin support adds another layer of comfort and security for longer trips. It keeps your head, neck, and chin well-cushioned so you won’t awaken with discomfort or stiffness once you touch down. Plus, it comes with a convenient case that can be snapped onto your luggage or tucked into your carry-on bag.

Ergonomic Innovations Donut Pillow

Sitting for long hours during an international flight is never going to be truly comfortable, but one flight attendant promises that this memory foam donut pillow is the best way to upgrade your experience without splurging on a first class ticket. This best-selling cushion is designed to alleviate pressure from your tailbone and back, resulting in a significantly more pleasant travel day. The donut shape evenly distributes body weight, leading to less need for adjustment throughout your flight, and it’s so lightweight that you’ll hardly notice it in your carry-on. You may not be able to use it during take off, but when you’re high in the sky, this pillow will make even the firmest airplane seats feel cushy.

Gasince Handheld Mini Fan

No matter what time of year it is, you should always be prepared for the possibility that your airplane cabin is much warmer than you’d prefer. Because of this, flight attendants suggest always packing a small handheld fan for your travels — in particular, this rechargeable option that’s fitted with a stable base that sits right on your tray table. The portable device boasts up to 13 hours of running time on a single charge so you can even use it overnight in toasty hotel rooms. Plus, you can choose from three speeds to keep you comfortable on the go.

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Search the cheapest flights on cleverlayover
Hack travel. Book differently. Save money. ... Take note of the fine print when you travel When you travel on a clever layover, you're using two tickets, which means you have to check in and go through security again at the layover location. If the layover is in a different country, you may also need to pass through customs and present a visa ...
Skiplagged: The smart way to find cheap flights
Exposes inefficiencies in airline pricing, such as hidden-city, to find you deals you can't get anywhere else. Shows you the cheapest regular flights. This way you can be sure you're seeing the best available rates anywhere. Finds the best rates on hotels. They're called " skiplagged rate " and will save you up to 50%.
Skiplagging: The Risky Travel Hack Leading To Lawsuits And Airline Bans
Skiplagging is a travel hack where people book a flight with a layover, with the layover being their final destination. Travelers will skip the second flight in non-direct flights to save money on ...
Skiplagging: How it works and why the airlines can't stand it : NPR
American Airlines' lawsuit is bringing renewed attention to a controversial travel hack known as skiplagging, or hidden city ticketing. ... with a layover in Charlotte. Rather than fly all the way ...
Hidden-City Ticketing: The Air Travel Hack That Could Get You Sued
Recently, Lufthansa Airlines even sued a passenger €2,112 ($2,374) for this practice, which is known as "hidden-city ticketing." (A Berlin court dismissed the suit, but the carrier plans to ...
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Skiplagging, also known as hidden city ticketing, is when an air traveler buys a ticket for a flight with a layover before the final destination and departs at the layover airport. A travel ...
What is skiplagging? The cheap travel hack that has airlines cracking
The cheap travel hack that has airlines cracking down. Skiplagging is the money-saving strategy of booking a flight with a layover city as the intended destination .
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Skiplagging is buying a ticket for a connecting flight, with a layover in the city that's the real destination for the traveler. Flyers disembark after the first leg and simply fail to board the ...
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Skiplagging, also known as hidden city ticketing, is when an air traveler buys a ticket for a flight with a layover before the final destination and departs at the layover airport. A travel ...
What is 'skiplagging' and should you use it as a travel hack for your
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Attempting to make use of a money-saving hack that gutsy ... a trip where you plan on getting off at a layover city and throwing away the last leg or legs of a flight," explains Clint Henderson ...
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Step 4: Perform a search using the multi-city option. Here's where we turn a shorter layover into a several day stopover. Go to Skyscanner's home page. Now, search using Skyscanner's "Multi-city" option. Decide on a date range that you must leave your origin and arrive by. For your mid-stop, enter the layover city that you found in ...
The TikTok Travel Hack That Could Get You In Big Trouble With ...
It's not illegal to get off at the layover city and not board the next leg of your flight, says Katy Nastro, a travel expert with Going, formerly Scott's Cheap Flights.However, you're likely ...
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The flight layover hack can often really surprise you. 7. Use a Flight Deal Finding Browser Extension Like Buylo. If these flight booking hacks are too much of a hassle to apply yourself, you could outsource it to a browser extension like BuyLo. In a nutshell, it's like Honey but specific to flights.
What is skiplagging? More on the cheap travel hack airlines hate
Bad weather may mess up your travel plans. What are the best travel hacks? For more travel tips that don't carry the same risk as skiplagging, here are five digital creators to follow on Instagram to learn more: Alex Payne, the Travel Hacking Mom. Stacey, pointsforfamilytravel. Annie Hall, letstravelhack. Angel Trinh, penneywisetraveler.
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8. Bring some food, drinks, and basic supplies along. It's no secret that food and drink cost a lot more in an airport than on the street. That's why having a little something on hand to tide you ...
How to Get FREE Extended Layovers & Hack One Trip Into TWO (Updated
Step 1: Search from your origin to your final destination. Let's say I want to fly from New York City, USA to Sydney, Australia. Let's pop that into Skyscanner (or download the app) for February 14. The cheapest result is $609 USD. We can also see from the results that Los Angeles is a common connecting point from New York City to Sydney.
Discover the Kiwi.com travel hacks that save you time and money
This travel hack involves buying flight tickets to a less popular destination with a layover in a popular destination, compared to buying the direct flight to the popular destination. In other words, a flight between city A and city C with a layover at city B might be cheaper than a direct flight between city A and city B.
5 Google Flights Hacks That Save You Time and Money
Google Flights allows you to enter up to five departure points and destinations at once, saving time, effort, and hopefully some cash with each search. Simply enter up to five airport codes for ...
8 Things to do If You Think Your Layover is Too Short
What you'll find here. 1. Change your flight. Picking a different flight might be the best option if your layover is too short. If you notice your layover is too short, consider changing your flight. Call the airline and see if there's a better connection by either taking an earlier first flight or a later second flight.
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If you're more interested in relaxing after a long flight, LAX travelers can check into a. Be Relax Spa. Located in Terminal 1 and Terminal B, the spas offer massages, manicures, pedicures and ...
4 Ways to Handle Long Layovers at an Airport
3. Set an alarm on your phone. When you're sightseeing and having fun, it's easy to lose track of time. As a back up, set an alarm on your phone to alert you when you need to start heading back to the airport. Give yourself plenty of time to travel back and go through airport security again. [15] 4.
Surviving a Japan Airport Layover: A How-to Guide on Passing the Time
There are often also cultural shows and exhibitions to enjoy within the airport. If you've arrived late at night, your options are decidedly less bountiful. Your best bet is probably to grab a shower and relax in privacy at Terminal 2's capsule hotel. Prices start around US$32.37 *. per night.
This Google Flights Hack from TikTok Finds Cheap Airline Tickets to Any
Regardless, TikTok loves a good travel hack. Last month, a video from a Southern California's Ontario International Airport employee went viral, which reminded travelers to remove old airline ...
10 Flight Attendant-loved TikTok Travel Essentials
Buy on Amazon $21 $15. This best-selling safety device has made it into numerous TikToks from flight attendants who swear by the added protection it provides to hotel room doors, and for just $15 ...

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What is 'skiplagging' and why do the airlines hate when you do it?

Lufthansa Airlines Sues Customer Who Skipped Part Of His Return Flight

Why do the airlines dislike skiplagging?

What are the risks for customers who skiplag?

What is skiplagging? Everything about the controversial air travel hack airlines hate

What is skiplagging?

Is skiplagging illegal?

Why do airlines hate skiplagging?

What can airlines do if they catch you skiplagging?

What should travelers know before they consider a skiplagged flight?

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Whether You Call It ‘Skiplagging’ or ‘Hidden-City Travel,’ It’s Contentious

How does it work?

Why is it gaining in popularity?

What are the risks?

Is it an ethical way to travel? How much of an issue is it for airlines anyway?

What can you do if you’re penalized for skiplagging?

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What is skiplagging? Everything about the controversial air travel hack airlines hate

What is skiplagging?

Is skiplagging illegal?

Why do airlines hate skiplagging?

What can airlines do if they catch you skiplagging?

What should travelers know before they consider a skiplagged flight?

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What is skiplagging? All about the travel hack airlines hate.

What is skiplagging?

Easy wins, good habits, better living.

What are airline policies on skiplagging?

So should you skip skiplagging?

More travel tips

Long layover? This travel hack saved me hours at the airport, got me to my destination faster, and cost $0.

The key to my success was simply checking the departures board to see if we could make an earlier flight

I asked the airline if we could switch to an earlier flight

We made it onto an earlier United flight (not pictured). Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Even our bags made it, though it wasn't a guarantee

If you want to do something similar, here's my advice:

The Best Flight Booking Hacks For Savvy Travellers

The Best Flight Hacks to Find a Great Deal

1. Search in Incognito or Private Browsing Mode

How to Enable Incognito/Private Browsing Mode and Cheat Air Fare Rises:

2. Compare Airfares: Shop Around

3. Error Fares

How to Find Flight Errors:

4. Price Alerts Airfare Hacks

5. Disguising Your Device

6. The Layover Flight Hack

7. Use a Flight Deal Finding Browser Extension Like Buylo

Booking a Flight Tips

More Flying Hacks

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What is skiplagging? Here’s more on the travel hack that airlines hate

By Rebecca Olds

How does skiplagging work?

Is skiplagging illegal?

What are the best travel hacks?

How to Get FREE Extended Layovers & Hack One Trip Into TWO (Updated 2024)