Recently, a matter came to limelight , when a teenager was detained at an airport in the USA after trying to make use of a travel hack called ‘skiplagging’.
Texas based American Airlines is now suing a travel company Skiplagged, Inc. that makes facilitates travelers to save money on flights with a clever, but risky, travel hack ‘skiplagging’.
American Airlines accused the company Skiplagged of deceiving the public into believing that the American fares it displays will give the consumer access to some kind of secret “loophole.”
But many of the fares displayed on Skiplagged’s website are higher than what the consumer would pay if they simply booked a ticket on American’s website or through an actual authorized agent of American.
American Airlines says ,
"It is the classic bait and switch: draw consumers in with the promise of secret fares, and instead sell the consumer a ticket at a higher price."
American sued Skiplagged Inc. in federal court in Fort Worth, Texas, this week, accusing the website of deception. It also threatened to cancel every ticket that Skiplagged has sold.
In the lawsuit, American accused Skiplagged of tricking consumers into believing they can tap “some kind of secret ‘loophole.’” American said the website poses as an ordinary consumer to buy tickets, and warns its customers not to tip off the airline about the arrangement.
The suit against Defendant Skiplagged, Inc. (“Skiplagged”) read,
"Skiplagged is not, and never has been, an authorized agent of American. It is a middle-man improperly inserting itself between American and flight consumers."
"It employs unauthorized and deceptive ticketing practices, entices consumers to participate in those deceptive practices by promising savings, and then doesn’t deliver. Instead, Skiplagged often charges consumers more than if they had booked a ticket directly with American or through an authorized agent of American."
While booking a flight to the desired destination of travel, the travelers seek for the cheapest airfare , even if that means booking a flight to a city that isn’t their final destination. In this process, one books the cheaper flight and then just simply don’t get on the connecting flight to the booked destination.
Recently , American booted a 17-year-old from a flight and banned him for three years when he tried to use the tactic “skiplagging” to fly from Gainesville, Florida, to Charlotte, North Carolina, on a ticket that listed New York City as his destination. For the teen, that was cheaper than booking a flight directly to Charlotte.
In the suit, American Airlines accused Skiplagged’s conduct to be deceptive and abusive. They said , Skiplagged -
(a) is not –and has never been - an agent of American;
(b) breaches the AA.com Use Agreement and Conditions of Carriage by marketing and selling tickets for American flights;
(c) coachesAmerican passengers to assist in their breaches of the Conditions of Carriage agreement with American;
(d) violates federal statutory and DOT regulations; and (e) infringes the American Marks.