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Airline Sues Passenger For Skip Lagging And Bargain Hunting Travelers Are Crying Foul
Crafty airline passengers beware!
Lufthansa, a German airline, is cracking down on a cost-saving measure many frequent travelers utilize and their efforts could have legal implications for passengers everywhere.
"Skip lagging" is a technique where airline passengers skip the final leg of their journey because the layover location was actually their destination all along.
In some cases, the resulting flights are actually cheaper.
It may be less expensive, for instance, to fly to New York through Dallas than it is to get a ticket directly to Dallas.
@CNNBusiness I booked a return flight instead of a one way flight once. Worked out about 40% cheaper and I didn't u… https://t.co/fhRTc6heIQ— Matthew Wareham (@Matthew Wareham) 1550002346.0
Of course, airline companies hate skip lagging.
They claim it causes delays and ultimately raises the price for everyone.
Also, they lose money, which they can't be too thrilled about.
@CNNBusiness In 1992 when I was a poor student, @lufthansa charged me £100 for excess baggage (only 2kg over) and w… https://t.co/4MWQNhc0g7— Heidi Sturgess (@Heidi Sturgess) 1549988271.0
The German airline Lufthansa is taking legal action against one passenger who saved himself nearly $2,500 by skipping the last leg of one of his flights.
According to Yahoo! Finance:
"...the unnamed passenger was supposed to fly to Oslo from Seattle via Frankfurt in April 2016. However, they skipped a connecting flight and returned from Frankfurt to Berlin on a separate ticket. His total cost was 657 euros, or $743. The airline says he should have paid 2,769 euros, or $3,133. It's seeking the difference plus interest."
@CNNBusiness This is totally messed up on the part of @lufthansa . If it continues with the lawsuit, the company ri… https://t.co/fIgjOj2s9S— Ulakchy (@Ulakchy) 1549984043.0
It's possible, if the courts side with Lufthansa, that skip lagging could be more closely guarded against in the future, costing many travelers hundreds of dollars more for the same flights.
@CNNBusiness Lol so overbooking flights is acceptable, but this isnt? I have no idea why the airline industry gets… https://t.co/4CgpIABmCx— Rich (@Rich) 1549984503.0
Twitter was, without exception, on the passenger's side.
@CNNBusiness It should be illegal for airlines to charge less to go from A-C via B than it does for just A-B. If ai… https://t.co/D5inC1e6vt— Cheryl Goguen (@Cheryl Goguen) 1550021643.0
@CNNBusiness Lufthansa still received the fare for the entire flight whether the passenger was there or not. If I b… https://t.co/PJ8qoeGPve— SFb (@SFb) 1550092982.0
@CNNBusiness Yes of course they can totally overbook a flight and kick off passengers. Seems totally one sided to me.— Jimbo (@Jimbo) 1550116612.0
@CNNBusiness not a great way to build brand loyalty. LH would be better office promoting fare equity rather than pu… https://t.co/re8faZkVuN— Spiritual Chutzpah (@Spiritual Chutzpah) 1549998370.0
Historically, however, almost all courts have sided with passengers.
Even in this case, a lower court has already come out in favor or the unnamed passenger, but Lufthansa, in a fairly unprecedented move, has decided to appeal the decision, which lifts the issue up to higher authorities.
@CNNBusiness Good to know! Fortunately I have options other than @Lufthansa— Matthew (@Matthew) 1549988898.0
Lufthansa is one of the dominant airlines in Europe and he outcome of the lawsuit could have large implications for many of its fellow air companies.
@CNNBusiness This website specializes in hidden city loophole bookings. Check it out. https://t.co/Ylw5yNKJnP— Spiritual Chutzpah (@Spiritual Chutzpah) 1550010059.0