Teenager DETAINED at airport after trying to use 'skip-lagging' trick
Skip-lagging is not illegal but is frowned upon in the industry and may be against the code of conduct for certain airlines
A North Carolina teenager was detained at an airport after he was caught skip-lagging - buying an indirect ticket with the intention of exiting the airport at the layover stop.
Hunter Parsons of Charlotte said his son Logan had an American Airlines ticket from Gainesville in Florida to New York JFK with a stop in Charlotte.
Logan was flying to Charlotte, but an indirect ticket terminating at JFK was cheaper than a direct trip to North Carolina, so he booked that fare with the intention of skip-lagging - not completing the entire trip.
It was the first time the teenager had flown by himself, his dad said, adding that the family has taken advantage of the popular method of saving on flights previously.
At the gate, however, Logan's North Carolina ID raised red flags with the agent and the teen was subsequently taken to a security room and interrogated, Hunter said.
Logan's ticket was canceled and the family was forced to buy him a direct flight.
While not illegal, 'skip lagging' - also known as hidden city ticketing - is frowned upon in the industry and does violate some airlines' codes of conduct.
It was the first time Logan (pictured) had flown by himself, his dad said, adding that the family has taken advantage of the popular method of saving on flights previously
Hunter Parsons (pictured) of Charlotte said his son Logan had an American Airlines ticket with a stop in Charlotte and the intention of getting without re-boarding
Logan's American Airlines ticket was canceled and he was forced to buy a direct flight
Hunter Parsons said he had no concerns allowing teenager Logan to fly alone as the family has utilized the popular but risky method many times.
'We've used Skip Lagged almost exclusively for the last five to eight years,' said Hunter, saying that they were not worried about his flight.
When Logan got to the gate for check-in though, the agent caught whiff of his plan and Hunter said he was taken into a security room and interrogated 'a little bit.'
'They kind of got out of him that he was planning to disboard (sic) in Charlotte and not going to make the connecting flight,' the dad said.
According to Hunter, the family was unaware that skip-lagging is looked down upon.
He said his worry was not that the ticket was canceled by an American Airlines representative, but the way the situation was handled.
'Our concerns are he is a minor and was kind of left to fend for himself several states away,' Parsons told Queen City News.
An airline attorney who spoke with the outlet agreed, calling it 'harsh.'
'It's the first time he's flown, and he really doesn't know what he is doing,' said Bruce Brandon. 'It seems to be a bit harsh to me.
'I just don't understand why they would do this,' the lawyer added.
The Parsons family in a photo posted to Facebook by Lisa Parsons
'Our concerns are he is a minor and was kind of left to fend for himself several states away,' Parsons (left) told Queen City News of his son Logan (right) being alone
Brandon added that the whole situation didn't add up to him, despite recent crackdowns by airlines on hidden city ticketing.
'Was it a security issue or was it a contract issue,' added the attorney. 'Was he held against his will in that back room?'
In recent years, many major flight providers have taken action against outlets that connect passengers with cheaper flight options via the controversial method.
United Airlines and Orbitz sued Skiplagged in 2014, claiming the company's site 'intentionally and maliciously' interfered with their businesses.
More recently, Lufthansa brought a lawsuit against a passenger who had attempted to skip lag on their airline. The company later dropped the suit.
In a statement following the incident involving Logan, American Airlines said the popular process is against their terms and conditions of flying.
'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,' the statement read.
They also said they had been in touch with the Parsons regarding the incident.
It still was too harsh for the family and the teenager who said they understand the business' position but thought there could have been a better way to go about it.
'I think a stern warning, "hey this is frowned upon, if you do it again there would be consequences, financial penalties,"' said Hunter Parsons.
'We've used Skip Lagged almost exclusively for the last five to eight years,' said Hunter (pictured), saying that they were not worried about his flight
In a statement following the incident involving Logan, American Airlines said the popular process is against their terms and conditions of flying
Talking to Queen City News, a representative for American Airlines said they are speaking with the family about Logan's time being detained in Florida.
The spokesperson said they were unaware of that part until the outlet reached out.
An investigation is underway within the company.
Source: Daily Mail
