FORT WORTH, Texas — Fort Worth-based American Airlines is challenging a popular airfare hack known as “skiplagging” in federal court this week.
Skiplagging, also known as hidden-city ticketing or throwaway ticketing, is when travelers book a flight with a connection but get off in the layover city and don’t take the remaining flights in the booked itinerary to save money.
American Airlines filed a lawsuit against New York-based Skiplagged, an online airfare search engine that promotes the practice, in August of last year.
American’s lawsuit alleges that Skiplagged’s marketing of the practice violates the airlines’ ticketing practices, puts travelers who booked flights through Skiplagged at risk of having their tickets invalidated, infringes on American’s trademarks and fraudulently advertises lower fares than customers end up paying.
“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 alleges in the lawsuit.
Trial in the case began Monday before Judge Mark Pittman of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. American Airlines is seeking more than $94 million in damages.
Skiplagged has denied American Airlines’ allegations in the lawsuit in court filings. It also accused the airline of “monopolistic and predatory pricing practices,” according to court documents.
Skiplagged has been sued before under similar circumstances, including by Dallas-based Southwest Airlines, Business Insider reports. That case was dismissed and settled out of court, according to Atlanta News First.
United Airlines and travel website Orbitz sued Skiplagged CEO Aktarer Zaman, who started Skiplagged when he was in his 20s, according to Business Insider. Zaman and Orbitz settled and a judge later dismissed United’s case against Skiplagged, according to CNN Money.