American Airlines shut down a teenage flyer who tried to use the Skiplagged app to travel on a discount. Airport officials flagged the North Carolina high school student after becoming suspicious about his ticket.
Logan Parsons became caught up in a larger conflict revolving around the airlines and the money-saving app that affords customers a cheaper flight ticket based on the more inexpensive multiple-stop trips, according to Queens City News.
The crux of the debate revolves around the ethics of exploiting a legal loophole that permits individuals to hop off a flight during a layover, taking advantage of discounted fares, despite having no intention of traveling to the intended final destination.
Parsons’ ticket was from Gainesville, Florida, to New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. The ticket had a layover in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he would get off.
The agent became suspicious about the boy’s travel because his driver’s license stated he was a Tar Heel State native. After being flagged, the young man, who was traveling by himself for the first time, was taken to a security room where he was interrogated about the ticket.
“We’ve used Skip Lagged almost exclusively for the last five to eight years,” said Hunter Parsons, the teen’s dad. The Parsons have said they weren’t aware skip lagging was frowned upon in the airline industry.
However, the teenager admitted that his parents bought the ticket as a way to cut corners legally.
Officials took his boarding pass before calling the minor’s parents, who reportedly bought their son a new ticket to make sure he got home.
“Our concerns are he is a minor and was kind of left to fend for himself several states away,” the father said.
The airline later put out a statement, saying, “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…
Read the full article here
