Money-saving “throwaway ticketing” upheld in American Airlines lawsuit against Skiplagged

Money-saving “throwaway ticketing” upheld in American Airlines lawsuit against Skiplagged

from Gary Leff on October 18, 2024

American Airlines won a $9.4 million judgment against Skiplagged for copyright infringement. This is seen as a major victory for American and a validation of its fight against the sale of throwaway tickets. That’s not it.

To be clear, a nearly $10 million verdict isn’t exactly good for Skiplagged, even though there will be options for appeal. American is nowhere near able to raise that much money.

What is important, however, is that American Airlines mostly lost. Remember, they were primarily after $94 million for trademark infringement and fraud. None of it lasted.

American’s lawsuit alleges that Skiplagged’s marketing of this practice violates airline ticketing practices, places travelers who booked flights through Skiplagged at risk of having their tickets invalidated, infringes on American’s trademarks, and in fraudulently advertises lower rates than customers ultimately pay.

“It is the classic bait and switch: luring consumers with the promise of secret fares and instead selling them a ticket at a higher price,” American claims 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.

The copyright claim seems pretty silly since by identifying American Airlines, Skiplagged explained to consumers the facts about the schedule they would be flying.

But the other claims were far more stupid. The idea that Skiplagged customers are being deceived into flying there precisely because of a “travel hack” that results in actual savings is not based on the belief that American Airlines endorses the practice. The American takes care of Skiplagged because they undermine American’s pricing and save customers money.

Throwaway tickets have been a practice for decades. Airlines often charge more money for nonstop flights than for connecting flights. So you book a flight with a change through the city you want to travel to and just don’t take the second connecting flight. This can often save them money, but there are risks involved.

That’s not it illegal to participate in the sale of disposable tickets. It’s against the airline’s rules. And people don’t agree with the ethics. You “agree” to the airline’s contract, the terms of which you probably don’t know when you buy the ticket. Is it unethical to violate a liability contract, regardless of which airlines decide to do so? You buy seats on two flights. Isn’t it up to you whether you use these seats or not? However, for the airlines, a trip between Gainesville and New York is different than a trip from Gainesville and Charlotte and comes with different prices. Flying to Charlotte instead of New York for a cheaper price is theft.

For many people, the risks are more important than ethics. If your flight is delayed or canceled, your airline may want to reroute you via a other hub than the city you were actually flying to (and where you wanted to get off). You cannot check your baggage as it will end up in your final baggage Ticket issued Your destination and not the place you are flying to. And if you’re forced to check your luggage at the gate even though the overhead bins are full, you’ll find yourself in a bind. Plus, you can only book these for one leg, because if you throw away anything other than the last flight in your itinerary, the rest of the trip will be canceled.

And since you obviously can’t check baggage with such a ticket, you should definitely not check in at the airport and involve a live agent. Check in online or via the mobile app. And if you don’t, at least use a kiosk.

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