- A "skiplagging" passenger said she has "no remorse" because of what airlines charge for flights.
- Sophie Partlow said the approach gives travelers more control and she's never faced any backlash.
A frequent flyer who's been "skiplagging" for more than a decade said she doesn't feel guilty because airlines have a "chokehold on prices."
Skiplagging — or "hidden-city" ticketing — is a practice where travelers book flights with a layover in a city they want to visit and then don't take their second flight to the supposed final destination.
Sophie Partlow first found out about the approach from an article and started using the flight-booking website Skiplagged.com. She said she's been using it for many years and has saved hundreds of dollars on flights.
"Ultimately I have no remorse and no angst about using hidden-city tickets," she told Insider. "I feel like because of the fact that airlines have had a chokehold on prices and availability for as long as they have, then more power to Skiplagged for giving some of that control back to the travelers."
Partlow recently paid $71 for a "hidden-city" flight from New York to Savannah, Georgia with a connection in Charlotte, North Carolina. Insider has viewed documentation showing what she paid for the flight.
Skiplagging has its risks, however. Insider's Taylor Rains pointed out that airlines hate it, and some have even canceled return journeys, taken away miles, and banned passengers from future flights.
Partlow said she's never been caught or faced any backlash for skiplagging, but as a frequent flyer, she's aware that airlines are trying to clamp down on it.
"They really try to get you if you're getting a hidden-city ticket," she said. "You need to know what you're facing when you do it."
Partlow, who's still in Charlotte, said some airline staff will compare your destination with the address on your ID.
"If it matches with the connecting flight and not your final destination, you're gonna get grilled whether you bought a hidden-city ticket or not," she said.
If that happens, Partlow said she tells customer agents that she's traveling to the final destination on her ticket if they ask where she's headed.