Skiplagged - Huge Discounted Flights by Using One Way Flights Where Layover Is Destination

neil on 05/12/2014 - 15:29

There is a fascinating AMA on Reddit from the founder of Skiplagged.

What is it?

Basically if you want to fly from A to B, it can be cheaper to book a flight from A to C with a stopover in B. The US is a much bigger market than Australia, so I don't think this would generally apply here for domestic however for international it may.

The site is fascinating. A flight from LA-NY, using Skipplagged routing costs $170 each way by flying LA -> NY -> Boston -> Bermuda. Obviously, you get off at NY.

Earlier in the year, there were some great flight deals from Australia to South America with layovers in the US. A flight to Panama with a stopover in Atlanta resulted in a $1000 fare. A roundtrip fare to Atlanta was $1700. So I think there can be some deals found however Skiplagged isn't pulling anything for Australia.

Does anyone have any Australian based routes that would work?

Travel

Related Stores

skiplagged.com
skiplagged.com

Comments

  • John Stone on 05/12/2014 - 16:10
    +5

    You wouldnt find it on many domestic Australian routes as we favour the point to point system, rather than the hub and spoke system used in the US.

    Internationally, it can be restrictive because if you travel with checked luggage, its going to end up in destination C, where you might want to get off at destination B.

    It would really only be viable if you were travelling without checked luggage, and had the ability to be flexible travel wise.

  • dasher86 on 05/12/2014 - 16:52
    +2

    Sounds like an offshoot of open jaw.

  • Peace Maker on 05/12/2014 - 18:52
    +3

    That AMA also said he is being sued, so not sure if a similar fate might befall an entrepreneur here in Oz. Great concept though.

  • adamren on 05/12/2014 - 21:04
    +1

    Quite a few PER-BNE flights go via MEL or SYD.

    Even PER-SYD goes via MEL. So it could work if you're just wanting to really go PER-MEL.

  • donga100 on 05/12/2014 - 22:34
    +3

    Occasionally this works for Australia-US flights by adding a NZ city to the end of your itinerary. For example, SYD-LAX-SYD-AKL is cheaper than SYD-LAX-SYD. The reason for this is that direct flights to USA can be sold at a premium due to being the most desirable option but for people in NZ flying via Australia is not the most desirable option so they are sold cheaper to compete with Air NZ.

    If you are travelling with bags you can make the return portion of the trip with a "stopover" in Sydney and then just don't show up for the SYD-AKL portion or use it for a trip to NZ later in the year.

    • neil on 06/12/2014 - 01:39
      +3

      That's awesome. I just tried that for Feb 1-15.

      • Going SYD-LAX-SYD-AKL, I got $1,061.82 from Delta via Matrix. Kayak is $1020. Delta site comes up as an error.
      • Going SYD-LAX-SYD, I got $1,250 from Delta. Kayak is giving me $1165 via Travel.com.au

      That's a really good tip!

    • RockyRaccoon on 06/12/2014 - 09:12

      Great advice, I knew about the AKL SYD LAX and Return, being cheaper deal, but never looked at the SYD LAX SYD AKL option.

      Only issue is now the Oz dollar is getting lower the rest of the US trip costs are getting more expensive.

      • neil on 06/12/2014 - 11:47
        +1

        Also works further on down the track flying Delta

        SYD-NYC-SYD-AKL $1341 (goes through LAX & ATL)
        SYD-NYC-SYD $1489

      • travelwiz on 10/02/2015 - 15:32

        not necessarily.

        Some things in USA are so cheap, that the exchange rate is almost irrelevant. If fact to compensate for perceived extra cost of staying in USA, some wholesalers have deals with cheaper air components. $899 return to USA earlier this week from BNE, SYD & MEL. Yes you had to fly Air NZ, (it wasn't anywhere near school holidays) who aren't the best airline & not a lot of seats, but it made other airlines look & see when they had some otherwise unsellable seats.

        Eg. some hotels in Anaheim are incredibly cheap. So some they get lots of Australians are told by wholesaler here about exchange rate.

        So they might do one of a few things:-

        1) work out average stay by Australians. If it's 4 nights, they might say 5th night is FREE or 1/2 price

        2) throw in something that might not cost them much, but has higher perceived value like breakfasts or continental breakfasts or airport transfers.

        Or another example.

        Lift tickets in some Colorado ski resorts currently selling as part of a package for USD$36/day with up to 4 kids under 13 free.

        Recently did a family of 6, where one of adults wasn't skiing. So it cost the other 5 (4 were 12 years or under) only USD$36/day (Around AUD$47 or less than AUD$10/day for lift pass).

        So comparing cost when exchange rate was $ for $ & now, the average price went up from AUD$7.20 to AUD$9.40 - TOTALLY INSIGNIFICANT.

        To get the deal, they had to buy accommodation, but it wasn't loaded. The got a 2 bedroom + loft apartment for less than USD$50/person.

  • donga100 on 05/12/2014 - 22:40

    Not quite the same but Korean Airlines are normally the most expensive option for flights to Korea as most people would pay extra for the convenience of a direct flight and they have very little competition (only Asiana) for direct flights to Korea. However for flights to Europe they have lots of competition and don't have the same brand power here as airlines like Emirates, Singapore Airlines, etc.

    As such, it is common for a SYD-SEL flight to be $1200 return but SYD to Europe with a stopover in Seoul might be only $1400 for the same dates.

    • Candour on 06/12/2014 - 08:41
      +1

      but this would not make the syd sel leg cheap on its own
      just cheaper to europe

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join