Teen Detained at Airport for Attempted 'Skiplagging' Travel Hack

A North Carolina teenager was detained at a Florida airport after allegedly using a flight hack known as "skip lagging" and violating American Airlines' policy. The teen's father had booked a flight for his son from Gainesville, Florida, to New York City with a layover in North Carolina. The airline noticed the North Carolina driver's license and suspected the teen would skip the connecting flight, leading to an interrogation and detention. Skip-lagging is a tactic where travelers book a flight's layover as their true destination to reduce costs. American Airlines prohibits this practice, and the family was forced to purchase a direct ticket instead.