Yesterday, OneMoreDay explained how to use Delta miles for cheap short domestic trips within the U.S.. Today, OneMoreDay will continue by discussing another trick you can use with Delta’s domestic award chart: Hidden City Ticketing, also known as “skiplagging.” With this method, you can book a round-trip across the continental U.S. for just 18,000 Delta SkyMiles, provided that: (1) you can enter Canada (with a U.S. passport, green card, or Canadian visa) and (2) you do not check bags.
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What Is “Skiplagging”?
This trick was only briefly mentioned in previous articles. Simply put, if you want to fly from A to B, but find that A-B-C is cheaper, then you can book the A-B-C ticket, get off the plane during the connection at B, and skip the B-C segment. That way, you can use the cheaper A-B-C price to effectively fly from A to B. This method has long been used on paid tickets, and there is even a dedicated website for it: https://skiplagged.com/.
Warnings and Limitations
Before getting into examples, OneMoreDay wants to emphasize that using this method a few times may be fine, but do not abuse it, or you risk being blacklisted by the airline. Also, remember: do not check bags, or your luggage will be tagged through to C (on North American domestic itineraries), and you will not be able to retrieve it at B. In addition, if C and A are not in the same country, visa issues may come up, and you may need valid entry documents for C in order to board the A-B flight. Update: reader C.z also pointed out another risk: the original A-B-C routing could be changed at the last minute to A-D-C, in which case you would no longer be able to fly A-B.
Version That Only Requires an ID or Driver’s License to Board
For example, suppose you want to fly from Boston to Detroit. From the Delta short-haul award chart, we know Boston and Detroit fall into the Northeast and Mid-North zones respectively, so a direct award would cost 12,500 miles one way. But if you set Pittsburgh as your destination instead, then because Boston and Pittsburgh are both in the Northeast zone, Boston to Pittsburgh costs only 7,500 miles one way, and you can connect in Detroit and skip the second segment, as shown below:
Or, if you want to fly from Orlando, FL to New York, then because MCO-WAS is available as a one-way Promo for only 7500 miles, you can try setting DCA as the final destination. (Here’s another small trick: if your search returns too many options, you can filter the connecting airport you want by checking the box in the left sidebar, as shown on the left side of the image below.)
Version That Requires a Green Card, U.S. Passport, or Canadian Visa to Board
If you can enter Canada, then this gets even easier, since U.S.-Canada awards are only 9500 Delta miles one way. For example, if you want to fly from Orlando, FL to Seattle, then since East Coast-YYJ costs 8,500 miles one way, you can set YYJ as the destination, skip the second segment, and effectively fly a transcontinental diagonal route across the U.S. for just 8500 Delta SkyMiles one way:
The reverse direction is a bit harder. However, if you are in the Northeastern U.S., your proximity to Canada can still make it possible to skiplag in both directions for a round-trip.
For example, New York is a great place for this. If you want to fly from New York to Los Angeles LAX or San Francisco SFO, you can do it like this:
Then for the return to New York, set the destination as Toronto YYZ or Montreal YUL, and you can fly like this, skipping the JFK-YYZ segment:
This means a New York–Los Angeles/San Francisco round-trip can cost just 8500 + 9,500 = 18,000 Delta SkyMiles!
Summary
OneMoreDay is simply offering a few ideas here. You can experiment on your own and create itineraries that fit your needs. Overall, Delta miles are quite useful for flights within the U.S., especially for those living on the West Coast and in the Northeast (though they can also work well for people in the Southeast, especially those based in Atlanta). Of course, OneMoreDay still wants to repeat:
Do not abuse this! Do not check bags!
Do not abuse this! Do not check bags!
Do not abuse this! Do not check bags!
How to Earn Delta Miles
- Delta SkyMiles are a transfer partner of SPG points. 20,000 SPG points = 25,000 DL miles. As with other transfers, this is not instant. For people who do not travel for work, the main way to earn SPG points is through spending on the AMEX SPG credit card.
- DL miles also have an important North American transfer partner: AMEX Membership Rewards, with a transfer ratio of 1000:1000. Based on testing, transfers post instantly. MR points mainly come from sign-up bonuses or everyday spending on the Everyday Preferred credit card.
- AMEX has three co-branded Delta credit cards: the Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card currently has a limited-time elevated sign-up bonus (before February 1): earn 50,000 DL miles after spending $2,000 in the first three months. You can also receive a $50 credit after making Delta purchases on the card within the first three months, and the $95 annual fee is waived for the first year, so you can keep it for a year and then decide whether it is worth paying the annual fee in year two. This is our recommended application link. The Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card currently has a limited-time all-time-high sign-up bonus (before February 1): earn 70,000 Delta miles + 10,000 MQMs (for elite-status qualification) after spending $3,000 in the first three months. You can also receive a $100 credit after making Delta purchases on the card within the first three months. The $195 annual fee is not waived the first year. Each year, you also receive one companion certificate valid within the 48 contiguous U.S. states. This is our recommended application link. The Delta Reserve® Credit Card offers 10,000 DL miles and 10,000 MQMs after your first purchase, with a $450 annual fee. It also includes unlimited access to Delta Sky Clubs.
Related Articles
Delta SkyMiles Guide (1) – Sweet Spots for Award Redemptions
Delta SkyMiles Guide (2) – How to Unlock Domestic U.S. Awards and the Latest Redemption Promotions
Delta SkyMiles Guide (4) – Summary of International Award Promotions