United Airlines sues 22-year-old who found method for buying cheaper plane tickets

United Airlines and Orbitz filed a civil lawsuit last month against 22-year-old Aktarer Zaman, who founded the website Skiplagged.com last year.

The site helps travelers find cheap flights by using a strategy called “hidden city” ticketing.

United Airlines sues 22-year-old who found method for buying cheaper plane tickets

Typical corporate scum. When someone finds or does something that can help people do and get things cheaper, corporations go all out to shut them down.

The idea is that you buy an airline ticket that has a layover at your actual destination. Say you want to fly from New York to San Francisco — you actually book a flight from New York to Lake Tahoe with a layover in San Francisco and get off there, without bothering to take the last leg of the flight.

This travel strategy only works if you book a one-way flight with no checked bags (they would have landed in Lake Tahoe).

There is nothing illegal going on here, and the website itself hasn't generated any revenue at all. It's sad when someone who is trying to do something for the greater good is getting stepped on by corporate greed.

The kid is being sued due to the "revenue" Orbit and United "lost" (which is about $75,000), and because he apparently "maliciously used Skiplagged to damage their businesses.".

But there is still hope though;The news is starting to go mainstream and whatever the outcome is, United and Orbitz will still take damage and come under fire from the public and most likely other air travelers.

This is some mainstream proof that corporations control our lives and the things we do. Hopefully this helps some people wake up.

Also, anyone find it weird that fox, cbs, cnn, etc are reporting this? I thought they'd remain quiet

Here is another article other than the one used in the OP
CBSNews

a reply to: Kuroodo

“[Hidden city ticketing] have been around for a while, it just hasn’t been very accessible to consumers,” Zaman told CNNMoney. Indeed, “hidden city,” ticketing is no secret among frequent fliers, said Michael Boyd, President of Boyd Group International, an aviation consulting firm in Evergreen, Co. Boyd worked as an American Airline ticket agent 30 years ago, and says he was trained at the airline to help customers find “hidden city” fares.

So something they have known about for years, and didn't capitalize on, is now lost revenue?

SMH

a reply to: Kuroodo

PR disaster in 3...2...1...

I'm going to laugh when more of the public catches on and UA suffers reputational damage for taking action against an individual. It's never a good look for large companies.

a reply to: rockintitz

So something they have known about for years, and didn't capitalize on, is now lost revenue?

then there is his defense...looks like the airlines will be wasting more money with a failed lawsuit

a reply to: Kuroodo

This has been around for years . In the late 80s i needed to get from Portland to Los Angles . It was around 240 dollars one way but 160 return . Open tickets . Took the one way flight then mailed the return tickets to my mate who advertised the return tickets in the USAF times i think it was . I never could work out the logic .

a reply to: Kuroodo

I find it hilarious that this person is being targeted for "lost revenues" when everyone with a brain has known this for YEARS. You check all paths that start at your departure point and end at, or go through, your destination. Then you cross check that with round trips tickets and one way tickets. At least this is what my family and friends have always done. Last time I flew technically it was round trip but the way it worked out was to buy two one way tickets - about a hundred dollars cheaper.

That these corporations think this person 'let the cat out of the bag' so to speak, is just too funny. Headinassitis.

Zaman insisted his site only provides information and does not actually book tickets.

CBS News

He also said he has made no profit via the website and that all he’s done is help travelers get the best prices by exposing an “inefficiency,” in airline prices that insiders have known about for decades.

Fox13 - CNN Wire

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OPINION: OPPs! ... ( and/or Oh-Oh! )

These News-Agencies MAY have ... Stepped-In-IT.

Where U.A. MAY Holler More ... "soo-ie !!!".

(i.e. isn't the "reporting" by the news-agencies doing the same thing?)

-
Additionally, I wouldn't be surprised if "The Moderators" MAY wish to Remove-This-Thread ... ( for safety-from-liability reasons ).
.

I think the owner did an ama on Reddit recently. I believe it's the same company.

I think there should be a class action lawsuit against United Airlines and Orbitz for not providing this information and costing travelers $75,000 in unnecessary expense.

Living in Atlanta, where for years the prices of tickets were outrageously high compared to similar flights from other places, I do this all the time and have been doing it for decades. Seriously? They can't freaking control whether I decide to take that last leg of a flight or not. Or charge/sue someone for telling people about it.

The same airlines who charged me $200 to fly with a 2-pound puppy, which I paid up front, a month ahead, only to be told at the airport when I had no choice that since I had booked the price of fuel had gone up so the puppy's flight would not be $200 additional. You know. Because that 2 pounds made their fuel cost so much more. The three human tickets for the flight were only $168! These people?

The same airlines who are causing blood clots from their ridiculously closed in seating, shoving peanuts in everyone's faces, charging for checking bags and just about everything but a trip to the rest room? These people?

The same airlines whose business plans and models are so piss poor with no risk contingencies and needed government bailouts and cried like babies when they were dealt a blow?

Given my examples and their penny pinching ways and excuses, you'd think they'd actually be HAPPY for less weight so they can save on the cost of fuel peanuts on that last leg of the flight. Rolls eyes.

Back on track, but, hey, even if this isn't illegal now it will probably be so soon. You know, because it's a security threat, once some politicians get a few free flights and meals.

P.S. This works best if you actually have to change planes (haha) or if the layover is long enough to where they actually let you off your one plane that is taking you all the way. Every now and then if the first leg of a same plane scenario is late they will keep you on the plane for ridiculous amounts of time so as not to delay the next leg, so that bit can also require an adjustment to your plans.

And with that dies the saying:

"Build a better mousetrap"

It's really sad. Times are hard enough, and someone takes their time and energy to help others by saving them a few bucks on airfare and the corporatocracy takes hold of someone and strangles the entrepreneur out of them.

I hope this blows up in the faces of United and Orbitz. After knowing this, I will not be using Orbitz or booking any flights on United ever again.

~Namaste

originally posted by: rockintitz
a reply to: Kuroodo

“[Hidden city ticketing] have been around for a while, it just hasn’t been very accessible to consumers,” Zaman told CNNMoney. Indeed, “hidden city,” ticketing is no secret among frequent fliers, said Michael Boyd, President of Boyd Group International, an aviation consulting firm in Evergreen, Co. Boyd worked as an American Airline ticket agent 30 years ago, and says he was trained at the airline to help customers find “hidden city” fares.

So something they have known about for years, and didn't capitalize on, is now lost revenue?

SMH

I hope his defense reads your post. Zaman should begin his lawsuit against those sueing him, for loss of business, harassment etc.

Brilliant, I guess that the Airlines and other Ticket selling companies, dont like the idea of being beat by their own system. Heck these companies are probably doing the exact same thing to you and I. I hate seeing stories of innocent people getting the shaft, because they just so happened to figure out a loop hole.

What I don't understand is how the airlines can justify calling it "lost revenue"?

I mean - it's less weight, therefore less fuel. And the last leg is already paid for, right?

Does this mean that M&M/Mars can sue me if I buy a 64oz bag of Peanut M&Ms (I should put a tm in here, shouldn't I?) - and then decide to not eat the last 1/4 of the bag? Because they *should* have made the extra money from me buying smaller bags at higher cost?

"People are idiots"

The subject of the story is an RPI grad..

www.insiderensselaer.com...

Just sayin

The crux of this entire thing is the "fairness" of using mass data to exploit a system.

And at the heart will be the entire concept of the NSA and concepts of metadata.

If exploiting a market based on cunning data analysis is made illegal....the entire house of cards comes crashing down. Because UA would hinge this on damages to a corporate personhood. Which would open the gates for claims from real people targeted by big data.

Interesting case.

a reply to: Kuroodo

Hey I went to undergrad with this kid. Major alumni pride right now.

a reply to: daaskapital

I quit flying. If I did, it wouldn't be with them. I agree with your assessment.

I would think it is more about the TSA than anything. They want to know where you are. If you get off before your destination they don't like it.

Look, I'm all for demanding fairness and championing the consumer. But the strategy this guy capitalized on isn't just some nifty way to get discounted fares. It subverts the entire operational model at airlines on their layover flights. Air travel is already stretched razor-thin on their capacity so as not to have extra seats.

When you have people skipping out on their final leg in significant numbers, it will start skewing their reporting, estimates and planning models. Every number and penny, of which, goes into figuring fare prices, offerings, salary, capital expenditures, etc. Not to mention how much it can cloud the TSA/ DHS analytics.

Fortunately, I think so few people took advantage of this, it couldn't cause a 'significant' adverse effect.