Is skiplagging illegal in Australia?

So, is skiplagging illegal in Australia? Honestly, it’s a bit of a grey area, isn’t it? Officially, no, it’s not illegal. But that doesn’t mean you’re home free. Think about it – airlines aren’t exactly thrilled about it, are they?

I remember reading about this friend of a friend who tried it, flying from Sydney to London via LA. Saved a bunch of money, he thought, clever clogs! Except, Qantas, bless their cotton socks, caught him. They cancelled the rest of his ticket – can you imagine the stress? He ended up having to scramble for a new flight, costing him way more than he’d saved in the first place. Talk about a backfire! So, yeah, while it’s not a crime you’ll get arrested for, it definitely violates their terms of service.

They can be pretty brutal about it too. I’ve read that Qantas and other airlines, not just in Australia but worldwide, will cancel your tickets, maybe even take away your frequent flyer points – ouch! And then, the kicker? They can bill you for the flight segment you skipped. Basically, you could end up paying more than the original ticket price. Is it really worth the risk? I mean seriously, is that extra few hundred bucks really worth the potential hassle? Probably not. It feels like a gamble with pretty high stakes, if you ask me. Maybe just stick to booking the flights normally. Safer, and probably less stressful in the long run.