Delta Air Lines Passengers Reveal ‘Insane’ Way To Save $118 Airlines Don’t Want You To Use

When searching for the best airfare, many travelers may think that the longer route would be the most expensive, and vice versa. However, airfare doesn’t always follow the logic they’d expect. Sometimes, a shorter domestic route can cost more than even a longer international route.

That was the case for one Delta passenger who compared the cost of flying from Minneapolis to Atlanta with an Athens-bound itinerary connecting in the same city. Despite covering much more distance, the international itinerary was $118 cheaper.

The unusual price difference left passengers questioning Delta’s pricing and discussing the controversial lengths some travelers might consider to take advantage of a cheaper fare.

Delta Air Lines Passenger Finds Longer Flight To Athens Is $118 Cheaper

The unusual fare comparison was shared in a post on r/delta.

According to screenshots included with the post, a one-way Delta flight from Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) to Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) on August 24 was advertised as $459. However, another itinerary departing from Minneapolis at the same time and continuing to Athens International Airport (ATH) was priced at only $341.

Delta Air Lines Fare Comparison

Both options included Delta Flight 1052 from Minneapolis to Atlanta. So, in other words, Delta was charging $118 less for an itinerary that included the same initial flight plus an additional 10-hour and 40-minute journey to Greece.

“Imagine getting banned for skip lagging because it’s cheaper to fly to Greece through Atlanta than to fly to Atlanta,” the Reddit user wrote.

As many travelers know, fares can change quickly. This is because airlines usually set prices according to several factors like demand, travel dates, seat availability, and type of aircraft, according to Skyscanner.

For example, the Athens fare may have been influenced by competition for passengers traveling between the United States and Europe. Most recently, the airline discounted a new international route after selling just eight seats. Additionally, Delta permanently canceled three new U.S. routes at its major hub. However, Delta hasn’t confirmed why the itineraries discussed on Reddit were priced as they were.

TheTravel has contacted Delta Air Lines for comment but didn’t receive a response before publication.

Passengers Call Delta Air Lines Domestic Flight Prices ‘Insane’

The $118 difference quickly turned the Reddit discussion toward the rising cost of domestic flights and other examples of longer itineraries costing less.

One passenger said they regularly traveled between Minneapolis and Atlanta for work in 2025. According to the commenter, a Main Cabin ticket booked between 30 and 75 days before departure once cost about $300, but they later began paying at least $450 and sometimes more than $600.

That experience was enough to change the traveler’s approach to airline loyalty.

“That broke my idiot loyalty brain, and now it’s best price and class of service,” the passenger wrote.

Other travelers compared recent domestic fares with the general cost of flying abroad. One person said they paid $925 to travel to Pittsburgh in early July before taking their family to Venice for $908 per person.

Another passenger shared an example involving two trips from Raleigh-Durham International Airport.

“I paid for a cheaper flight round trip [from] RDU to Copenhagen (Icelandair) than a one-way flight from RDU to LGA via Delta. It’s insane,” the commenter wrote.

The original Minneapolis fare comparison also led some travelers to joke that they had intended to visit Athens, Georgia, rather than Athens, Greece. Acting confused, however, doesn’t eliminate the potential consequences of intentionally abandoning the international itinerary in Atlanta.

Delta Air Lines Prohibits Skiplagging And Could Penalize Travelers

Skiplagging, also known as hidden-city ticketing, occurs when a passenger books a connecting itinerary but deliberately ends the journey at the layover airport.

In this case, a traveler using the strategy would book the $341 Minneapolis to Athens route, leave the airport in Atlanta, and skip the final flight to Greece. That would theoretically allow the passenger to reach Atlanta for $118 less than the $459 nonstop fare.

One commenter said they previously used this strategy when flying from New York to Florida through Atlanta, their home airport. The traveler claimed the connecting itinerary could cost $300 while a ticket ending in Atlanta cost $600.

However, the commenter said they received a warning after doing it for a third time and have not attempted it again in six years.

“I went back to the baggage drop with an excuse that I had now planned on driving the rest of my trip instead of flying, so I didn’t need my bag going to my final “destination.” The baggage drop agent said something like, “I know what you did. Don’t ever do that again, but I’ll make sure you and your bag gets to ATL this time,” the commenter wrote.

When it comes to official policies, Delta’s Contract of Carriage prohibits ticketing practices intended to circumvent the fare offered for a passenger’s actual itinerary. The airline specifically includes hidden-city or point-beyond ticketing among those practices.

If Delta determines that a passenger has violated the rule, the airline “reserves the right to cancel any unused portion of the passenger’s ticket, void any remaining value of the unused portion of the ticket, refuse to let the passenger board or check bags, and/or, if the passenger is permitted to board, charge the passenger the Applicable Full Fare.”

The cheaper costs may make skiplagging appear tempting, especially when the longer itinerary offers immediate savings. However, travelers attempting to save $118 could ultimately face consequences worth considerably more than the original fare difference.