“Skiplagging” — or booking a flight with a layover to skip the last leg of travel — is a common hack for travelers who don’t want to pay for a direct flight or who to save money on airfare to a connecting destination. Airlines contend the practice results in lost revenue for seats on planes.
From their view you cost them an upcharge on the initial ticket and then they can boom the seat for ANOTHER up charged direct flight on the second leg. It’s complete bullshit that this has become their business model, but it is. Anticonsumer behavior is corporate 101 these days.