Air Fare Increase?

[jemitch65]

Hello fellow Pilgrims: About two weeks ago, I priced air fair from Boston to Bilbao with return flight from Santiago to Boston at $1,040 on Iberia. I just checked again and the same flight was billing at $1,500. With gas prices going down, I have been told that air line ticket prices should be decreasing by 5% this winter. How could prices have jumped by 50%? Am I missing something? John

 

[wayfarer]

Airline websites leave cookies on your computer so they know you have looked at prices before so they up the price. Use a different computer from a different location and see what the price is.

 

[whariwharangi]

Hello fellow Pilgrims: About two weeks ago, I priced air fair from Boston to Bilbao with return flight from Santiago to Boston at $1,040 on Iberia. I just checked again and the same flight was billing at $1,500. With gas prices going down, I have been told that air line ticket prices should be decreasing by 5% this winter. How could prices have jumped by 50%? Am I missing something? John

Welcome to airline pricing. The price goes up and down depending on how many seats are sold and how close to dates of travel. Its really annoying but thats the business model used by every airline.

 

[whariwharangi]

Airline websites leave cookies on your computer so they know you have looked at prices before so they up the price. Use a different computer from a different location and see what the price is.

An interesting rumour ... I guess you could clear your cookies and see if there really is a price change.

 

[Thornley]

An interesting rumour ... I guess you could clear your cookies and see if there really is a price change.

Its not a rumour.

 

[wayfarer]

An interesting rumour ... I guess you could clear your cookies and see if there really is a price change.

Its not that simple, I'm sure there is a way but it involves software to remove tracking cookies etc. and its not a rumour.

 

[clearskiescamino]

I was caught out by this tactic by Aer Lingus last year. Not this year

 

[jemitch65]

Thank you all for the information. I had no idea this kind of thing happened. I don't believe in conspiracies but this is truly incredulous. When I book, I'll go to AAA travel and see what they come up with or book it from my laptop.

 

[jemitch65]

I was caught out by this tactic by Aer Lingus last year. Not this year

Hi Clearskies: Did you use another computer too or did you get ride of the cookies in your computer? If the latter is true, how did you do that?

 

[clearskiescamino]

Hi Clearskies: Did you use another computer too or did you get ride of the cookies in your computer? If the latter is true, how did you do that?

I used a different computer to buy the tickets.

 

[whariwharangi]

Its not that simple, I'm sure there is a way but it involves software to remove tracking cookies etc. and its not a rumour.

I guess I better not plan to ever travel with ALSA again. I'm on that site almost daily.

 

[allykat]

You can also use your "incognito/private" browser to search for flights. This is what I do as it does NOT allow websites to save cookies or anything to your computer. No history... nothing. So I can go on the same website multiple times a day and look at the same prices because it hasn't been affected by my visits. If I do the same thing on my chrome browser with my sign in info, the prices go up dramatically.

 

[CaptBuddy]

I use SuperAdBloker. It is quite good at eliminating cookies.

 

[dougfitz]

Hello fellow Pilgrims: About two weeks ago, I priced air fair from Boston to Bilbao with return flight from Santiago to Boston at $1,040 on Iberia. I just checked again and the same flight was billing at $1,500. With gas prices going down, I have been told that air line ticket prices should be decreasing by 5% this winter. How could prices have jumped by 50%? Am I missing something? John

There is a simpler explanation that does not need complex conspiracy theories. Airlines offer limited numbers of seats at each price, and once they have been booked, the best price is then dearer. A similar pattern exists for award flights - once the allocated number has been used, then it is not possible to book that flight using award points.

If you left it too long between checking price and availability, and starting your booking, the seats you originally saw wouldn't have been available any longer. I have seen attractive seat prices disappear in minutes. Two weeks is an eternity!!

 

[cher99840]

There is a simpler explanation that does not need complex conspiracy theories. Airlines offer limited numbers of seats at each price, and once they have been booked, the best price is then dearer.

I've had that happen and sometimes they come back. Maybe someone cancels or maybe they put more seats out there after a certain date. I've never understood the mechanics of it.

 

[C clearly]

I've just done some googling about this issue, and the travel "experts" seem to think that the rumours are probably not true. Just as an example, see this article: http://www.usatoday.com/story/trave...ert-do-cookies-really-raise-airfares/2121981/

I have searched the same airline routes many many times and found constant prices for surprising lengths of time. I have also had price changes (both up and down) between the time I started a transaction and the time it finished minutes later.

It amazes me how cheap airfares are (compared to other costs and earnings) compared to years past.

 

[Dennis M]

Hi John,

I did my pricing research when i booked my flight from Philadelphia to Barcelona.. i find that Tuesday and Wednesday around 2 pm Eastern Std time seems to have a cheaper price range.. and as many said, always clear your cookies before doing research.. i know it's a big hassle but i monitored price everyday.. it also states in my research that you should buy the ticket 120 days or more prior to trip.. i got mine for $781 last Oct - Philadelphia to Barcelona. Then, i booked from vueling my barcelona to ferrol for $110.

 

[NicoZ]

They don't need cookies.

They know how many seats the plane provides. How many are sold. How many competitors fly the route. How many people normally fly the route. You're accessing their computers . So they know the number of people checking. They know from your IP number if you're distinct people or not. If your ISP doesn't change your number very often you likely are accessing the servers with the same IP number.

There is a total imbalance of information.

If the cookies really mattered then somebody using a university library computer checking the prices for a winter break would be quoted in millions. Or think of this. The cookies tell them you balked at the previous price. Unless they're trying to scare you whats the point hiking the price above the price you refused before?

For companies like Vueling sign up for the offers/newsletter. They have sales VERY often. Normally starting at between €25 and 30.

 

[david townsend]

what an amazing community you all are. I am enjoying reading all of these threads so much. the genuine nature of kindness is apparent. thanks so much for all of the info.

 

[KinkyOne]

Last year it happened to me (Vueling) that the day after I purchased the tickets price for the same flight was even lower Not much, but hey...
I monitor prices for different destinations using www.skyscanner.com quite often and they don't get any higher for months before the flight, so I wouldn't really believe in cookies theory. At least not in my case

 

[Patch]

Hi, I am retired and travel a lot from the UK worldwide. Just a few tips that !at help. I have found air fares rise at the weekend and fall mid week. Also day and time of travel has a major effect so suggest looking at +/- 3 days around your departure date - return date has little effect. Also have a look at airport you are going to, doesn't seem to have that great effect in the UK to be honest but USA is sure to be different

 

[t2andreo]

Thank you all for the information. I had no idea this kind of thing happened. I don't believe in conspiracies but this is truly incredulous. When I book, I'll go to AAA travel and see what they come up with or book it from my laptop.

It is not a conspiracy. It is an industry-wide business model designed to maximize profits. The cookie on your computer tells the airline computer that you are interested in this particular flight. The software on the reservation computer is sophisticated enough to follow your interest even if you change dates seeking a better price

Other factors include the number of people who have looked at that route over the past 24-48 hours, how many times you return to the same flight, and the number of tickets actually sold for that flight. The computer software automatically knows to vary the price it quotes you to maximize airline profits. Even an extra 40 or 50 dollars or Euros on a round trip airfare adds up to a lot of money on the corporate bottom line at the end of the year.

Flushing your cookies is one effective way to counter the software. However, if you are a frequent flyer and use your account on your preferred airline, you are screwed. The account login overrides the cookie placed on your computer. So, flushing the cookie cache does not necessarily work if you are logged into your frequent flyer account.

The tactic to use here is to use another computer or flush all cookies, search and pin down the flight and fare, start the ticketing process, THEN log into your frequent flyer account during the process. By then the airline is committed to offering you the fare it quoted.

Even this is no guarantee. Buying airline fares has become like playing roulette in a casino. The odds vary, but over time and in the end, the house (airline) usually always wins.

I hope this helps.

 

[tominrm]

I, too, have been waiting for the price of my airline tickets to drop. I know the price of oil is about half of what it was at the peak, but the airfare is not reflecting that. I am cautiously optimistic that once the air fare war starts, the price of tickets will fall rather rapidly. Hope it starts soon. I will have to buy tickets before the end of March.

 

[jemitch65]

It is not a conspiracy. It is an industry-wide business model designed to maximize profits. The cookie on your computer tells the airline computer that you are interested in this particular flight. The software on the reservation computer is sophisticated enough to follow your interest even if you change dates seeking a better price

Other factors include the number of people who have looked at that route over the past 24-48 hours, how many times you return to the same flight, and the number of tickets actually sold for that flight. The computer software automatically knows to vary the price it quotes you to maximize airline profits. Even an extra 40 or 50 dollars or Euros on a round trip airfare adds up to a lot of money on the corporate bottom line at the end of the year.

Flushing your cookies is one effective way to counter the software. However, if you are a frequent flyer and use your account on your preferred airline, you are screwed. The account login overrides the cookie placed on your computer. So, flushing the cookie cache does not necessarily work if you are logged into your frequent flyer account.

The tactic to use here is to use another computer or flush all cookies, search and pin down the flight and fare, start the ticketing process, THEN log into your frequent flyer account during the process. By then the airline is committed to offering you the fare it quoted.

Even this is no guarantee. Buying airline fares has become like playing roulette in a casino. The odds vary, but over time and in the end, the house (airline) usually always wins.

I hope this helps.

Thank you T2Andrea for the reply. I tried cleaning my cookies but the quote remains +$500. Would you recommend that I buy my airfare through AAA or off my AMEX gold card? I can quote flight numbers, times and previous quotes. God I hope I don't have to pay +$500 of some cute airline software program designed to bilk me out of every last penny. This is discouraging to say the least. John

 

[david townsend]

AAA will not quote you a fare that you aren't able to retrieve yourself. Have you tried to search the fare via Kayak.com or any other search engine? I found my lowest fare on my LAX - PARIS - ROME - LAX trip last fall via KAYAK.com and then just went to the website of the carrier that I was most comfortable with. In this case, it was Air France. A few airlines do not allow for their fares to be sold by discounters, but most of them will be on the site. If you have problems, shoot me a message with your dates, city of origin, and destinations, and I'll gladly do a bit of searching for you. If you are dead set on flying a particular carrier, than you may be stuck paying whatever their quote is.

good luck to you. Happy to help if needed.
dave

 

[david townsend]

p.s. I have been told that airline sales typically come out on Tuesday and Wednesdays. If you go on Kayak.com and put in your details, they will email you when the fair changes. + or -

 

[t2andreo]

I recommend you call AAA, then try AMEX. See if they can beat your found price. The "correct" answer should be obvious.

I hope this helps.

 

[hikingmd_05]

Thanks for the info. Now I understand why the cost of an airline ticket on a supposedly 25% global sale of an airline based in the MidEast has no difference from that booked when not on sale.

 

[Saint Mike II]

Whilst have not read all 30 above post my suggestion is as follows: most international air fares are quoted in US $ and then adjusted for local currency values. Since the Euro has decreased in value against the US $ the prices have increased. Other factors - preparing more than 6 months in advance usually gets a discount - after all the airline has your money for the 6 months or so and does not pay any interest. I prepaid for my flights SYD/MAD/SYD back in Oct 2014 for an Aug 2015 departure and took advantage of an airline discount window.
Other suggestion - get on to your preferred airlines mailing lists that way you will know when discount windows are open.
Buen Camino.

 

[peregrina2000]

I've just done some googling about this issue, and the travel "experts" seem to think that the rumours are probably not true. Just as an example, see this article: http://www.usatoday.com/story/trave...ert-do-cookies-really-raise-airfares/2121981/

I have searched the same airline routes many many times and found constant prices for surprising lengths of time. I have also had price changes (both up and down) between the time I started a transaction and the time it finished minutes later.

It amazes me how cheap airfares are (compared to other costs and earnings) compared to years past.

Based on my empirical research (with an N of 1 ), I am going to agree with C clearly and take the non-conspiracy theory explanation. I have searched fares for my Camino flights (and another two flights I'm taking soon, one domestic, one international) on at least ten different computers in the last three days (I was at a conference with lots of friends who had laptops). There was never a dollar's difference in the fare quoted on my computer, which has Kayak alerts, and probably four billion cookies, and any of the other computers. So that's good enough for me, I'll stick with my Kayak alerts and wait for a fare drop!

 

[jpflavin1]

I, too, have been waiting for the price of my airline tickets to drop. I know the price of oil is about half of what it was at the peak, but the airfare is not reflecting that. I am cautiously optimistic that once the air fare war starts, the price of tickets will fall rather rapidly. Hope it starts soon. I will have to buy tickets before the end of March.

I would not count on the decline of oil to lead to lower airline ticket prices. Most airlines have hedged there fuel cost and therefore are somewhat immune to oil price fluctuations. If they are on the short side they just find another fee to charge us. Those fees are the main reason airlines have become so profitable (to the tune of tens of billions of dollars).

The process I use is to track flight cost on Kayak through daily alerts sent to my email. When I find a good price, I check it through another site and that airlines site. Then purchase my ticket. I have rarely found prices change in that time frame.

That said, I have seen really good prices disappear quickly and the airlines do utilize many of the above stated tools to increase profits. During the last five years, I have never paid more than $800. round trip (non stop) from Chicago to Madrid, London, Dublin or Barcelona.

The time of year also has a big impact on cost. I usually fly in the March/April time frame.

Ultreia,
Joe

 

[david g]

I think they throw out a few low priced tickets to gauge response, then price others accordingly. Back in October my sister scored round trip from Sanfrancisco to Paris for under $900.00,( leaving the end of April.) Portland to Paris was just under $1,000 and I held off to try to coordinate with my brother about leaving times. A couple hours made a difference as tickets were up to $1400. when I tried to buy. Now we're in January and tickets are $1200. It just all comes down to timing and luck.

 

[code_monkey_001]

I'd strongly recommend signing up for price alerts and monitoring them closely - just had a wonderful surprise this morning that Chicago to Madrid flights had dropped $120 overnight for my March trip. Tickets purchased, now it's all over but the waiting.

 

[tominrm]

I would not count much on the decline of oil to add to decreased airline ticket prices. Most airlines have hedged there fuel cost and therefore are somewhat immune to oil price fluctuations. If they are on the short side they just find another fee to charge us. Those fees are the main reason airlines have become so profitable (to the tune of tens of billions of dollars).

The process I use is to track flight cost on Kayak through daily alerts sent to my email. When I find a good price, I check it through another site and that airlines site. Then purchase my ticket. I have rarely found prices change in that time frame.

That said, I have seen really good prices disappear quickly and the airlines do utilize many of the above stated tools to increase profits. During the last five years, I have never paid more than $800. round trip (non stop) from Chicago to Madrid, London, Dublin or Barcelona.

The time of year also has a big impact on cost. I usually fly in the March/April time frame.

Ultreia,
Joe

I wonder how you do it? Use Kayak? The lowest so far was Turkish Air $865 R/T. But the connections are terrible.

 

[jpflavin1]

I wonder how you do it? Use Kayak? The lowest so far was Turkish Air $865 R/T. But the connections are terrible.

Tom:
I sent you a pm.