For instance, trip-building site lets you do both (add different departure and destination airports). If you can travel between several different outgoing airports, include them in your base search so you can compare fares easily. Switch between them to check for price differences (though make sure to factor in your travel into the city too). Many of the major global cities have multiple international airports. Alternate Airportsįollowing on from flexibility, you can try and fly from and land at different airports. It often takes looking at the bigger travel picture to see where it is. It'll show you the cheapest locations, in the cheapest month, from your departing location. Skyscanner and other flight comparison sites allow you to search for 'Everywhere' using the Cheapest Month option. If you cannot travel at any time (which is the reality for most of us!), try and remain flexible with your destination. If you can travel at any time, you can work your way through the cheapest dates for your destination. Be Flexible to Find Cheap Flight Dealsįlexibility is key to finding a cheap flight deal. Tokyo Narita to San Francisco InternationalĢ.Miami International to Paris Charles de Gaulle.

I ran the same price comparisons using a fresh Lubuntu Linux installation, with a completely new browser. Here are a few examples of price differences I found using ExpressVPN, with the locations and the differences. MakeUseOf readers can grab an exclusive 49% discount for ExpressVPN using this link to change your IP address as to appear from one of 94 countries. If the airlines use dynamic profiling, you can fight back by using a VPN to change your location. Still, there are a few handy tricks you can use to knock a few dollars from your airfare. But the reality is that airline ticket prices react to demand and the proximity to the flight. You might get incredibly lucky from time to time and find a flight ticket with a massive discount. The reality is that the ridiculous flight deals are few and far between. How about checking prices for a return overnight trip from New York to Chicago?ĭynamic pricing might assume you're a business person, check your previous flight purchase history, and show you price knowing that you will pay it regardless of cost.Įveryone wants to find an insanely cheap flight. If you're checking out flights on a high-end Mac, in San Francisco, the dynamic pricing might assume you have higher income and show you higher prices.

They also know that parents will look to find the best deals months in advance and as such, prices around those periods remain high, despite the number of available seats and current demand.Ī switch to dynamic profiling is unlikely to change this scenario. Airlines know that demand during school holiday periods will dramatically increase. For instance, a flight from London to Lanzarote is primarily marked for leisure.

The report led to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer calling the situation 'a sad state of affairs that might just violate consumer protections.' Flight Route Profilingįlight route profiling has existed for a long time. The reality is that the backend of such a system will never see the light of day, lest it exposes shady and discriminatory practices.Ĭonsumer Reports, formerly the Consumers Union, states in a report from 2018 that 'Despite the notion that algorithms are neutral and objective arbiters, algorithms can exacerbate bias or have unexpected discriminatory effects.'Įarlier, in October 2016, a Consumer Reports study across nine of the top travel search sites cited '42 pairs of different prices on separate browsers for the same sites retrieved simultaneously.' One of the biggest issues dynamic pricing presents is the tracking and grading of individual customers, which will undoubtedly lead to flight fare discrimination toward any number of potential customers.Īny system that gauges a customer's suitability for a specific price should remain open for analysis.

There are more than a few people voicing concerns regarding dynamic fare pricing. Dynamic Flight Pricing Leads to Price Discrimination However, airlines are finding it difficult actually to shift from that system-but that time is now. The current flight pricing structure was put into place in 1978, after The Airline Deregulation Act.

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