Airline Mistake Fares: How Often Do They Happen, Do They Get Honored?

Hi Lucky, in October 2018, you posted about a BA mistake fare (see https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/british-airways-british-airways-club/1935235-ba-cpt-mad-bcn-return-f-667-biltong-now-dead-2.html; first class JNB to Spain, via LHR), which I booked and which BA honored. Once again, thanks for the heads-up!

The stellar super-discounted flight ticket deals are not limited to just regular cash fare tickets. I have a collection of extra great deal award ticket pricing deals which I use very extensively even as I know the airline will one day shut down these deals too.

But I definitely have seen a decline in the durability of the best deals as the ATPCO filing cycle has become far more frequent and airlines have upped their tech in catching and closing deals of this sort.

Whats your game of choice?

How about hotel mistake fares? I just got one recently while looking at a destination. The fare displayed was missing one zero. I booked it and the next day the hotel reached out to say it was a mistake. Anyway after some back and forth they honored the booking but asked that I do not cancel, cos it's still a few months away and the cancelation policy basically allows free cancelation until one week before.

Another good strategy if you can, is to travel the same or next day before the airlines have time to cancel!

Next time there’s an obvious mistake fare you should book it and some non refundable hotel stay for research. Assuming the airline cancels on you, would be interesting to see what the reimbursement process looks like (or doesn’t look like).

I did a good one back in Oct 2021 for a trip in Mar 2022. Air Canada Vacations was selling YVR-SFO RT, with 14 nights of hotel (Hotel Riu Plaza Fisherman´s Wharf), for $312 CAD all in, where most likely that was either just for the flight or just for 1 nights hotel...they honoured as long as I didn't make any changes, and glad I kept it as-is. Now wishing I had booked the whole year...

I don’t get why they don’t honor the fares most of the time. People jumping on first class from Vietnam to the USA aren’t going to be flying that seat anyway and the cabin rarely goes out full. Incremental cost to having the passenger prob covered by the mistake fare.

I also don’t understand why airlines have so many mistake fares and why they aren’t forced to honor them. As a trader myself you build protections to stop mistakes.

Something as simple as a warning before the fare is posted “this fare is usually 98% more expensive, do you want to post it?”

I got my dad on return business class from Auckland to Oakland around ten years ago for $1000 or so on delta. They originally tried to cancel it and eventually caved in. I always wondered if they mistook “Auckland “ for “Oakland” with the change of accent

Gotten on many mistake flight and hotel deals, but none recently. Some fantastic arbitrage opportunities back in the day also. I once uncovered how to fly the Concorde for something like $1200 courtesy of Randy at FT. Couldn't afford the $1200 then so didn't do it, but a few kind FTers sent me Concorde swag like playing cards as a thank you.

Airlines should be forced to honor them. First, then there will be fewer mistakes, and second in the real world if you make a mistake you still have to suffer with the consequences.