What to do when you find a mistake fare
Mistake Fares are becoming less common, but more easily found due to lessening human error, but increasing fare watches. A mistake fare, also called error or glitch fares, is the result of airlines or online agencies accidentally mispricing the cost of a ticket. Usually at a much lower price than “normal.”
If you happen to find one of these mistake fares, there are a few things to remember when booking them.
Book Immediately
Most mistake fares disappear quickly. I found one to Morroco from Memphis on business class for $500. I hesitated for 10 minutes and the flight price had already returned to a “normal” price, i.e. $3000.
If it is a reasonable price to a location you are interested in, book it as soon as you can because these prices do return to “normal” within minutes or a few hours.
Most of the time, you can cancel or change a flight within 24 hours of booking without penalty, so it is typically best to book first, then deal with the other aspects of leaving home (requesting time off, finding a pet or house sitter, etc.)
The 24-hour rule is one of the few things airlines must do to look out for the customer. In the US, airlines must allow passengers free changes or cancellations within 24 hours of booking. There are some restrictions, such as;
the ticket must be booked directly with the airline
booked 7+ days before departure
Flight departs or arrives in the US
Book with the airline if possible
When you book a flight through an airline, your ticket is issued immediately so they’re more likely to honor the fare. However, if you book through an online travel agency (Kayak, Orbitz, etc.), the ticket issuance is delayed. So if the price is fixed during the delay, then the airline may not honor the price.
Will the airline honor the fare?
Know that airlines do not have to honor the mistake fare. I was once notified of a $250 round trip business class ticket to Paris and those were not honored.
Some airlines choose to honor the flights and get great publicity for doing so.
If the airline does cancel the mistake fare, call the customer service desk. It’s unlikely they’ll honor the price, but they may offer a voucher or some miles toward a future booking. They also must refund the amount you paid for the ticket.
Don’t make any non-refundable plans until you know the ticket price will be honored.
This means hotels, reservations, excursions, transportation, etc. However, if you do make nonrefundable plans, the airline should reimburse you for those expenses if they do not honor the ticket price. However, I would wait 2-ish weeks until I book anything else.
At the end of the day, booking a mistake fare feels like winning the lottery. If the airline honors the price, then you are set to go with a great story to tell! If they don’t, then remember that you are entitled to a refund according to the Department of Transportation.