Online Travel Booking and Bidding Agencies - Why does Kayak "retrieve" fares that don't really exist?

I have had this happen to me multiple times now. I search on kayak, and a fare comes up. Then I click the website to actually buy the ticket, either orbitz, cheaptickets, or the airline website. When I arrive at the new website, the fare doesn't exist, and it's much more expensive than what Kayak listed.

Anybody know why Kayak does this? It is very painful because it's like a "ghost" fare that really doesn't exist. Thanks.

They don't go out and get real time inventory when they return results. They may return a fare that is no longer available but was at one point. It would take too long if they went and actually confirmed each fare they were showing was actually available.

So they show you what they think may be available or was at one point available, but only confirm that when you click through. Sometimes, that low fare is no longer available, so they can't get it for you.

They don't go out and get real time inventory when they return results. They may return a fare that is no longer available but was at one point. It would take too long if they went and actually confirmed each fare they were showing was actually available.

So they show you what they think may be available or was at one point available, but only confirm that when you click through. Sometimes, that low fare is no longer available, so they can't get it for you.

Thanks, but it seems like bad search engine then. I'm using orbitz more now. It's like google searching something, and you click on your results, and nothing shows up. It's very frustrating.

This happens on just about everyone online agency or search. The more complex the itinerary, the more likely you are to encounter this

This happens on just about everyone online agency or search. The more complex the itinerary, the more likely you are to encounter this

Any way around this? It seems like ITA matrix doesn't have this problem, but I could be wrong.

ITA matrix does the same thing. I know that ITA supposedly powers kayak, so I searched on ITA matrix, then went to the airline website to get the ticket, and the fare is gone. Painful.

Surprisingly, Orbitz doesn't do this. It only pulls up what is really available.

There's really no way around it. Until you actually go through the purchase process there is still a chance they will no longer have those seats at that cost. It's such an issue that on Kayak for example it's the number one question listed on their FAQ page.

If lowest fare is your goal, you can't rely on just one place. There was a thread last week where United was offering a fare on it's website for something like 20% of what the same flights were on Kayak and Orbitz. You have to constantly check and click and to through the purchase process to see if there's actually a deal there or not.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/online-travel-booking-bidding-agencies/1338983-why-did-kayak-omit-fare.html

It's a pain, but there's hardly any way any of the airlines systems could handle passing out real time data for every flight the big engines search out, Kayak will often bring back hundreds of flights for a simple search. It's just too much data for the airline to feed back.

There's really no way around it. Until you actually go through the purchase process there is still a chance they will no longer have those seats at that cost. It's such an issue that on Kayak for example it's the number one question listed on their FAQ page.

If lowest fare is your goal, you can't rely on just one place. There was a thread last week where United was offering a fare on it's website for something like 20% of what the same flights were on Kayak and Orbitz. You have to constantly check and click and to through the purchase process to see if there's actually a deal there or not.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/online-travel-booking-bidding-agencies/1338983-why-did-kayak-omit-fare.html

It's a pain, but there's hardly any way any of the airlines systems could handle passing out real time data for every flight the big engines search out, Kayak will often bring back hundreds of flights for a simple search. It's just too much data for the airline to feed back.

Interesting info. It seems that Orbitz doesn't do this; it only pulls up stuff that you can actually buy.

Do you know if these fares actually existed in the past, and then they disappeared and kayak and ITA are too slow to get them? Or did these cheap-o fares never exist in the first place? I was seeing SFO-Europe in Business class for $1900 this summer, and of course, it was completely unpurchasable when you clicked on it.

Or did these cheap-o fares never exist in the first place? I was seeing SFO-Europe in Business class for $1900 this summer, and of course, it was completely unpurchasable when you clicked on it.

See the posts at the end of March (this year) in this thread

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mileage-run-deals/1297066-good-deal-premium-fares-2012-a.html

You will see quite a few examples of summer travel at $1,900

I would guess if they were the same fares, they are just sold out at that price level, but still in the systems.

Trying to get to Asia, every fare I clicked on to Korea or China was hundreds higher than the listed fare on Kayak, or no longer available. Useless and frustrating.

Trying to get to Asia, every fare I clicked on to Korea or China was hundreds higher than the listed fare on Kayak, or no longer available. Useless and frustrating.

Can't agree more..

Interesting info. It seems that Orbitz doesn't do this; it only pulls up stuff that you can actually buy.



Do it doesn't. I was trying pull up DXB-SGN QR fare last week and O constantly brought up quotes that were no longer available when you clicked them.

All these agencies are using cached inventory. It only checks if the underlying inventory is still available when you choose it. Sometimes it might even return a lower fare due to constantly changing inventory.

Do it doesn't. I was trying pull up DXB-SGN QR fare last week and O constantly brought up quotes that were no longer available when you clicked them.

All these agencies are using cached inventory. It only checks if the underlying inventory is still available when you choose it. Sometimes it might even return a lower fare due to constantly changing inventory.

What is the best way to find accurate fares, then? Just using the airline website? I have now, for the past week, keep pulling up the "fake" fare on kayak. It still doesn't drop the teasing fake fare every time I pull it up. Painful.

Would you pay for such a service?

What is the best way to find accurate fares, then? Just using the airline website? I have now, for the past week, keep pulling up the "fake" fare on kayak. It still doesn't drop the teasing fake fare every time I pull it up. Painful.

Airline websites are rarely able to price and build itineraries that I would like to ticket. I use Expedia's and/or real TA.