hazcaddy

I've found repeated searches counter-productive. I was watching a certain "YYZ to somewhere-USA" and after four or five days all of the AC prices started rising, and kept rising. I do attribute that to my daily checks, and although RandomBaritone denies individual searches have any effect, I'm pretty sure even AC's IT system can detect a pattern of searches.

I don't do that (daily checks) no more.

Transpacificflyer

It's worse than described. I was literally in the midst of purchasing business class to SIN and wham bam the system cut out on me in the middle of transaction and the fares went up $2000+ roundtrip. Even the routes that still have P fares have been whacked.
If I can't get what I want, I will go China Southern or try the Finnair option. This is just ridiculous. There is absolutely no consistency with AC. Meanwhile, Air China still has options of $3400-$3800. I am almost tempted to give AC the middle finger and purchase a more convenient option with Air China. It's just that I abhor transfers in PEK and PVG and flights on the B777 cattle carriers with non existent F&B that serve the routes to HKG/BKK/SIN/ICN. Thankfully, Cathay does the routes to SIN/HKG/BKK. Adding insult to injury, the only options available via aeroplan are via India or have the deceitful J class redemptions with most of the seats in Y. They offer the J seats I need on some segments for a different destination, but those same flights are unavailable if I book from potential ports. And now I see that Aeroplan is down for maintenance for a few hours. How absolutely brilliant. Yup, I am not a happy client.

SparseFlyer

Better call a lawyer immediately.

drvannostren

Yea my guess is you just missed a sale or something. The price fluctuate a lot, of course, but unless you NEED to fly AC, I'd open myself up to other options. That AC flight is gonna be Rouge, so it's not great, you could just as easily fly 1 stop on AA, UA, DL, CM or AM. Might be able to get a better price too. Don't be worried about arriving at like 2am in LIM, especially if you speak Spanish, it's perfectly safe and lots of flights arrive at that time, so there's plenty of taxis and whatnot. The only issue I had arriving that late on AM was I couldn't buy a sim card at the airport.

Back to the subject of pricing...the moral of the story is, set yourself a reasonable budget and stick to it. If you think you can get a YYZ-LIM return for < $700 and see one RIGHT AWAY, ok maybe keep searching a bit and circle back, but when you find a price you're ok with or like, just buy it. Don't worry about pinching every penny. The other option is you can buy from sites with price guarantees if you're really paranoid. Off the top of my head I can't think of one, but I know I've seen them. OTAs that guarantee if you find a lower price they'll pay the difference. Alternatively UA has a price lock that'll keep your price for 5-7 days (I forget) for like $10, so that you can lock it in, if your worried, while you keep looking. The LAST alternative is just buy a flight and living in north america all the airlines (at least I think it's all of them) will let you cancel within 24 hours of purchase for no fee and won't care why you're doing it. So if you like a price, you can grab it, then if you're feverishly looking the next day and find something better you can call back and cancel.

khkchan

Still a very unscientific comment so just take it with a grind of salt - it's true that most consumers will pull the trigger when there is a bargain - that's given that the consumers can walk away because there is no urgent need for the said product and no harm will be done to the said consumers. However, airlines know that you have a need for travel and there are only certain ways to go from places A to places B on any specific day. Don't forget AC has monopoly on a lot of direct routes ex-Canada, especially international travel.

I think I should have more specific - when one clicks through all the purchase process when the inventory is taken away from GDS but doesn't pull the trigger - I have seen enough times that the inventory does not go back to the system - resulting into higher fares available later. For the searching part at least my experience with Delta numerous time forces me to think that simply searching will result into higher fare. But again, coupled with people buying and cancelling and time closer to departure no one really know why.

MasterGeek

Stranger

Not airlines, or most other businesses either.

Remember, *they set prices.* It's not a market.

yyznomad

Armchair Conspiracy Theorists!

ACT now!

pewpew

In the spirit of this thread, I had been looking for a TATL flight, and I found one for ~$1040 in K. I wasn't quite ready to book, so I called my TA and got her to hold the space. Lo and behold, today, when I'm ready to ticket, K is zeroed out, and the next lowest class that would be available had I not held that space is in H for $600 more

MasterGeek

Stranger

Not a problem finding a TA able to book an itinerary found on Matrix. If transatlantic or transpac leg(s) on AC, usually even phoning AC will work.

Last three times I ended up using our former corporate TA, he did get me a one way ticket on BR with YYC-YVR on AC, which neither AC or BR would sell directly, Then a YYC-NRT mixing NH and BR that again I was unable to book online. Then an itinerary from ICN to China on some Chinese airline, followed by a Chinese domestic leg to Dalian, and finally back to ICN on Asiana. All three from Matrix.

This year I got two AC+LH itineraries found on Matrix booked on the phone with AC. In one case (+SN also) the agent suggested I would get it cheaper using for instance Expedia. Was quite surprised when his price came up precisely as I expected.

yyznomad

There is a latency regarding "does not go back to the system". It's not permanent, but not immediate speed of light.

SparseFlyer

Wrong.

AC has the worst IT of all airlines except for this. Somehow they are masterful IT wizards for managing inventory and published fares on a customer by customer basis.

CZAMFlyer

Not quite true. Prices do indeed fluctuate up and down, even when certain fare classes sell out. Although I have yet to discover a pattern (likely because there isn't one without inside knowledge of specific loads/yields), it's possible to get lucky and snag a seat at a lower price than was advertised beforehand.

Argonaut1000