Quick Fare Changes While Searching
Dec 24, 2019 | 10:39 am
#1
Original Poster
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Syracuse, NY
Programs: 1k UA, UA MM, AA EXPlat
Posts: 650
Quick Fare Changes While Searching
Last night, I was looking for a fare from St. Louis to Traverse City for this upcoming weekend. I found one for $378. I tried a couple of other date options and all of a sudden that fare was gone and now it was $427. No matter what I did, I couldn't get $427. I booked it and then this morning, I went back on and $378 was available--I canceled my first ticket and got the cheaper one.
I believe that somehow American is raising the fares as I look. It seems almost like dynamic pricing upwards as I look and I am wondering how best to work with this? Have others experienced this?
I believe that somehow American is raising the fares as I look. It seems almost like dynamic pricing upwards as I look and I am wondering how best to work with this? Have others experienced this?
Dec 24, 2019 | 11:31 am
#3
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: ORD
Posts: 986
The most likely option is that your initial booking got far enough in that the system reserved your seat but misplaced it by the time you went back to look.
Since you didn't finish booking that initial reservation, it released your seat a few hours later.
Since you didn't finish booking that initial reservation, it released your seat a few hours later.
Dec 25, 2019 | 6:54 am
#5
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 708
As others have said -- as soon as you get far enough along in the booking process (e.g., entering passenger details), it puts a hold on the fare. If you then exit out of the booking process, the hold is not immediately released. I believe there may be an associated record locator at that point as well that you can go back to . . . or just wait until the hold is released several hours later.
If the held fare is the last seat available in that fare class, you or the the next person who searches for the same routing will almost certainly pay more.
If the held fare is the last seat available in that fare class, you or the the next person who searches for the same routing will almost certainly pay more.
Dec 25, 2019 | 8:29 am
#6
Original Poster
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Syracuse, NY
Programs: 1k UA, UA MM, AA EXPlat
Posts: 650
As others have said -- as soon as you get far enough along in the booking process (e.g., entering passenger details), it puts a hold on the fare. If you then exit out of the booking process, the hold is not immediately released. I believe there may be an associated record locator at that point as well that you can go back to . . . or just wait until the hold is released several hours later.
If the held fare is the last seat available in that fare class, you or the the next person who searches for the same routing will almost certainly pay more.
If the held fare is the last seat available in that fare class, you or the the next person who searches for the same routing will almost certainly pay more.