Can searching for flights raise the prices

[jnadelman]

I have spent a good portion of this morning search for flights. Different airlines, different dates, different web sites.
I found one that I liked and went back to book it and now the price has gone up considerably.

Can that just be a temporary increase because they think now that the flight might be in high demand because of my searching, and if I wait a bit, the price could come back down?

I find it odd that the flight went up, and the odds of someone having actually booked it and took those seats small. It was an obscure airport with dates pretty far out. Nothing is out of the question though.

 

[JoeCathyAngelina]

Checking the flight isn't going to change the price.
Available seats on the flight changes the price.
I check my April flight everyday to make sure they didn't change the times and the price is always different.
The price range has gone from when I bought it $239 in May '09 to $1,800 in Feb '10 round trip per person.
It''s currently about $1,400 rt/pp.
Click all you want, that's not going to change the price.
Good luck all,
Joe

 

[jnadelman]

Joe, in all your checking, do you see the price go down on occasion, or only up?

 

[betterlatethannever]

I have spent a good portion of this morning search for flights. Different airlines, different dates, different web sites.
I found one that I liked and went back to book it and now the price has gone up considerably.

Can that just be a temporary increase because they think now that the flight might be in high demand because of my searching, and if I wait a bit, the price could come back down?

I find it odd that the flight went up, and the odds of someone having actually booked it and took those seats small. It was an obscure airport with dates pretty far out. Nothing is out of the question though.

When you were searching did you have only one person traveling? But when you went back you put in the appropriate number of travelers?

That has happened to me a couple of times. The first time, because there was only two seats left at the lower fare, when I then put in three people, the cost went up. I ended up having to two at the cheaper price and then one at the more expensive price.

The second time, I was able to book all three at the cheaper price separately, but I couldn't get that price as one reservation.

And you prices do drop. For ab out a six week stretch earlier this year, I was watching to book a flight down to WDW. Continental would lower their price on Wed and Thur. every other week, different prices each time. On the third drop I bought.

Ed.

 

[jnadelman]

I'm hoping that the prices can/do go down. They were just released and have gone up considerably. We might have to cancel simply because of the flights.
They are twice the price of what they were for the same week last year.

 

[Ted in Halifax]

Yes, they can go up as a result of searching.

Read this

http://www.airfarewatchdog.com/blog/3800914/thats-how-the-cookies-crumble/

I have deleted my cookies and observed this first hand. Also, read peoples comments below the story ....

Ted

 

[Bridge203618]

I would say either someone booked a ticket or a competitor raised their price.

I live in Northeast Ohio and since Jan/Feb have been pricing airfare for late May-early june. Akron Canton was consisently the lower (from Cleveland) by quite a bit. Last Sunday night (28th) continental out of cleveland went down to 102 one way to MCO. I had to figure some things out before we made the commitment to fly. Thursday or Friday I was ready to book. I go to continental's website and it was up to 160. I luckily got on orbitz and they still had it at 102. I booked it - then everywhere it was 160 - still is. It was a sale for about 4 days.

Then I go to book my husband's flight down (later that day we are flying) on Delta and it is 160 and I can't find it cheaper anywhere so I decide to wait.

I wait till Monday. I decided I would wait till today and see if anythign went down, if not I would book on Airtran for about 140. Then my husband finds a flight out of akron last night for Delta for 104. I jump on it. Everyone has this price (all the different sites). Today that flight is up to 256!!!!

Some other delta flights are still low but that one is super high now! I know for sure that southwest and airtran base a lot of their costs on how many seats are left, as it starts to fill up, they start to raise their price...

 

[Missytara]

Joe, in all your checking, do you see the price go down on occasion, or only up?

I watch Airtran for a few weeks before I book my flights. Here is the trending I have found....

Flights seem to drop down on Tuesday through Thursday and then go back up on Friday through Monday. My theory is that people are most likely to be home together on the weekends, and more likely to book when they are all home and can agree on which flights.

Now, me flying by myself, I can book whenever I want. I noticed that the flights go down somewhat in the early morning hours and go up slightly around lunchtime to dinnertime (not much, but still go up). I found the lowest fare posted for both my flights this past year, about 6:00 am (when I got to work) on a Tuesday morning.

 

[DaniB]

Yes, they can go up as a result of searching.

Read this

http://www.airfarewatchdog.com/blog/3800914/thats-how-the-cookies-crumble/

I have deleted my cookies and observed this first hand. Also, read peoples comments below the story ....

Ted

Huh... interesting - makes me wonder...

off to experiment with JetBlue

 

[Ted in Halifax]

I haven't observed this with JetBlue .....and I'm an Airfare stalker!

 

[DaniB]

THose rotten slimy airport people!! I am steamed now!

For two or three weeks I have been wishing we extended our trip by 2 days.

The 1st time I phoned, the prices were the same but I was told we would be charged a $100 fee per ticket PLUS the new airfare. Yeah, right...

The 2nd time I phoned I noticed the prices had risen... this time I was told it would be a $50 fee per ticket plus the DIFFERENCE in airfare. A little cheaper... figured it was just my luck the airfare went up.

I took your advise Ted, cleared EVERYTHING and went back to check fares.

NOW THE PRICES ARE THE SAME AS WHEN I BOOKED.

Now I need to cool down before I phone JetBlue again...

Ohh, and by the way - I checked the airfare this morning and it was still high! So it's not as if they dropped the fares last night or this morning...

 

[crashbb]

Yes, they can go up as a result of searching.

Read this

http://www.airfarewatchdog.com/blog/3800914/thats-how-the-cookies-crumble/

I have deleted my cookies and observed this first hand. Also, read peoples comments below the story ....

Ted

I have never found this to be true.

With fairly regular frequency, I'll be in contact with someone (phone/chat) and we'll both be looking at airfares on separate computers. Never have the prices been different - even if one of us had checked multiple times and it was the time the other computer had looked at those flights.

 

[LeslieG]

Okay, so how do you clear your cookies?

 

[clanmcculloch]

I've seen this sort of thing happen with my own two eyes. Some sites, not all, keep track of what they have already quoted you via cookies. When I do research into flights or hotels or cars online, I always clear my cookies before I actually book because I've seen the prices go back down to my original quotes when I clear them.

I've never had to do this with Southwest Airline.

To clear your cookies, go to the Tools menu, select Internet Options and under the General tab (should be the default tab when the pop up window opens) click on the Delete button under Browsing History.

 

[JoeCathyAngelina]

An experiment,
I've been tracking a non-stop flight for a couple of weeks on Delta, Boston, BOS to Orlando, MCO; Depart BOS, 1/22/11, 7:00 am , depart MCO, 1/29/11, 6:50pm.
I have no intention of booking this flight.
The price has gone from it's original $229 round trip to it's current $328 round trip.
What is everybody else getting for a price?
Good luck all.
Joe

 

[crashbb]

What airline?

 

[JoeCathyAngelina]

An experiment,
I've been tracking a non-stop flight for a couple of weeks on Delta, Boston, BOS to Orlando, MCO; Depart BOS, 1/22/11, 7:00 am , depart MCO, 1/29/11, 6:50pm.
I have no intention of booking this flight.
The price has gone from it's original $229 round trip to it's current $328 round trip.
What is everybody else getting for a price?
Good luck all.
Joe

Delta Airlines

 

[crashbb]

I get $328.

And, just so that people don't think that I'm an idiot, the post was edited to add the airline after I posted my question

 

[5terre]

Wow, I just cleared mine and the lower fares I was seeing that disappeared a few days ago are there again (but of course I can't use them!). Very interesting.

Joe I get $376 inc tax on travelocity for those flights.

 

[chartle]

I have also read that not only does a site keep track of your searches in its own cookies, it can see other sites cookies.

A site can't open another sites cookie and see what is stored in it, but it can see if it exists and when it was created.

So a site knows you went to other sites and is punishing you.