Price goes up the more you search? Rental cars and airlines

[FigmentSpark]

Has anyone ever experienced the price of a rental car or flights going up the more you search them? I have heard of it, but never experienced it, myself. I'm wondering if I just missed it and fell for the trick.

 

[Mikamarii]

I have heard this but haven’t really experienced it. Prices fluctuate and I think people try to make sense of it. With something like cruises or flights, as spots fill up prices go up. I’ve planned a couple vacations recently for a group of us. I would stalk sites daily and when something went up it stayed up. Most of the price changes going up we’re likely because of flights filling up. If I checked the same site from a different computer the prices were always the same.

I can’t so for certain the phenomenon is untrue but I don’t believe it.

 

[Marv_barr]

Try putting your browser in "incognito mode" while searching for prices. Those websites know that you have been there and adjust their price. Give it a shot it works for me.

 

[ottawamom]

I check prices for air and cars and hotels all the time. Prices go up and down. I never use incognito mode (mainly because I always forget to) and I still see illogical changes in prices.

My car rental last week dropped with 5 days to go before I rented. Then I downgraded to a smaller car (more savings) and when we got to the airport they upgraded us (for free) to what I had originally booked.

 

[FigmentSpark]

I use Costco to do our car rentals and, while I see a lot of movement in the pricing, particualarly within 3 months of the rental (up to 2 weeks before), I haven't seen anything that would indicate they are pricing according to my searches. Maybe I'm wrong, and I do believe this does happen, but I wonder who are the companies doing it? Same with Air Canada. I've seen price changes, but I've also seen them stay the same, so I don't think they do it based on searches either.

 

[BadPinkTink]

They are called machine learning websites. Other than the airline websites, the best example would be Amazon, which gives you suggestions based on your previous purchase and search history.

The airline websites have algorithms / programs which learn and remember your search history. The incremental price increase when you search the same route/ dates multiple times is to give a sense of urgency. The airline website tracks your movements and if you search a route and dates multiple times without booking, the price increase is to trick your brain into thinking, omg I need to book NOW as if I dont, I might not get on this flight. The airline wants you to book with them, instead of with a competitor and will create programs on their websites to make sure you complete the sale.

 

[FigmentSpark]

They are called machine learning websites. Other than the airline websites, the best example would be Amazon, which gives you suggestions based on your previous purchase and search history.

The airline websites have algorithms / programs which learn and remember your search history. The incremental price increase when you search the same route/ dates multiple times is to give a sense of urgency. The airline website tracks your movements and if you search a route and dates multiple times without booking, the price increase is to trick your brain into thinking, omg I need to book NOW as if I dont, I might not get on this flight. The airline wants you to book with them, instead of with a competitor and will create programs on their websites to make sure you complete the sale.

I understand that, but who is doing it - changing prices, I mean? Does AC do it? Westjet? Costco? Maybe I have seen it and didn't notice?

You mentioned Amazon. I don't think they change their prices based on search, but yeah, what they offer you is certainly based on your search.

 

[BadPinkTink]

I understand that, but who is doing it - changing prices, I mean? Does AC do it? Westjet? Costco? Maybe I have seen it and didn't notice?

You mentioned Amazon. I don't think they change their prices based on search, but yeah, what they offer you is certainly based on your search.

I dont use those websites but I work in the digital marketing industry, and it's standard practice now on most airlines. With Amazon it's not about changing prices, it's about getting you to buy, based on your previous search and purchase history.

It's industry standard for websites to track your movements, the most basic tracking is Google Analytics, which shows which page you visited first, which page you visited last and everything you did on the website. It's part of my job to analyze customer behavior on a website and create a report for clients, so that they can use the data to increase sales.

 

[FigmentSpark]

And they track by usage? I mean, if I find a better flight option, for example on an incognito browser, then I sign in, aren't I then going to get the higher price?

 

[Minniesgal]

Not if you remember to clear cookies

 

[FigmentSpark]

Doesn't clearing cookies also clear your saved passwords?

 

[BadPinkTink]

Doesn't clearing cookies also clear your saved passwords?

Not on Google Chrome on a laptop or PC. You can uncheck the box for passwords
and only clear the cache and tracking cookies for web pages and temporary files

 

[FigmentSpark]

Not on Google Chrome on a laptop or PC. You can uncheck the box for passwords
and only clear the cache and tracking cookies for web pages and temporary files

Ah. That explains it. I use an older version of Firefox.

 

[cdnSpinalTap]

I would be highly suspect if car rental websites increase the prices based on the number of times you visit. To test the theory, I did the exact same search on multiple websites using normal browsing mode, normal browsing mode with cleared cookies, incognito/private browsing mode, a VPN (which masks identity and location) from Canada and a VPN location from the US - all prices were identical.

Having said that, the prices change VERY frequently and I personally check multiple times daily as my trip approaches.

I do agree that websites track additional information that can be used for many reasons, but I have not experienced price increase on car rental sites as one of those things. To protect myself, I do the following:

• Use Safari 12 and ensure that "Prevent cross-site tracking" is enabled
• Use 2 Adblockers with additional cross-site tracking abilities - AdGuard and AdBlock
• Use Private Browsing whenever I am concerned about a particular site
• Use a VPN whenever I am accessing the internet from outside my home

With these things enabled, I never see ads, and obviously, no ads that are based on any of my previous searches on other sites. Even with the above enabled, there are potentially many ways for websites to finger print you - the key is to be cautious and aware of what you are leaving out there.

 

[Sue M]

I book thru Costco and prices go up and down all the time. Every time they drop i rebook.
I don’t buy into the Airlines upping prices when your watching a particular flight(s). I heard about this practice so I went to my local library to use one of their computers. No way the Airline knew it was me. My results were no different from my search at home. Same exact pricing.

Lately I’ve been watching room rate for the hotel I booked for our DL trip. The rates have gone down $300 from my original booking. I phoned twice to have lower rate to be applied to my booking as they go down.

 

[FigmentSpark]

That's been my experience, but people say the other happens, too. I'd like to know which sites are the sketchy ones.