An error fare (or mistake fare) is a ticket price published by accident: a missing digit, a wrong currency conversion, a fuel surcharge that fell off, or a fare filed in the wrong cabin. They are rare, they usually disappear within hours, and they are the closest thing to a free lunch in travel.
Why they happen
- Currency errors: a fare filed in a weak currency but sold as if it were dollars or euros.
- Human filing mistakes: fares are loaded into distribution systems by people and scripts. A 0 goes missing.
- Surcharge glitches: on some routes most of the price is carrier surcharges; if they drop off, the fare collapses.
Do airlines honor them?
Often, but not always. In the U.S., the Department of Transportation said in 2015 that it won't force airlines to honor a genuine mistake fare, as long as the airline refunds the ticket and reimburses reasonable, verifiable out-of-pocket costs you incurred relying on it (for example a non-refundable hotel). Rules differ in other countries and the airline's conditions of carriage apply.
How to book one without getting burned
- Book fast, ask questions later. Most error fares last minutes to a few hours.
- Book directly with the airline or a big agency so a refund is easy if it's cancelled.
- Don't call the airline to "confirm" the price. That just alerts them.
- Wait before booking non-refundable extras. Give it a week or two, or until the ticket is reissued or the airline confirms it.
- Pay by credit card for chargeback protection.
Where to find them
Deal newsletters and fare-alert tools surface them. A wide search with flexible dates on a meta-search site shows when a route suddenly drops far below its usual range. If a price looks unreal, compare it with what the same route normally costs before you get excited, since a fare sale isn't a mistake.
What we don't do: we don't share "glitches" that rely on breaking a booking site or airline rules, only fares anyone could book publicly.