Don’t purchase a lot of airline tickets. Once a year an international, multi city ticket. In the past, I have found Orbitz to have the lowest price. This year I got a price from Orbitz ($1147.00)and then checked out Kayak($883.00). Granted these weren’t the same flights, but they were for the same dates. But, I was searching for the lowest price on both. What I found interesting was the lower fare offered by Kayak was through Orbitz. I have a history of purchasing through Orbitz, but when Kayak introduces me to Orbitz I get a lower fare. So, I purchase through a middle man (Kayak) and the price is lower. Is there any logic to this?
Bottom line: No, there is no logic, at least none that the consumer could possibly figure out. To the airlines there is some logic, but it’s based on very complicated computer programs.
They are priced differently because they are different things. The difference could be a result of lots of factors: one flight could be nearly sold out while the other still has tons of seats, for instance.
My sister’s company designs those programs. Not that I could ask my sister to explain the logic behind ticket prices - she works in the personnel office not in software development.
Why do airline tickets fluctuate so much? Why can’t they set one ticket price from Point A to Point B if you purchase it in X month?
supply, demand, fuel…these all change daily.
The crazy math of airline ticket pricing - The article is old, but it’s from the Mathematical Association of America.