# Anyone understand the airline ticket pricing game? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 20, 2013, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-understand-the-airline-ticket-pricing-game/653486 "2013-03-20T20:11:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2013, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-understand-the-airline-ticket-pricing-game/653486/1 "2013-03-20T20:11:17Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2013, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-understand-the-airline-ticket-pricing-game/653486/2 "2013-03-20T20:17:13Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Furious\_Marmot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dfb087/32.png) [@Furious\_Marmot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Furious_Marmot)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2013, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-understand-the-airline-ticket-pricing-game/653486/3 "2013-03-20T21:29:24Z")
> [@harmonicamoon](#): > > 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. 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. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2013, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-understand-the-airline-ticket-pricing-game/653486/4 "2013-03-20T21:51:04Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > To the airlines there is some logic, but it’s based on very complicated computer programs. 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. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2013, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-understand-the-airline-ticket-pricing-game/653486/5 "2013-03-20T22:43:54Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2013, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-understand-the-airline-ticket-pricing-game/653486/6 "2013-03-20T22:47:58Z")
supply, demand, fuel…these all change daily. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2013, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-understand-the-airline-ticket-pricing-game/653486/7 "2013-03-21T03:08:08Z")
[The crazy math of airline ticket pricing](http://www.maa.org/devlin/devlin_09_02.html) - The article is old, but it’s from the Mathematical Association of America.