Airline fares are a mistery to many. In some cases, even who designed the systems that modulate the fares don’t even understand what’s going on anymore. Prices go up and down in a matter of seconds depending on the user’s position, searches, and many other factors. However, there are cases in which the system just goes haywire. Let’s talk about those specific instances and what they involve.
What Is an Error Fare? How Do They Occur?
When the ticketing system goes crazy or, more simply, someone pushes the wrong button at the wrong time, error fares come into existence. What they are is exactly what the name suggests.
Airlines will put out on their site and other booking platforms a price which is erroneous for a specific flight. You, the user, will see a price which is ludicrously low for a flight.
For instance, just a few weeks ago (today is March 22nd, 2025), I was checking fares for a route I regularly keep on my radar Rome Fiumicino to Seoul Incheon. Economy prices never for non-Chinese carriers hardly ever dip below the 600-euro mark. However, in this specific instance I came across a SWISS price for a return ticket at just 200 euro.
Clearly that was an error made by the airline. So much so that the fare disappeared extremely quickly before I could book it.
That is exactly what usually happens, error fares appear and disappear rapidly. If you are fast enough to book one congratulations and then good luck. Why good luck? Let me explain in the next section.
What Happens if You Bought an Error Fare Ticket?
If you are lucky and fast enough to book an error fare airline ticket, you are only one step of the path to actually traveling somewhere on that ticket. But why is that?
Well airlines can take one of two actions following the issuing of an error fare ticket:
- Honor the ticket, allowing you to fly on the services you booked at that ridiculously low price.
- Cancel and refund you the price of the ticket, not honoring the ticket you bought.
The latter situation might sound unfair, but it happens in most instances. Airlines very often will cancel bookings made via error fares.
Therefore, you might pay the ticket some tiny amount, but you will have to be ready to put up with the inherent uncertainty of the airline cancelling your reservation at any moment.
If you come across an error fare book it, you might end up on the cheapest flight of your life. But don’t make too serious plans and take it as the minor gamble that it is.