What Are Mistake Fares?

How Do Mistake Fares Happen?

• Currency conversion errors — An airline prices a fare in the wrong currency (e.g., pricing in GBP instead of USD)
• Fuel surcharge glitches — The fuel surcharge is accidentally set to $0 on a route
• IT system updates — During fare loading, a decimal point gets misplaced ($3,000 becomes $300)
• Route pricing gaps — A connecting itinerary prices lower than the individual legs

Do Airlines Honor Mistake Fares?

The short answer: usually yes. The US Department of Transportation ruled in 2015 that airlines are not required to honor mistake fares. However, most major airlines choose to honor ticketed mistake fares rather than deal with the PR fallout of canceling thousands of bookings. Key factors:

• If you received a confirmation and e-ticket number, it is very likely to be honored
• International carriers almost always honor mistake fares
• Adding travel insurance provides protection if the fare is canceled
• Wait 24-48 hours before making non-refundable plans

How Pointify Detects Mistake Fares

Our system scans 300+ airlines every 2 hours and compares current prices against a 30-day rolling median for each route. When a fare drops more than 50% below the median, we flag it as a potential mistake fare and alert subscribers immediately.

Tips for Booking Mistake Fares

1. Book immediately — Mistake fares are typically corrected within 1-4 hours
2. Use a credit card — Provides chargeback protection if the fare is canceled
3. Add travel insurance — Cancel-for-any-reason coverage protects your plans
4. Do not call the airline — Calling attention to the error may speed up correction
5. Set up alerts — Pointify sends instant notifications when mistake fares are detected