Here's a little game to play

[RogerS]

Go and look at booking a flight on British Airways from, say, Newcastle to Heathrow on April 9 for one passenger one-way. Chances are you will be told 'only x seats left'. When I did it, it was 'three seats left at £138'.

Now either clear your British Airways cookies or try a different browser but this time ask to book the same flight but for five people. Suddenly two more seats have become available albeit much more expensive.

And to prove the point, clear cookies again and ask for a flight for one passenger and we're back to 'only three seats available' !!

Sharp practice or legitimate business tool ?

 

[marcros]

Is it not a case of "3 seats available at this price"

 

[RogerS]

I think you're right.

 

[sunnybob]

THis applies to all airline on line bookings. My wife and her cronies have it sussed.
one of them goes surfing to find a really silly low price. Once they have moved on and confirmed which airline is the lowest, if that person goes back to book then the price is higher.
So as soon as she knows which is the cheapest, the next person goes to that site as a newcomer and books the seats required.

 

[Trevanion]

That really should be illegal to be honest. Scum tactics on the airlines part.

 

[marcros]

It was in the news the other day. The airlines all claim that they don't and can't do that. I don't know about the technical side, but I have never seen a flight price decrease over time.

A fine line between smart business practice and marketing, and outright fraud/lying.

 

[Homers double]

THis applies to all airline on line bookings. My wife and her cronies have it sussed.
one of them goes surfing to find a really silly low price. Once they have moved on and confirmed which airline is the lowest, if that person goes back to book then the price is higher.
So as soon as she knows which is the cheapest, the next person goes to that site as a newcomer and books the seats required.

My wife and daughter do the same, they regularly fly to our place in south of France, my wife generally checks the dates and prices and it’s always gone up when she goes back to book, so she gets our daughter to go online and book, it works out for them every time

 

[rafezetter]

Interesting - worth remembering.