It’s the holy grail of travel hacking, whispered about in forums and group chats: the error fare. A business class seat to Tokyo for the price of a domestic coach ticket. A round-trip flight to Europe for less than a nice dinner out. These aren’t myths; they are real, bookable glitches that happen more often than you might think. But finding and successfully booking one requires more than just luck. It requires the right strategy, the right tools, and the nerve to act decisively.
An error fare, sometimes called a “glitch fare” or “mistake fare,” is simply a flight priced incorrectly. This can happen for a number of reasons: a currency conversion error, a misplaced decimal point, a fuel surcharge accidentally omitted, or a complex code-sharing route that a computer algorithm misprices. Whatever the cause, the result is a fleeting opportunity for savvy travelers to lock in an incredible deal. But these windows of opportunity are incredibly short. This guide will equip you with the knowledge, tools, and tactics to hunt for these deals and the discipline to book them intelligently before they disappear.
Full Comparison of Fare-Hunting Methods
There is no single “best” way to find an error fare. The most successful hunters use a combination of methods, leveraging the strengths of each. Here’s how the primary strategies compare.
| Method | Typical Cost | Speed of Discovery | Effort Required | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premium Subscription Services | $49 – $199 per year | Fast (curated email/app alerts) | Low (set it and forget it) | Beginners and busy people who want reliable, vetted deals sent to them directly. |
| Online Communities & Forums | Free | Lightning Fast (often the source) | High (constant monitoring required) | Dedicated hunters who want to be first and don’t mind sifting through data. |
| Manual Google Flights Search | Free | Slow (requires manual discovery) | Medium to High | Flexible travelers exploring options and looking for unadvertised deals. |
| Specialized Deal Websites | Free (ad-supported) | Medium (repost from other sources) | Low to Medium | Casual lookers who check for deals periodically without committing to a subscription. |
Category Winners: The Right Tool for the Job
Your strategy should adapt based on your travel style and how much effort you’re willing to put in. Here are our top picks for different types of travelers.
🏆 Best for the “Set It and Forget It” Traveler
Winner: Premium Subscription Services (e.g., Going, Thrifty Traveler Premium). For a modest annual fee, these services do all the heavy lifting. Their teams of flight experts find, vet, and deliver the best deals directly to your inbox with instructions on how to book. You get the benefit of expert eyes without having to spend hours searching yourself. It’s the most efficient way to get in on the action.
🏆 Best for the Hardcore, Dedicated Hunter
Winner: Online Forums (e.g., FlyerTalk’s “Mileage Run Deals” and “Premium Fare Deals”). If you want to be on the absolute bleeding edge, this is where you need to be. The most insane deals are often posted here by community members moments after they’re discovered. The trade-off? You’ll need to learn the lingo, navigate complex threads, and act on raw, unvetted information instantly.
🏆 Best for the Spontaneous, Flexible Explorer
Winner: Manual Searching with Google Flights Explore. If your philosophy is “I’ll go wherever the deal is,” then Google Flights’ Explore map is your playground. Leave the destination blank, put in your home airport and flexible dates (e.g., “a weekend in October”), and scan the map for outliers. It’s a fantastic tool for discovering amazing prices to places you might not have considered.
🏆 Best for Premium Cabin Dreamers
Winner: A Combination Approach. The biggest savings are found in business and first-class error fares. The best strategy is to subscribe to a premium service that specifically flags these deals (many have an “elite” tier) while also keeping a close watch on the premium fare threads on forums like FlyerTalk. The subscription provides the convenience, and the forum provides the immediacy.
Realistic Math Examples
The savings from error fares aren’t just incremental; they are game-changing. Here’s a look at some real-world examples to illustrate the staggering difference in cost.
A major airline accidentally zeroed out the fuel surcharges on its business class fares from several U.S. cities to Southeast Asia for about four hours.
- Standard Fare: $6,200 (Business Class, LAX to Bangkok)
- Error Fare Booked: $850 (Same route and cabin)
Total Savings: $5,350
A currency conversion error caused round-trip fares from the East Coast to several European capitals to price incorrectly for a full day.
- Standard Fare: $950 (Economy, Boston to Lisbon)
- Error Fare Booked: $220 (Same route)
Total Savings: $730
A simple human error listed a transcontinental first-class fare with a misplaced decimal point for just under 90 minutes on a Tuesday morning.
- Standard Fare: $1,450 (First Class, San Francisco to New York)
- Error Fare Booked: $145 (Same route and cabin)
Total Savings: $1,305
In these scenarios, finding and booking an error fare resulted in thousands of dollars in savings.
Gotchas You Shouldn’t Ignore
Booking an error fare comes with a unique set of rules and risks. Ignoring them can lead to disappointment or financial loss. Follow these commandments.
- The Golden Rule: NEVER Call the Airline. Never, ever call to confirm the deal or ask questions. You will alert them to the error, and they will fix it, killing the deal for everyone. Book online, quietly.
- Wait for a Confirmed Ticket Number. A booking confirmation email is not enough. You must wait until you receive an official e-ticket number (a 13-digit number). This is your proof of a completed purchase.
- Hold Off on Non-Refundable Plans. This is the most critical rule. Do not book hotels, rental cars, or tours for at least a week or two after ticketing. While rare, airlines can still cancel tickets. Give it time to ensure the booking is secure.
- Cancellations Are a Real Risk. U.S. Department of Transportation rules offer some protection, but airlines can and sometimes do cancel error fare tickets, especially if the error is particularly egregious. If this happens, you will receive a full refund, but no compensation for any other plans you made.
- Book Directly with the Airline. Whenever possible, book on the airline’s official website rather than an online travel agency (OTA). It simplifies communication and can make your ticket “stickier” and less likely to be cancelled.
How We Identify the Best Fare-Hunting Strategies
Our recommendations are based on years of experience in the travel hacking community. We prioritize methods and tools that are effective, reliable, and actionable for the average traveler.
- Proven Results: We focus on services and communities with a long-standing public track record of finding and sharing legitimate, bookable error fares.
- Speed and Reliability of Alerts: The core value is how quickly and accurately a service can deliver a deal to its users. We test and evaluate alert systems for timeliness and clarity.
- Signal-to-Noise Ratio: A constant barrage of mediocre “deals” is useless. We favor curated services and focused communities that highlight true error fares over minor sales.
- Ease of Use: The recommended tools must be accessible to travelers who aren’t aviation experts. Clear instructions and a simple user interface are key criteria.
- Overall Value: For any paid service, we conduct a cost-benefit analysis. The price of a subscription must be easily justified by the quality and frequency of the deals it provides.
FAQs
Is booking an error fare illegal or unethical?
It is completely legal. You are accepting a publicly advertised price from a merchant. The ethical debate is old, but the general consensus is that it is the airline’s responsibility to price its products correctly. You are under no obligation to report a pricing mistake.
What causes most error fares?
The most common causes are human error (a data entry typo), technology glitches (a new route is coded incorrectly), and currency conversion mistakes (e.g., the Danish Krone is confused with the Norwegian Krone). Sometimes, a critical component of the fare, like the fuel surcharge, is accidentally omitted.
Should I use a credit card with travel protection to book?
Absolutely. Always book flights, especially error fares, with a credit card that offers strong travel protections. This can provide trip cancellation/interruption insurance, baggage delay coverage, and other benefits if something goes wrong, adding a crucial layer of security to your booking.
What happens if the airline only cancels one leg of my journey?
This is a risk, particularly when booking with third-party sites. It’s another strong reason to book directly with the airline. If an airline cancels an error fare ticket, they are obligated to refund the entire itinerary. An OTA’s policy might be more complicated.
Can I find error fares for hotels or rental cars too?
Yes, but they are less common and often harder to find. The complex, automated, and global nature of airline pricing systems makes them far more susceptible to these kinds of errors. While hotel glitches happen, they are not as frequent or as well-tracked as flight deals.