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Booking a flight - 'cookies' effect cost?


MikeW

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Someone told me last night that when you book a flight on-line, the more times you look (without booking), the dearer the cost becomes. This is because 'cookies' are stored on your PC.

 

Anyone experienced this or is it a myth? I'll clean my 'cookies' before I book just in case!

 

If you google 'booking flights cookies price rise' there's plenty of information...

 

Cheers,

 

Mike.

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Its not as simple as that. Basically ALL the major flight search engines are linked (essentially owned by the same companies) so if you find a price on say, lastminute.com, that same price will be replicated on expedia too. It doesn't apply to the actual airline sites but if you want to be certain, clear your cookies then try www.skyscanner.net and have a look at the cheapest flights.

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They are nuts - but I have found that with Emirates prices jump around like crazy. A couple of years ago, I found a fantastic flight at a great price, but I didn't book it as I wanted to check the kids visas. Next day - It was 15% more! Doh. Around Christmas - prices go crazy. I've seen them £1000 on one day, and then jump to £15000 the next, then back to £1000. Silly - but I don't know why.

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Guest Ph0en1x

Storing a cookie on someones computer for a punitive advantage is absolutely a criminal offence. It would be absolute madness for a company to even consider it

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They aren't nuts. I once searched for a flight at work and couldn't decide whether or not to book. The flight price rose as I checked about 4 times during the day and I eventually thought I'm not paying that price. I went home that night and searched for the same flight on my home computer. The price was the same as it had been first thing that morning so I booked at the low price. I'm not sure if it's cookies though or if they pick up your IP address.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Definitely NOT true.

 

Airfares change/fluctuate as the aircraft fills or if there is a sale on the day you check prices but finishes the same day the fare will vary.

 

Airlines constantly change their airfares based on loading and yields. Specials are always being released, revised and removed from sale.

 

Fuel surcharges can also have a massive effect on airfares.

 

My best advice is if you find a cheap fare then grab it and the stop looking.

 

Cheers Lucy Lou.

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Storing a cookie on someones computer for a punitive advantage is absolutely a criminal offence. It would be absolute madness for a company to even consider it

Hi Ph0en1x

I'm not sure this is correct.

What offence is being committed? There is no deception, and it's perfectly legal to use cookies. There is nothing in cookie law making it an offence to use cookies for a pecuniary advantage.

Technically it is perfectly possible for cookies to be used in this way, and I have often thought this must be why the price escalates each time you look, then suddenly falls back again if you don't look again for a while.

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