Airline pricing errors

Published September 19, 20195 min read

Like any business, an airline is likely to display an incorrect price. And this happens very frequently.

For example, for about 30 minutes, Air Canada offered flights from many airports in North America (Montreal, Toronto, Boston…) to Paris for $240-270 return until July 2016. That is about 20-25% of the normal price for this destination.

I will explain which reaction you should have when you see such a price error, will provide real-life examples, as well as the sites that allow you to find price errors.

The attitude to adopt when faced with a pricing error

The wrong reaction

The wrong reaction in this type of case: Think.

For me it’s different because I have a fact-finding mission for you. By the time I checked this error, alerted you on the milesopedia Facebook page and warned people around me who might be interested, the error had been corrected by Air Canada. So I was not able to take advantage of it personally, but I have seen on various forums that people have managed to book. Good for them!

Of course, it is not within everyone’s reach to be able to leave on any date. But a pricing error only lasts a few minutes, or even hours at best… so what’s the right reaction?

The right reaction

The right reaction to a wrong price: Book.

But not just in any way. In North America, most airlines allow cancellation and full refund within 24 hours of purchase if the purchase was made directly on their sites (under certain conditions to be checked with each airline).

However, when booking through travel agencies or price comparators, it is not always possible to cancel your ticket within 24 hours of booking! Watch out!

Furthermore, in the case of a fare error, it is strongly recommended to wait until you are certain that the ticket will be honoured by the company. Usually, if you have received your e-ticket, the ticket is confirmed. So don’t book accommodation (hotels, AirBnb) or car rentals until you are certain! I usually wait a week to see if the company comes back on their word…

At the end of the article, you will find some cancellation conditions for the most popular Canadian companies.

Real-life example: Asia for $400

In 2015, in May, Delta Airlines posted a derisory price for this type of route. Approximately $400 CAD to travel to Asia from Montreal.

Montreal – Shanghai

Having family in Shanghai, I took advantage of this price error to book 2 tickets with my wife in the middle of the Chinese New Year: 400$CAD per person instead of 1 700$CAD during this busy period.

The original itinerary had 2 connections, both outbound and inbound (Montreal-Atlanta-Detroit-Shanghai). However, the day before departure, Delta announced the cancellation of our first flight from Montreal and booked us on Air Canada for a much more direct flight: Montreal-Toronto-Shanghai.

When we arrived in Toronto, we were pleasantly surprised to be upgraded to business class for a 3 p.m. flight: Delta had booked economy class seats on Air Canada in the most expensive fare class since we were just a few hours away from departure…. This put us at the top of the list of people likely to be upgraded!

The return trip was under the same conditions: our flight from Shanghai to New York was on a Delta partner airline: China Eastern. My wife was upgraded to business class for a 15-hour flight because she was pregnant.

Anyway, what more could you ask for a ticket that only cost $400 a person?!

Montreal-Seoul

When Delta Airlines made that famous pricing mistake, I had the crazy idea of leaving with friends for a weekend to the other side of the world. Several choices were available: Shanghai, Hong Kong, Seoul.

Not knowing how long this error was going to last, I booked several tickets on several dates knowing that I had the possibility to cancel them within 24 hours by booking directly on the Delta Airlines website.

I had no trouble convincing 2 other friends to join the adventure and we opted for Seoul… 11,000 kms from Montreal. So we spent Thanksgiving weekend there (Friday-Saturday-Sunday-Monday) without a hitch (no connection delays, excellent flights, great weather and an « orgy » of Korean BBQs).

We might as well tell you that on Tuesday morning, back at work, we were seen as « aliens » by our colleagues who were telling us about their weekend at the cottage while at the same time we had travelled halfway around the world and visited an extraordinary city for a ridiculously low price.

How can we find a price error?

Unless you spend your time on the computer, it is almost impossible for anyone to find a price error. However, you can be notified when a pricing error occurs! I will try to report the most interesting pricing errors via the milesopedia Facebook page.

Generally, errors are announced through forums such as FlyerTalk. Sites and Facebook pages then relay them, like Secret Flying or YulDeals.

You can also, if you have a little time, play with the Google Flights map which allows you to see the rates all over the world departing from the airport of your choice (or from surrounding airports). Do not hesitate to change the fare class (economy, priority (premium economy), business, first). You might be surprised with business class tickets that are cheaper than economy!

Cancellation conditions of some airlines

Below are examples of cancellation conditions for the most popular Canadian companies.

Air Canada

Link to Air Canada’s Cancellation Policy

Air Transat (only to/from the United States)

Link to Air Transat’s Cancellation Policy

Air France Canada

Link to the Air France Canada Cancellation Policy

Delta Airlines

Link to Delta Airlines Cancellation Policy

Porter

Link to Porter’s Cancellation Policy

WestJet

Link to WestJet Cancellation Policy

Our featured card

FeaturedCompare

Marriott Bonvoy^® American Express^®* Card

American Express Marriott Bonvoy

Annual fee: $120
Our valuation: $990Milesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$990Total$990Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.; Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$990Total$990Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer: Up to 110,000 points; Ends Sep 22, 2026

Apply Now

on American Express's website

Apply with confidence — no impact on your credit scoreApply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).

The Marriott Bonvoy^® American Express^®* Card is the best credit card in Canada for free hotel nights.

New Cardmembers can earn up to 110,000 Marriott Bonvoy^® points with the current offer:

Earn 80,000 points after you spend $6,000 on your Card in your first 6 months of Cardmembership.
Plus, earn 30,000 points by making a purchase during your 15th month of Cardmembership.

This offer ends on September 22, 2026. The annual fee is $120, and there is no annual fee on Additional Cards, so you can add a partner or a family member at no extra cost.

Every year after your first Card anniversary, you receive an Annual Free Night Award good for a redemption of up to 35,000 points at eligible hotels and resorts worldwide. At a valuation of 0.9 cents per Marriott Bonvoy point, that certificate is worth roughly $315, which on its own more than covers the $120 annual fee. That is the main reason to keep this Card year after year instead of cancelling it.

To get the most out of the certificate, aim it at a night that would otherwise price close to the 35,000 point ceiling.

The Card also gives you 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year and automatic Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status. Those credits count toward the next Elite tier, so you begin every year 15 nights ahead of where you would otherwise start.

You move up to Gold Elite status automatically when you reach $30,000 in purchases on the Card in a year, or when you combine 10 qualifying paid nights within one calendar year with the 15 Elite Night Credits from your Card.

Marriott Bonvoy points are generally valued at 0.9 cents each. On that basis, the 110,000 point welcome offer is worth about $990, and an Annual Free Night Award used at its full 35,000 point ceiling is worth about $315.

Marriott Bonvoy points pull their weight on free nights rather than on gift cards or merchandise, which is why this Card should be judged on the hotel stays it produces.

You earn 5 points per dollar on eligible purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels and 2 points per dollar on all other purchases. Points can be redeemed for free nights with no blackout dates at more than 7,000 hotels around the world.

The Card carries a solid package of coverages: $500,000 travel accident insurance, flight delay, baggage delay, lost or stolen baggage and hotel or motel burglary at $500 each, car rental theft and damage up to $85,000 for rentals of up to 48 days, Purchase Protection for 90 days and a one year Extended Warranty.

Two things to plan around: the 2.5% foreign transaction fee on purchases made in a foreign currency, and the 21.99% purchase interest rate, which makes this a Card to pay in full every month. Like all American Express Canada Cards, no minimum income is published for this Card, and you can see whether you would be approved before you apply, with no impact on your credit score.

Legal

American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details and current product information, click the Apply Now link. If you apply and get approved for an American Express Card, we may receive compensation from American Express, which can be in the form of monetary payment.

Annual fee

Primary card$120

Additional card$0

Annual income required

Individual$0

Household$0

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

5xMarriott Bonvoy hotels
2xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,437

2nd Year Value$312

Travel insurance

Delayed BaggageUp to $500

Lost BaggageUp to $500

Flight DelayUp to $500

Hotel BurglaryUp to $500

Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded

Extended Warranty+1 years

Auto Rental Collision (primary)Up to $85,000 / 48 days

Our editorial integrity

Our reviews and rankings are based on an objective assessment. Advertisers do not influence our content. We may receive compensation through some links; our analysis and opinions remain independent.