Flight prices often change after you search — sometimes within minutes.
This feels manipulative, but it usually isn’t.
Most price changes happen because of how airline pricing systems work, not because you personally searched.
This page explains what actually causes price changes, what doesn’t, and why the behaviour feels targeted.
First: airlines don’t price flights like shops
Flights aren’t priced per seat in a simple way.
Instead, airlines sell seats in price buckets:
- a limited number at each price
- released or withdrawn dynamically
- shared across many booking systems
When a bucket empties, the price jumps — even if nothing else changed.
The most common reasons prices change
1. A cheaper price bucket sold out
Each flight has:
- a small number of cheap seats
- more seats at higher prices
Once the cheaper bucket is gone, the next search shows a higher fare.
This can happen:
- while you’re browsing
- because someone else booked
- or because availability synced
It isn’t personal.
2. Inventory updated between systems
Airlines distribute fares through:
- their own website
- third-party booking systems
- global distribution systems
These don’t always update instantly.
A price you saw may:
- no longer exist
- still display briefly
- disappear on refresh
The change feels sudden, but it’s delayed synchronisation.
3. Demand signals triggered a reprice
Airlines monitor demand patterns.
If:
- searches spike
- seats sell quickly
- a route becomes constrained
pricing rules can adjust automatically.
This affects everyone, not just you.
4. Fare conditions changed, not the seat
Sometimes the seat price didn’t change — the fare type did.
What disappears may be:
- a ticket with baggage included
- a refundable option
- a flexible fare
The remaining option costs more because it includes more, not because the seat itself is pricier.
What does
not
cause price changes
These are persistent myths:
- Your browser cookies
- Searching repeatedly
- Being “tracked” personally
- Using private browsing
Airlines price by market behaviour, not individual identity.
Clearing cookies may change what you see because:
- it refreshes cached results
- not because it hides you
Why the timing feels personal
Price changes often happen:
- while you’re deciding
- after you check dates
- when you return to compare
That overlap creates a strong emotional impression.
In reality, you’re noticing the change because:
- you’re paying attention now
- the system moved independently
The correlation feels intentional, but it isn’t.
When prices are most likely to change
Prices move more often:
- close to departure
- on popular routes
- when availability is tight
- during sales or disruptions
Stability decreases as constraints increase.
The takeaway
Flight prices change because:
- availability shifts
- rules trigger repricing
- fare types come and go
Not because you searched.
Once you understand that, price changes stop feeling targeted — and start feeling like what they are: a moving market reacting to demand.
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