Generally, we hate when airlines make mistakes.
But there’s an occasional error airlines make that we at Dollar Flight Club, love.
Mistake fares.
Yes, sometimes the $1,840 flight to Australia is accidentally priced at $184.
Sometimes, there are mind-boggling deals where transpacific roundtrip flights in business class are $560.
This was a particularly notable mistake fare from back in 2018 on Hong Kong Airlines.
Today, we continue to see mistake fares every few weeks/months.
You’re likely reading this because you want to snag one for yourself.
You’re in the right place. This guide will cover everything you need to know about mistake fares: how to find them, how to book them, and some insider tips you won’t want to miss.
What are airline mistake fares?
They’re exactly what they sound like: mistakes. These mistakes could be as simple as human error, or as complicated as a currency conversion error.
Some of the best mistake fares we’ve recently sent to members include:
- San Francisco to New Zealand for $260 roundtrip
- New York City to Ivory Coast for $318 roundtrip
- Houston to Melbourne for $184 roundtrip
- Business class from US cities to Lima, Peru for $450 roundtrip
- East and West Coast US to India for $244 roundtrip
For those of you who don’t look at flights all day, these are jaw-dropping prices.
For example, a quick search for the current price for Houston – Melbourne roundtrip flights in economy shows just how incredible a deal $184 is.
Generally speaking, if the deal seems too good to be true, it’s likely a mistake fare.
Mistake fares are separate from normal sales, which airlines run often, especially during slower travel seasons.
Snagging a mistake fare is a massive accomplishment for any budget-minded traveler.
What causes mistake fares?
You guessed it, mistakes cause mistake fares. The most common cause is human error—like when a $1,300 flight is mistakenly listed for $130 because someone left off a digit.
Technology issues can also play a role, with outdated airline systems occasionally publishing incorrect fares. Miscommunication between airlines and online travel agencies can lead to unexpected discounts. At the same time, fluctuations in foreign currencies or missing fuel surcharges on specific routes can also result in jaw-dropping deals.
Unfortunately, we cannot control any of these things or predict when these mistakes will happen. However, as we discuss how to find these fares, knowing what causes them is helpful.
How to find airline mistake fares
In the ideal world, these fares would come up daily and would be easy to find. In reality, they show up quite infrequently and typically last only a few hours.
You can keep your hopes up for mistake fares by setting flight alerts on Google Flights or Kayak for routes you’re interested in, but you could look every day for a whole year and never see one.
The best way to find mistake fares is to sign up for Dollar Flight Club Premium and have them delivered straight to your inbox as soon as they’re released.
Another way to find mistake fares is on various blogs, forums, and social media sites— specifically Reddit, Facebook, and X.
Here’s an example of a mistake fare from March 2024 that was posted on a FlyerTalk forum.
Again, roundtrip to Europe in peak summer on Delta for $113.50? This is too good to be true and is 100 percent a mistake fare.
Most people will never find a mistake fare on their own. They are simply too rare and often disappear within hours.
You’ll need to rely on professionals (Dollar Flight Club) and/or large groups of searchers (social media) to have a chance at finding one of these coveted mistake fares.
Best practices for booking mistake fares
Congratulations, you found a mistake fare!
Book it immediately.
Mistake fares disappear extremely quickly. If you see one, you should book it. Remember, US law requires airlines to give you a refund if you 1. book directly with the airline and 2. cancel within 24 hours of booking.
So, you have a 24-hour grace period to figure out if you actually want the flight.
Sometimes mistake fares are only found through online travel agencies (OTAs) like Kayak or Expedia. In these cases, you’ll have to book through them.
In this scenario, there is a much higher chance that your fare is canceled because of the amount of time that passes from you paying the OTA to them securing the ticket from the airline.
In almost all flight booking situations, it is best to book directly with the airline.
Additionally, because fares can easily be canceled, it’s a good rule of thumb to wait at least two weeks before booking any accommodations or other nonrefundable items.
After two weeks, with an e-ticket number and/or your 6-digit PNR code, you can be confident that you have this flight secured.
Move quickly. Book with the airline. Wait to book accommodations.
What to do if your mistake fare is canceled?
Unfortunately, sometimes these fares really are too good to be true and the airline cancels them. The good news is, you’ll get a refund and/or flight credit. The bad news is, you don’t get your deal!
Don’t try and fight the airlines on this, you won’t win—this is part of the game. Luckily, only about 10 percent of mistake fares are canceled, so if you can snag the deal, it’s more than likely you’ve got it secured.
It’s worth noting that airlines have the right to cancel your ticket. Read this guideline from the Department of Transportation:
As a matter of prosecutorial discretion, the Enforcement Office will not enforce the requirement of section 399.88 with regard to mistaken fares occurring on or after the date of this notice so long as the airline or seller of air transportation: (1) demonstrates that the fare was a mistaken fare; and (2) reimburses all consumers who purchased a mistaken fare ticket for any reasonable, actual, and verifiable out-of-pocket expenses that were made in reliance upon the ticket purchase, in addition to refunding the purchase price of the ticket.
In short, airlines can cancel your ticket if they deem it a mistake fare.
However, the 10 percent cancelation rate should put you at ease. The lingering chance of cancelation is the reason to wait before booking hotels, rentals cars, or any nonrefundable experiences/excursions.
Points and miles mistake fares?
For points and miles enthusiasts, the only thing more exciting than a mistake cash fare is a mistake points fare!
Yes, these exist.
At the end of 2023, Flying Blue (the loyalty program of Air France and KLM) caused a frenzy in the points and miles world as they released business class flights to Europe for 1,500 miles one way.
That is an unbelievable price.
While those fares were quickly booked, more were released at 5,000 miles.
These tickets are typically $3k-$5k!
Again, the only people who find these deals quickly enough to book them are active social media/online forum users and subscribers to deal alert products like Dollar Flight Club.
If you’re serious about finding mistake fares, you know what to do.
Final thoughts
Mistake fares are real. You can find them. They could give you the opportunity for the trip of a lifetime.
Never assume you will find one, especially to your top destination, but know if you follow the tips in this guide (and subscribe to Dollar Flight Club), you should come across a few in the next year.
The travel advice I give to everyone is to go where the deals are.
Let the deals determine your itinerary.
