Why does the price of air tickets change from one site to another? [closed]
Why does the price of air tickets change from one site to another? (For example, indianeagle.com versus cleartrip.) Sometimes the same flight can have a different price on different sites. Why is this? [![enter image description here][2]][2]
Here i was looking for lowest airfare from New York to India i find a big difference in price between indianeagle.com and ClearTrip Look at this snap shoot where you can find a clear difference in price in this sites.
Best Answer
Second update in response to second edit:
The second screenshot you have now included still shows different flights. This alone is "enough said", but in case elaboration is needed:
- The two examples feature two different routes. One departs from Newark, NY, and the other departs from JFK, NY. The first one has an extra stopover in Chicago (ORD), while the second one doesn't. The domestic US flight is not even operated by Qatar like the rest of the flights, it's operated by American Airlines. I'm sure you understand why all of this can lead to a price difference.
- The dates on the two sites are different. I'm sure you know that airline ticket prices are different depending on the date.
- The travel time is different. Even if you ignored point #1 and #2, a different travel time can still make for a different price.
Putting all these points together, you see that you're talking about two totally different products.
It's like asking why a Mercedes sold in one shop has a different price from an Audi sold in another shop.
Same exact flight, different site
Now, the following is based on my initial assumption that you were asking "Why would the exact same flight with the exact same airline have a different price at two different sites?" If this was not your intention after all, let me know, and I will remove this from the answer.
The first thing I can think of is that sites you are using to search for flights are often getting a cut or profit from the transaction. This profit can vary from site to site. As @fkraiem hinted at in a comment, this is the same with almost any trade.
Some sites forward you the airline's (or even a fourth party site) to finish the transaction, whereas others let you pay and finish on their own site. Needless to say, this leads to even more complicated factors determining the rate.
Some sites may also have special deals with airlines, affecting prices.
The air ticket market is alive, almost like a stock market. Airlines are constantly playing a game, trying to find a balance between selling a lot of tickets and getting a good price. The prices set by the airlines are ruled by hugely complex, automated computer programs. Human personnel constantly watch the process, adjusting the algorithms and do occasionally intervene manually. These processes involve monitoring and responding to the rates of competitors. Thus, if they see that a competitor has a special offer going on at a certain site, they may (whether manually, or according to an automated program) decide to also drop their prices on that site (only), in order to try and compete. This is just an example. The air ticket market is like a highly competitive game, which has gotten a lot more complex in the Internet age.
Another thing is that when you're searching for prices, what you see isn't necessarily what you get. Some sites don't immediately factor in all the extra fees that you will have to pay. Some charge quite high "credit card" fees. Many people do use credit cards, since they often get travel insurance included that way. Some force the airline to include certain things in the price. Other don't. There are a lot of sites out there. Sometimes a site may seem to have given you a cheaper price, but when you come to the actual booking, you find that your price is higher than initially predicted. On another site, the initial listing may have been closer to the truth.
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Why are tickets different prices on different websites?
Ticket prices are often governed by fuel prices, seat supply, competition, seat demand and the distance of the route, according to FareCompare.com.Why are flights more expensive on airline websites?
Typically, people who are not price conscious ( business class, first class passengers) will tend to book from the airlines website as it is direct and they don't have time to shop around. The rates are higher keeping in mind the type of clientele they get and they know that this crowd is elite.Do flight prices change based on web browser?
Surprisingly, there is very little evidence that online travel sites are raising prices the more that you search for a specific trip. In fact, they tend to show lower prices to logged-in users.Does airline tickets get cheaper the closer to the date?
Specifically, plane tickets usually don't get cheaper closer to the departure date. Instead, flights tend to be the most inexpensive when you book between four months and three weeks before your departure date. According to the CheapAir.com 2019 Annual Airfare Study, you can expect rates to go up after that period.Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Breakingpic, Marcin Jozwiak, Karolina Grabowska, Andy Kuzma