Does clearing your online search history actually get you cheaper flights?
Updated . First published
Do airlines change their ticket prices based on your search history?
It's a question on everyone's lips after one US airline was recently caught out after a social media post sparked an online firestorm.
The furore seemed to confirm the ongoing travel myth about ticket prices changing if you clear your cache and cookies, switch browsers, and search in incognito mode.
But is it actually true?
Booking a flight can be stressful when comparing multiple websites with different offers. Getty
US budget carrier JetBlue has been accused of using surveillance pricing over the response it posted to a traveller's comment on social media site X.
"I love flying @JetBlue but a $230 increase on a ticket after one day is crazy. I'm just trying to make it to a funeral," the traveller bemoaned.
READ MORE: The world's best airport for dining has been named
A JetBlue staffer then responded by saying: "Try clearing your cache and cookies or booking with an incognito window".
While the airline appeared to confirm the long-held suspicion, it quickly claimed in a follow-up interview that the reply was actually incorrect and apologised for the error.
What is surveillance pricing?
Surveillance pricing is where companies use personal data such as location, browsing history, device type, and shopping behaviour in order to set individualised prices.
The aim is to charge the highest amount a specific consumer is willing to pay.
It may take into account the number of times a person has logged in to a particular website seeking the same product or airfare.
US carrier JetBlue has landed itself in hot water after a comment on social media. Getty
Surveillance pricing is currently a legal "grey area" in Australia.
There is no specific law that explicitly bans the practice, and business are able to adjust prices based on demand and inventory.
They can also sometimes charge different prices for the same product or service, such as seniors discounts.
However, setting a price based on where someone lives, their income or their shopping habits is generally not allowed.
Factors that influence ticket prices
While it might feel like airlines employ surveillance tactics (you've likely found yourself searching for an airfare a few times and getting different results every time), for the most part the system is based on dynamic pricing.
JetBlue said its fares are driven by "real-time availability" and handled through its reservation system.
"Fares can change at any moment as seats are purchased or as inventory is adjusted based on demand, and are not guaranteed until a purchase is completed," the company said in a statement.
Three people sitting in the same row of a flight might well have all paid a different price. Getty
Experts have pointed out previously that there was no "hard evidence" to suggest otherwise.
"While it's a widely held belief that flight prices go up the more you search for a route, there's no hard evidence that browsing history or repeated searches alone directly cause price increases," Dollar Flight Club founder Jesse Neugarten told Travel + Leisure.
Instead, ticket price fluctuations likely have nothing to do with you at all.
"Ticket prices are constantly changing and being updated across different data providers, even from second to second," Sophia Lin, director of product management for travel and local at Google Search, said.
"And every day, our systems are computing an enormous number of possible ticket combinations for trips around the world."
Flight prices change constantly. Getty Images/iStockphoto
One in five Aussies taking financial risks to travel
The debunking of the myth comes as research from TravelInsurance.com.au revealed one in five Australians (20 per cent) have taken financial risks - like dipping into emergency savings or borrowing money - just to afford a holiday.
So it's no surprise people are willing to try anything to save money on things like flights.
The research found young Aussies are the most financially stretched, with nearly one in three Generation Z (32 per cent) and Millennials (31 per cent) taking some kind of financial risk for a holiday. This compares to just eight per cent of Boomers.
"With the cost of flights, accommodation and insurance going up, it's getting harder for people to put money aside for holidays," TravelInsurance.com.au CEO Shaun McGowan said.
"But if you have to borrow money or dip into your emergency savings to book an overseas trip, ask yourself if you can really afford it in the first place."
One in five Australians have spent above their means for travel. iStock
When to book flights to save the most money
As for tips on ticket savings, Expedia's 2025 Air Hacks report found Sunday is the Expedia's 2025 Air Hacks report.
On Sundays, holidaymakers save up to 20 per cent on the price of bookings.
January is also considered the cheapest month to travel, according to the report, with September dubbed the most expensive.
Travelling economy in January can save travellers 11 per cent and flying premium in October instead of March can save up to 8 per cent.
When it comes to booking an international flight, three months is "the sweet spot".
Booking too far in advance can actually cost travellers.
Booking at least three months before their international flight offers savings of up to 12 per cent than booking more than five months ahead.
