The Essentials

Mistake Fares That Might Be In Your Favor

In the industry, it’s called mistake fares, which are ridiculously low airfares that are posted by mistake.

How about a business class fare on Air New Zealand between Chicago and Australia — roundtrip — for under $1,500?

Or  how about a similar fare between New York and Vietnam on Cathay Pacific?

Not long ago, I saw a mistake fare on Air France between Honolulu and Paris for $199! Is that too good to be true? Not necessarily.

Once the fares are posted online, and savvy travelers book them, the airlines have sheepishly honored them.

Here’s the one caveat. You need to pay for and have the airline ticket fare before the mistake is acknowledged.  So be on the lookout for fare mistakes that are truly in your favor.