This may sound like a question full of paranoia, but I'll ask anyway.

First let me explain. I'm searching for 4 tickets for Thanksgiving weekend. Last week I found some for $290 but needed to check with everyone to make sure the dates and times would work. Last night I went online to order tickets and they had jumped to $345. I flinched and looked to see what else I could find. Now 15 hours later I thought I'd bite the bullet and buy the tickets but now they've jumped to $460.

So, crazy as it sounds, do airlines (and other on-line businesses) track your searches on their sites and continue to raise fees in hope that you'll panic and buy at the higher price?

Try getting someone else to check the prices on their computer.

Something similar happened to me a week ago - on Sunday the price was low, while I was thinking till Monday, it went up by $75.

Do you search for 2 tickets at a time, or for all 4? It may be the difference - only 2 cheap seats left, and when you ask for 4, you get higher price.

Try to do this: do you know your arrival airport? Go to the website, get a list of all airlines. Go to each one, subscribe for e-mail specials. Do the same with Orbitz. Search there for flexible dates.

Orbitz tells you is only few tickets are left at this price.

Also check Kayak. And, if this is a domestic flights, check Southwest.

Hmmm....Thanks, ngl and Faina. You may be on to something. I did have someone else check on their computer and they got the $345 price but it was just one ticket. When she tried 4 the prices jumped up to $460.

So now I have to guess whether or not I should play the waiting game. This is sooooooo time consuming. I hate this game!

Has it ever occurred to you that others are doing the same seaches you are, that the ticket at the lowest prices are very limited, and that they're buying them without waiting.

And yes, someone buying X tickets at the $290 price could move some $290 tickets up to the $345 or $460 price - that's how the pricing system is set to work - once a certain number is sold the price of the remaining tickets will rise.

Yes, NY, I assume others are buying tickets too but the price just dropped to $334. Time to buy.

I heard on ABC's GMA yesterday that some computer sites DO actually collect cookies on a buyer's searches and DO actually raise the price with consecutive searches.

I have experienced this on some sites myself, and was suspicious, but never heard it was a confirmed practice until I heard it yesterday on TV.

Well they announced on our news last night that most airlines would be increasing their airfare to most destinations as much as $20 to $40 per ticket. But I forgot when they were to start this.

I have noticed this, but I have also noticed if I don't hit the panic button...a few days or a week later the fares come down or another special is offered. I checked flights for over 3 months before booking a trip to Europe. Along the way the prices went up and down, I finally booked when the prices seemed to be the best I could get. Are you using kayak.com? I really like that search engine.

Thanks to all for your responses.

I wanted the tickets for Thanksgiving and I so there wasn't a lot of leeway in our travel plans. I have purchased quite a few tickets in the past but I guess I haven't checked the airlines with the frequency that I was on this search.

It was a very frustrating search this time. However, the tickets are purchased and we got a reasonable price so I'll stop complaining.

Olesouth, I think I will search GMA to see if I can find the piece you are talking about. I am curious.

lss1, I haven't heard of kayak.com so I've learned something new. I'll have to check it out.

If an airline has two seats available at $200 each, they shouldn't be telling people who are trying to book 4 tickets that they only have $400 seats available.
Would you accept that from any other business? If you saw a shirt on sale for $20, and you wanted 4 of them...would you accept a clerk telling you that you couldn't have the $20 shirt unless you only bought one, if you wanted 4 you'd have to pay $40 for each? No, you'd get the one for $20 and then have to pay full price for the ones that weren't on clearance.

why buy airline tickets?, when you can get them for next to nothing.

how?

apply for a credit card that offers airline miles/points.

go to a local electronics retailer and purchase something expensive on your card. return the unopened item for a cash refund. the charge still stays on your card, but you got the cash to put back into your bank,.and you just earned some points on your card.

repeat this process over and over, and soon you will earn your free airline ticket.

Oh, come on mireaux7! That strategy is totally sleazy.

mireaux

1)Thanksgiving dates are usually blackout dates for FF miles

2)You will not earn FF miles on merchandise you return.