Every few months, a flight deal appears that seems too good to be true. Business class to Tokyo for £300. Return flights to New York for £89. Transatlantic first class priced at economy rates.
These are error fares — and they're real.
What Is an Error Fare?
An error fare (also called a mistake fare) is a flight price that was published incorrectly. The mistake can happen in several ways:
- Currency conversion errors — a fare is correctly priced in one currency but the conversion rate applied is wrong
- Tax calculation errors — taxes or surcharges are omitted from the fare calculation
- System glitches — airline or booking platform software publishes a fare at the wrong price
- Human input errors — a staff member enters £30 instead of £300
The result is a real, bookable fare at an unintended price.
Are They Honoured?
This is the key question. The answer: sometimes.
Airlines are not legally required to honour error fares in most countries. In the UK and EU, consumer contract law generally means a contract is formed when you receive a booking confirmation, but airlines sometimes contest this for clear errors.
US rules are stricter — the US Department of Transportation has historically required airlines to honour mistake fares once tickets are issued. This has been revised and debated over the years, but US-originating error fares have a better track record of being honoured.
In practice:
- Many error fares are quietly honoured because the PR cost of cancellation outweighs the loss
- Some are cancelled within hours with a full refund
- A few result in awkward negotiations
The smart approach: do not book non-refundable accommodation or other travel until you receive a proper e-ticket (not just a booking reference). Wait 24–48 hours to see if the booking holds.
How to Find Error Fares
Error fares rarely last more than a few hours. Finding them requires one of two things: constant monitoring, or following people who do constant monitoring for you.
Dedicated deal communities on Reddit (r/Flights, r/churning) and deal forums sometimes surface error fares within minutes of them appearing.
Editorial flight deal services like AirHuntr monitor airline pricing and publish significant deals, including error fares when they're identified.
Price alert tools like Google Flights and Skyscanner will notify you when fares drop — but their alerts don't trigger instantly, and a very short-lived error fare may resolve before the alert fires.
What to Do When You Spot One
- Check it on multiple platforms — confirm the price appears on the airline's own site and at least one OTA (online travel agency). This reduces the chance it's a display error in one system.
- Book directly with the airline where possible — gives you the strongest footing if there's a dispute.
- Screenshot everything — booking confirmation, price breakdown, date and time.
- Don't book dependent travel yet — wait 48 hours before booking hotels or transfers.
- Use a credit card — better purchase protection if the booking is later cancelled.
Famous Error Fares in History
- Cathay Pacific (2001): Business class fares to Asia from the US for around $20 due to a systems error. Many were honoured.
- United Airlines (2012): First class flights to Hong Kong from the US priced at $43 due to a tax omission. Tens of thousands booked. United initially cancelled them, then honoured them after DOT pressure.
- Various carriers (ongoing): Premium cabin fares priced in miles equivalents in cash, or fares in exotic currencies with wrong conversion rates.
The Honest Reality
Error fares are exciting but unreliable as a travel strategy. Treat them as a bonus when they appear, not something to plan around. The more consistent wins come from booking flash sales and promotional fares — real deals with defined terms, where the airline fully intends to sell at that price.
AirHuntr tracks both promotional fares and error fares. When something looks like a genuine mistake, we flag it and publish it fast.
