How to Find Error Fares and Mistake Flights

What Are Error Fares?

Error fares (also called mistake fares or glitch fares) are airline tickets priced dramatically below normal due to a human error, software glitch, or currency conversion mistake. We're talking $200 round-trip to Tokyo instead of $1,200. Business class to Europe for $400 instead of $4,000.

They're rare, they disappear fast, and they can save you an absurd amount of money. About 90% of mistake fares get honored by airlines, though some get canceled within 72 hours.

Why Error Fares Happen

Airlines manage millions of fare combinations across thousands of routes. Things go wrong in predictable ways:

• Human data entry errors - Someone types $200 instead of $2,000
• Currency conversion bugs - A fare filed in one currency gets converted incorrectly
• Missing fuel surcharges - The base fare posts without the surcharge that normally doubles or triples the price
• IT system glitches - Software updates or system migrations create temporary pricing errors
• Third-party OTA mistakes - Online travel agencies sometimes introduce their own pricing errors

How to Find Error Fares

Subscribe to Deal Alert Services

This is the single most effective method. Services like Going (formerly Scott's Cheap Flights), Thrifty Traveler, and Secret Flying have teams monitoring fares around the clock. When an error fare pops up, they blast it to subscribers immediately.

The free tiers of these services are decent, but paid subscriptions (typically $49-99 per year) get you error fare alerts faster. When a fare lasts only 2-3 hours, those extra minutes matter.

Follow Social Media and Forums

Some of the best error fare communities include:

• Reddit's r/traveldeals - Active community that shares error fares in real time
• FlyerTalk forums - The Mileage Run Deals section catches many mistake fares
• Secret Flying - Website and social media accounts dedicated to error fares and deals
• Twitter/X - Follow accounts like @SecretFlying, @TheFlightDeal, and @airaborat for instant notifications

Use Flight Search Engines

Set up price alerts on Google Flights and Skyscanner for routes you'd love to fly. When an error fare drops, you'll get notified. The "Explore" feature on Google Flights can also surface unusually cheap destinations that might be error fares.

Check Multiple Departure Cities

Error fares often affect specific departure cities. A mistake fare from New York might not apply from Chicago. If you spot a deal from another city, check whether your city is included too. Sometimes driving or taking a short connecting flight to the error fare's departure city still saves you a fortune.

How to Book Error Fares

Act Immediately

Error fares last anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours. Some survive a full day, but don't count on it. When you see one, book first and plan later. You can always cancel within 24 hours under DOT rules (for flights departing from the U.S.).

Book Directly with the Airline

Whenever possible, book error fares directly on the airline's website rather than through a third-party OTA. Airlines process their own tickets faster, and you'll have a cleaner cancellation process if needed. The 24-hour free cancellation policy also applies more cleanly to direct bookings.

Don't Call the Airline

This is critical. Do not call the airline to confirm, ask questions about, or draw any attention to an error fare before booking. Calling can alert the airline to the mistake and cause them to pull the fare before you or anyone else can book it.

Book One-Way if Possible

If the error fare is available as a one-way ticket, book it that way. You can always book a separate return flight. This limits your exposure if the fare gets canceled, and you can still build a trip around a one-way deal.

After You Book

• Don't post the fare on social media with specific details - Share it in deal communities, but avoid tagging the airline directly
• Wait 72 hours before making non-refundable plans - Hotels, car rentals, and other bookings should wait until you're confident the fare will stick
• Screenshot everything - Save your confirmation email, booking page, and fare details
• Check your email - Airlines typically notify you within 48-72 hours if they're canceling an error fare

What Happens if the Airline Cancels

About 10% of error fares get canceled by the airline. If yours is canceled, you'll get a full refund. Airlines cannot charge you the difference between the error fare and the correct fare after the fact.

The DOT's position has generally been that airlines should honor mistake fares, but they don't strictly require it. In practice, most airlines honor them because the PR cost of canceling is worse than eating the loss.

Real Examples of Error Fares

Error fares aren't urban legends. They happen regularly. Some famous examples include business class flights from the U.S. to Asia for under $500 round-trip (normally $5,000+), first class tickets to Europe for under $1,000, and domestic round-trips for under $50.

The savings can be staggering. A typical error fare might be 50-90% below the normal price. Even "small" error fares can save you $200-400 on a domestic round-trip. The biggest ones save thousands on premium cabin international flights.

Error fares tend to cluster around specific events. Airline system updates, new route launches, codeshare agreement changes, and currency fluctuations all create opportunities for pricing mistakes. Being plugged into deal alert services means you'll hear about them when they happen.

The 24-Hour Rule

The U.S. Department of Transportation requires airlines to either allow free cancellation within 24 hours of booking or hold a fare for 24 hours without payment. This rule is your safety net with error fares.

If you book an error fare and then have second thoughts (or realize the dates don't work), you can cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. This applies to all flights departing from the U.S., regardless of whether you booked directly with the airline or through a third party.

The 24-hour rule makes booking error fares essentially risk-free. Book immediately, then take your time deciding whether you actually want to take the trip. Just don't forget to cancel within the window if you decide against it.

Error Fares vs. Sales

Don't confuse error fares with airline sales. A sale is intentional, lasts for days, and offers modest discounts (typically 10-30% off). An error fare is unintentional, lasts for hours at most, and offers extreme discounts (50-90% off).

Sales are predictable. Airlines run sales around holidays, slow booking periods, and when they launch new routes. Error fares are unpredictable. You can't plan a trip around one because you never know when or where they'll appear.

Both are worth pursuing, but error fares require a fundamentally different mindset. With a sale, you search for deals to destinations you've already chosen. With error fares, you let the deal choose the destination for you.

Stay Flexible

Error fares reward flexible travelers. You probably won't find an error fare to your exact destination on your exact dates. The people who score the best deals are willing to go wherever the error fare takes them, whenever it's available.

Think of it this way: you're not finding a cheap flight to where you want to go. You're finding out where you want to go based on what's cheap.

Keep your passport current, maintain a flexible schedule when possible, and have a bag that's always ready to pack. The best error fare chasers treat travel as an adventure and let the deals lead the way. If you need to fly to a specific place on specific dates, error fares aren't your strategy. But if you love travel and just want to go somewhere amazing for almost nothing, error fares are your golden ticket.