Hotly disputed yesterday ( in the local watering hole of course ) was whether airlines started to track you once you started to make enquiries on line about a certain flight you where interested in..One guy ( he had only consumed two beers ) said he had expierianced this many times,each time he went back to the airline sight the price went up for that particular flight:shock:
One customer ( again only had two or three down him ) said he new of someone who got a price online after a few enquiries then went to his mates in another village and allways got the flight cheaper as it was a different computer.
Around half of us said this is a myth and in any way would be illegal.
And YOUR view ( even after having had a few )
No idea about airlines, but certainly some websites for accommodation do. I read years ago that it was a good idea to clear all cookies at the end of each browsing session (in fact I clear history each time I log out from the browser) and found that works.
We use Easyjet and they do track enquiries but I have never felt that they were charging me more, the main impact is from their dynamic pricing model. If you want to check a price, check it normally and then go 'incognito' on Google which doesn't record your browser history and see if there is a difference.
Yes we found it odd last year that everytime we looked at flights the price went up, so now we change search engines to get the best price, it is good that people are starting to recognize what the airlines are doing and are catching on.
I usually do a flight search on one computer and book the one I want on another. As said the Cookies track your searches so if you use another computer to book there's no tracking history.
Jim
100% this happens,I noticed this years ago, so I get my wife to do the search, then we book on another computer, another little thing ive noticed, the last few times ive booked with Wizz, just while im putting my card details in, it crushes, so I go through the process again, only to find its on average another twenty euros more, coincidence, I dont think so.
Definitely does happen. If you want to be extra safe reboot your router before taking the final plunge as well. You will have a different IP address then.
Web Designer / Developer. Currently working on Paphos Life.
Living in Polemi, Cyprus with my wife and daughter.
Dominic wrote: ↑Fri Aug 16, 2019 12:09 pm
Definitely does happen. If you want to be extra safe reboot your router before taking the final plunge as well. You will have a different IP address then.
Use different browsers, especially once you've found a price you like and you need to go back later to book it!
And make sure never to be logged into your Google or Gmail account or any kind of account that knows who you are when you're searching.
Most websites are tracking you all the time unless you take the trouble (& difficulty) to opt out via their privacy notice.
Checked with Skyscanner return flight to Tallin in Estonia Direct over Xmas. Price showed €120 with Ryanair. On the Ryanair website the basic was priced €75
I always check prices directly with the airline before using an alternative option.
As an avid independent travel booker finding the best bargains for flights and accommodation booked separately from each other since leaving my tour operator employer in 2004 and all of our time living in Cyprus, it's very weird coming back to UK and finding the cheapest option to book now is a package deal.
I booked for next year fairly recently for 2 people a package deal of 11 nights All Inclusive including flights, accommodation, bags and transfers for 2 people at a total cost of just under £800.
The flights alone came to almost the same price if I tried to book them separately and the hotel was same price again!
So sometimes, it's also worth looking at the tour operator packages. The same happened for our holidays to Malta, Benidorm and Egypt from UK.
Earlier this year we booked independent flights and various accommodation for 11 nights in Marrakech and Essaouira and paid the same price as our upcoming holiday. A different combination as we were travelling between different places and types of accommodations. Friends who travelled a few days before us booked an all inclusive package in the outer Marrakech area for 7nts also paid £800 total cost. So, same as us with everything combined.
It all seems totally alien to me!
