TL;DR for those who dislike reading
Error fare = tariff mistake – a ticket is much cheaper than it should be because someone entered data incorrectly or the system miscalculated.
It's not a "secret promotion" – it's a bug in the fare, currency, taxes, or during flight combining in GDS (Sabre, Amadeus, etc.).
Rule number 1: buy and stay silent. Zero phone calls asking "is this definitely the right price?", because that's when the error disappears faster.
In the USA: the airline can cancel a mistake ticket, but after 2015 they must refund the money and cover your "reasonable, documented costs" (e.g., non-refundable hotel).
2024 update: DOT Airline Refund Rule. In April 2024, DOT issued a landmark final rule requiring airlines to provide automatic cash refunds when flights are canceled or significantly delayed (3+ hours domestic, 6+ hours international) and the passenger declines alternatives. Refunds must be processed within 7 business days for credit card payments. This rule strengthens passenger protections beyond the 2015 Mistaken Fare Policy, which remains separately in effect for error fare situations.
In Europe: a combination of Regulation (EC) 261/2004 and general consumer law (the concept of 'manifest error') currently applies. Important update (March 2026): EU261 is undergoing its first major revision since 2004. In June 2025, the Council of the EU proposed raising delay thresholds and reducing compensation caps. However, the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly (632 to 15) in January 2026 to maintain the current 3-hour delay threshold and compensation of €300–€600. Trilogue negotiations are ongoing — current rules remain fully in force until any changes are officially adopted.
With error fares, always account for the fact that the flight might not happen, so don't build your entire life's logistics around it.
What exactly is an error fare?
An error fare (mistake fare) is a situation where a ticket price is abnormally low compared to typical levels – often 50–90% cheaper.
Real-life examples (authentic cases from recent years):
The source of the problem is almost always the same: the machine only calculated what it was given, and a human or another system provided something stupid.
Where do mistake fares come from?
1. Fat finger, or human and keyboard
A lot of things in airlines are still entered manually: fares, surcharges, rules, dates. Simple errors occur:
The system doesn't question it – it broadcasts the price to GDS and intermediaries.
2. Currencies, commas, and old rates
The airline publishes a fare in yen, crowns, or another "unusual" currency. Along the way, someone:
~1000 USD becomes, for example, 120 EUR. In the system, it looks like a "strange but possible" price – so it goes live.
3. Taxes and fees that "aren't there"
A ticket consists of:
If one of these components doesn't apply (e.g., wrong tax table in GDS, mapping error, API bug), the price suddenly drops by dozens of percent.
4. GDS, connections, and codeshares
Global Distribution Systems (GDS – including Sabre, Amadeus, Travelport) are the backbone of ticket sales worldwide. They connect different carriers, classes, and combinable fares. In complex itineraries, sometimes:
And it comes out: "absurdly cheap total".
The hunter's golden rule: buy and stay silent
Facing a flight that costs 20–30% of the normal price? The procedure is simple:
Why? Because airlines often only realize something is wrong after a wave of bookings. The less noise, the higher the chance the error passes under the radar and tickets are honored. Errors of this type usually live from a few minutes to several hours.
USA: what DOT says (and why it used to be better)
(Department of Transportation – the U.S. government body regulating aviation)
Once: "they sold it = they must fly it"
In the early 2010s, DOT's interpretation of regulations was very pro-passenger. In practice: if a ticket was sold and confirmed, the airline could not unilaterally increase the price, even if the price was an obvious error.
2015: Mistaken Fare Policy Statement
Airlines pushed hard, saying this wasn't fair. In 2015, DOT issued a special statement. Now:
In practice in the USA, some error fares are canceled, and some are honored – because the reputational cost can be greater than the loss on a few hundred tickets.
Europe: more "common sense"
In the EU, a combination of Regulation (EC) 261/2004 and general consumer law (the concept of "manifest error") applies.
What this means in practice:
Large European carriers (Lufthansa, KLM, Ryanair, Wizz Air, etc.) usually cancel extreme errors while trying to remain customer-friendly.
How to use error fares wisely (checklist)
Step by step: