What is a Glitch Fare?

Glitch fares are Mistake Fares. It's when an airline accidentally discounts a flight by much more than it intended.

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What are other terms for glitch fares?

Glitch fares are more commonly called Mistake Fares or error fares. Or they're just called really, really cheap flights—as they can be 90% off the usual fare, and sometimes even more.

How cheap are glitch fares?

Glitch fares are much cheaper than the usual fare—like 90% off cheap. We're talking cheap flights like $63 roundtrip from Atlanta to Chile, $79 roundtrip to Puerto Rico, $100 roundtrip to Iceland, or $249 roundtrip to Rome in business class.

What causes a glitch fare?

Glitch fares are caused by a number of factors, including both human and computer error. In the past, they were sometimes referred to as "fat finger discounts" in reference to accidentally mistyping the price when manually entering the airfare into the airline's or OTA's system.

Do airlines honor glitch fares?

More often than not, airlines do honor glitch fares. But they don't always. If the airline won't honor the fare, you'll usually know within a few days, but it's always smart to wait at least two weeks before booking any nonrefundable hotels or other plans, just in case.

What else should I know about glitch fares?

Well, for starters, we look for them 24/7 (along with other deals) at Going and email you when we find them, so you can snag them fast. We've got a whole guide about glitch fares here, too, with more information on what you should do when you find one.

Last updated Jan 10, 2024