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Unbookable SkyTeam mistake fares like LAX Stockholm $153; SFO Budapest $265 today

a map of the world

This is one of those mornings that picks up my heart rate when I see Los Angeles to Stockholm for $153 round trip with Delta and KLM on Google Flights and San Francisco to Budapest for $265 round trip with Air France and KLM.

London, Amsterdam, Malaga, Spain all under $500 round trip. Sofia, Bulgaria $330; Bucharest, Romania $343; Belgrade, Serbia $352.

Unfortunately, once the Delta-SkyTeam return flights were selected, none of these ticket destinations remained at ultra-low prices. My heart rate settled down when the realization took hold that these mistake fares were simply mistakes on Google Flights. Each of these destinations went up $300 to $500+ in ticket price on the final screen.

LAX-ARN $153 rt Delta mistake

Los Angeles LAX to Stockholm ARN $153 round trip on Google Flights today.

LAX-ARN $153 part 2

So far so good on the $153 KLM-Delta LAX-Stockholm itinerary.

But once the return flight was chosen, the price went up $500.

LAX-ARN part 3

LAX-ARN part4

I checked for the $430 ticket to London. No Go. Then the $340 ticket to Amsterdam. No go. A few more destinations like Belgrade, Bucharest and Budapest. I’ll go winter vacay in the Balkans for $350 round trip!

SFO-Bud $265 Delta mistake

San Francisco to Budapest $265 round trip is another ‘no go’ fare.

What could have been and what will never be in today’s SkyTeam flight shopping deals.

Even mistake fares are sometimes simply mistakes that get you nowhere.

13 Comments

  • Craig December 15, 2015

    This click bait garbage now has you with one less follower. It’s not a problem that you share this, its a problem that you intentionally dupe people.

  • Raj December 15, 2015

    +1 Craig

  • Fat Ted December 15, 2015

    so there were no mistake fares available

  • Greg z December 15, 2015

    Wow, the most worthless post I have ever seen on any website ever. Just speechless…

  • Charles December 15, 2015

    Won’t be reading this post again since it’s just trying to get clicks with no substance…..

  • Tom December 15, 2015

    Shame! Shame! This even puts Leff to shame. When does a blogger get so desperate for clicks that it’s just time for him/her to move on? It’s a shame as this used to be a respectable blog.

  • Jon December 15, 2015

    There’s no clickbait here. It says first word UNBOOKABLE. I actually find this post revealing. Just because you see a good deal doesn’t make it so.

    Slow down guys, get off your high horse. You didn’t lose anything other than 2 minutes of your life.

  • Ric Garrido December 15, 2015

    @Jon – I added ‘unbookable’ after reading the comments. I might have changed the title sooner, but I wrote this before starting the morning routine of getting my wife off to work and it was a couple of hours later before I saw the comments on this post.

    At least readers got the buzz and the letdown within 20 seconds upon reaching the third paragraph of this piece. I analyzed these fares and worked many different methods for 45 minutes before realizing there was nothing of substance to all the low fares shown on Google Flights.

  • dan December 15, 2015

    Wow that was stupid. Funny how the hyperlink doesn’t display unbookable. Obv click bait. Look a trip to lhr for 45.00, nevermind.

  • Ric Garrido December 15, 2015

    Seven hours after this post, Google Flights still shows Delta/SkyTeam low fares from $300s to $700s all around Europe from airports all across the USA that price hundreds of dollars higher. Also, came across several American/Oneworld fares at unbookable low prices.

    This is an extended glitch in fare pricing today.

    What is challenging is there are some real fares in the mix with $600s California to Europe that price on Norwegian and Aeroflot. And some low Swiss Airlines fares to eastern Europe. The AA and Delta fares are the mistake fares that don’t price at the low Google Flights fares on the map.

  • Josh December 15, 2015

    In light of the recent DOT decision in the AA South America-Asia deal, why are you using the “mistake” fare terminology?

  • Ric Garrido December 21, 2015

    What terminology should I use?

  • Josh December 21, 2015

    “Super cheap”, “deep discount”, “never before seen price” . . . Or, at the very least, don’t specifically label it a “mistake”; allude to the possibility, sure, but don’t outright make the assertion. “Unbookable Skyteam fares that could be in error”.

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