Cheapest airline ticket? Impossible to find
Airline ticketing is so complicated that it is impossible for a computer system or travel agent to offer the best fare at any given time, concludes a study by scientist Carl de Marcken, a co-founder of ITA Software.
“It is theoretically impossible to guarantee that one can find the best route or price” at any given time, said Mr de Marcken. He added:
“That’s because the pricing system used by airlines is so complicated. There are millions of possible combinations of fare factors for any given trip.”
Also, the airlines computer systems are constantly adjusting fares.
The myriad of factors that can affect a ticket price include airlines, rules, dates and times of flights, the route taken and other considerations.
Mr de Marcken concluded there can be 25 million ways to arrive at a fare.
So if someone says they have the best price, he says, the claim should be met with some skepticism.
“No computer system or travel agent could ever make such a claim,” he said, according to wire reports.
Report by David Wilkening
David
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