It’s true, says Johnny Jet, of the travel site johnnyjet.com. It’s called “dynamic pricing”—firms track your online browsing, and adjust prices according to factors like your eagerness to buy, your online purchases, even where you live. Be wary, he says, of aggregator booking sites like Priceline, Kayak, and Orbitz, the last of which was found in 2012 to raise prices for Mac users, believing they were more affluent. And the practice still goes on: Recently, one Men’s Fitness editor visited a booking site a few times in one morning, changing dates to check fares on flights to Ohio; but when she returned to her first search dates, the trip had gone up $60, from $250 to $310. There’s an easy fix, Jet says: Delete your cookies and search history, switch to an incognito window, change browsers, or search from different IP addresses—say, on a work and a home computer—then buy. When our editor cleared her history and cookies and searched again, the fare was back down to $250. She bought it, and saved a bundle.
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It’s true, says Johnny Jet, of the travel site johnnyjet.com.
It’s called “dynamic pricing”—firms track your online browsing, and adjust prices according to factors like your eagerness to buy, your online purchases, even where you live.
Be wary, he says, of aggregator booking sites like Priceline, Kayak, and Orbitz, the last of which was found in 2012 to raise prices for Mac users, believing they were more affluent.
And the practice still goes on: Recently, one Men’s Fitness editor visited a booking site a few times in one morning, changing dates to check fares on flights to Ohio; but when she returned to her first search dates, the trip had gone up $60, from $250 to $310.
There’s an easy fix, Jet says: Delete your cookies and search history, switch to an incognito window, change browsers, or search from different IP addresses—say, on a work and a home computer—then buy.
When our editor cleared her history and cookies and searched again, the fare was back down to $250. She bought it, and saved a bundle.
For access to exclusive gear videos, celebrity interviews, and more, subscribe on YouTube!
More News
4-Day Weekend in the Italian Riviera
Is a Club Med Ski Vacation Right for You?
10 Spotlights From the Prestigious Small Luxury Hotels Collection
The Best Value Golf Courses in America
Top Campervan-friendly Ski Resorts and Best Rental Outfitters
The Best Expedition Cruises for Unforgettable Adventures
All Stories
More Videos
The MJ5: Tony Hawk on His Favorite Gear, Why He Always Carries His Board, and More
Here's the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey
Young Guns and a Supercharged Catamaran: U.S. SailGP Team Takes on New York City
More News
4-Day Weekend in the Italian Riviera
Is a Club Med Ski Vacation Right for You?
10 Spotlights From the Prestigious Small Luxury Hotels Collection
The Best Value Golf Courses in America
Top Campervan-friendly Ski Resorts and Best Rental Outfitters
The Best Expedition Cruises for Unforgettable Adventures
All Stories
More Videos
The MJ5: Tony Hawk on His Favorite Gear, Why He Always Carries His Board, and More
Here's the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey
Young Guns and a Supercharged Catamaran: U.S. SailGP Team Takes on New York City
More News
4-Day Weekend in the Italian Riviera
Is a Club Med Ski Vacation Right for You?
10 Spotlights From the Prestigious Small Luxury Hotels Collection
The Best Value Golf Courses in America
Top Campervan-friendly Ski Resorts and Best Rental Outfitters
The Best Expedition Cruises for Unforgettable Adventures
All Stories
More Videos
The MJ5: Tony Hawk on His Favorite Gear, Why He Always Carries His Board, and More
Here's the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey
Young Guns and a Supercharged Catamaran: U.S. SailGP Team Takes on New York City
More Videos
The MJ5: Tony Hawk on His Favorite Gear, Why He Always Carries His Board, and More
Here's the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey
Young Guns and a Supercharged Catamaran: U.S. SailGP Team Takes on New York City
More Videos
The MJ5: Tony Hawk on His Favorite Gear, Why He Always Carries His Board, and More
Here's the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey
Young Guns and a Supercharged Catamaran: U.S. SailGP Team Takes on New York City
