Are error fares legal to book?

Yes. You are not doing anything wrong by booking a price the airline published. Whether the airline honors the ticket is their decision. In the US, airlines can cancel error fares and refund you with no penalty. In the EU, if the ticket is issued (you have a ticket number), the airline is more obligated to honor it under EU261, but error fares often get cancelled before ticket issuance.

What percentage of error fares actually get honored?

Roughly 40-60% based on community tracking, but this varies wildly by airline and error type. Smaller pricing errors (30-40% off) are honored more often. Massive errors (90% off business class) get cancelled more often. Airlines with better IT systems catch errors faster. If you receive a ticket number within 24 hours, your odds jump to 70-80%.

Can I book error fares for other people?

Yes, as long as you enter their correct passport information. You can book for family, friends, or anyone. The ticket is tied to the passenger name, not the purchaser. Just make sure you have their exact name as it appears on their passport. Middle name discrepancies have caused problems at check-in.

What if I already booked a hotel before the airline cancels?

You lose that money if the hotel is non-refundable. This is why experienced error fare hunters wait. If you must book early, use hotels.com or Booking.com with free cancellation, or book refundable rates. Never book non-refundable anything until you have confirmation the ticket is honored.

Do airlines blacklist people who book error fares?

No evidence of this happening in practice. Airlines blame their systems, not customers. People who book dozens of error fares per year continue to book with the same airlines without issue. Your frequent flyer account is safe. The exception: if you abuse policies by booking errors, getting refunds, then filing credit card chargebacks—that will get you blacklisted.

Should I call the airline to confirm my error fare?

Absolutely not. Never call. Never draw attention to your booking. Calling puts a human in front of the error, and humans cancel tickets. Let the booking sit quietly. If the airline needs something from you, they will email. Calling to ask 'Is this real?' is the fastest way to get it cancelled.

How to Find and Book Error Fares

Error fares are pricing mistakes made by airlines or booking systems that result in dramatically discounted tickets—sometimes 50-90% off normal prices. You find them through deal alert services, act within minutes when they appear, and book immediately knowing the airline may honor or cancel your ticket. Most errors get corrected within 2-6 hours.

Subscribe to error fare alert services. Sign up for Secret Flying, The Flight Deal, Scott's Cheap Flights (Going), and Jack's Flight Club. Enable push notifications on your phone. Follow @theflightdeal and @secretflying on Twitter with notifications turned on. Error fares break at random times—early morning US time is common because that's when international systems update pricing overnight.
Set up your readiness system. Have an account already created on major booking sites: Google Flights, Momondo, the airline's own website. Store your passport information, credit card, and frequent flyer numbers in a secure note on your phone. When an error fare drops, you have 10-60 minutes before it disappears. Every second spent creating accounts or finding your passport number is a second you lose.
Verify the error when you get an alert. Open the booking site immediately. Search the exact route and dates mentioned in the alert. If you see the price, it's still live. Do not waste time reading forums or looking for confirmation. If the fare is real and shows up in your search, book it. Discussion kills deals—by the time people confirm it's real, it's often dead.
Book directly with the airline when possible. If the error appears on the airline's own website, book there. Airlines are more likely to honor tickets booked directly with them. If the error only shows on third-party sites like Priceline or Expedia, book there but understand the risk increases. Use a credit card with good purchase protection. Take screenshots of the price, confirmation page, and booking confirmation email immediately.
Do not make non-refundable plans yet. Wait 72 hours to 2 weeks before booking hotels, requesting time off work, or making connections. Airlines typically decide within a few days whether to honor or cancel error fare tickets. If they cancel, you get a full refund but nothing else. EU and some other countries have stronger passenger rights, but US-based errors offer no compensation beyond refund if cancelled.
Monitor your booking status. Check your email obsessively for 5-7 days. Log into your airline account daily. If you receive a ticket number (not just a confirmation code), your chances improve significantly. If the airline emails you asking to pay the difference, you can decline—they'll either honor the original price or cancel and refund. Never agree to pay more.
Understand what happens if it's honored. If 2 weeks pass with no cancellation and you have a ticket number, the fare is likely honored. You can now book everything else. Your ticket is real. If the airline cancels, you get your money back but you've lost time. This is the gamble. Some people book backup refundable fares on other airlines just in case, but that requires significant upfront capital.

Are error fares legal to book?: Yes. You are not doing anything wrong by booking a price the airline published. Whether the airline honors the ticket is their decision. In the US, airlines can cancel error fares and refund you with no penalty. In the EU, if the ticket is issued (you have a ticket number), the airline is more obligated to honor it under EU261, but error fares often get cancelled before ticket issuance.
What percentage of error fares actually get honored?: Roughly 40-60% based on community tracking, but this varies wildly by airline and error type. Smaller pricing errors (30-40% off) are honored more often. Massive errors (90% off business class) get cancelled more often. Airlines with better IT systems catch errors faster. If you receive a ticket number within 24 hours, your odds jump to 70-80%.
Can I book error fares for other people?: Yes, as long as you enter their correct passport information. You can book for family, friends, or anyone. The ticket is tied to the passenger name, not the purchaser. Just make sure you have their exact name as it appears on their passport. Middle name discrepancies have caused problems at check-in.
What if I already booked a hotel before the airline cancels?: You lose that money if the hotel is non-refundable. This is why experienced error fare hunters wait. If you must book early, use hotels.com or Booking.com with free cancellation, or book refundable rates. Never book non-refundable anything until you have confirmation the ticket is honored.
Do airlines blacklist people who book error fares?: No evidence of this happening in practice. Airlines blame their systems, not customers. People who book dozens of error fares per year continue to book with the same airlines without issue. Your frequent flyer account is safe. The exception: if you abuse policies by booking errors, getting refunds, then filing credit card chargebacks—that will get you blacklisted.
Should I call the airline to confirm my error fare?: Absolutely not. Never call. Never draw attention to your booking. Calling puts a human in front of the error, and humans cancel tickets. Let the booking sit quietly. If the airline needs something from you, they will email. Calling to ask 'Is this real?' is the fastest way to get it cancelled.