Do flight prices go up the more you search? Here’s the truth

A myth that won’t go away (Picture: Getty Images) You’re looking up flights for a family holiday. When you show your partner the next day, the fares are more expensive. But why does that happen? Is it simple supply and demand? Is it something to do with internet cookies? Do flight prices go up the more you search, or is it all a myth? Here’s the deal: many believe that airlines and travel booking sites can see you searching the same route again and again, and that they hike the price to push you into booking. Our Travel Editor, Alice Murphy, spoke to experts from the tech and travel industries to bring you the truth about a claim that won’t go away. Why flight prices rise Best of Metro Deals Get exclusive discounts with Metro Deals – save on getaways and spa days. Powered by Wowcher Bannatyne Spa: Spa day for two with treatments, lunch & prosecco — save up to 57% off. Get deal now Mystery Escape: Hotel stay with return flights from as low as £92pp — save on worldwide holiday packages. Get deal now Beach Retreat (Lanzarote): 4* Lanzarote beach holiday with flights — save up to 58%. Get deal now The short answer? Repeat searches don’t cause flight or holiday package prices to increase. And using an incognito browser? According to insiders, it doesn’t make a difference. What does help, they say, is setting up price alerts or using flexible date searches on aggregator sites so you can see when fares genuinely rise or fall. Nicole Kerr, CEO at ground transport platform Mozio, said: ‘Despite many ‘travel experts’ advising consumers to browse for flights in incognito mode, and to disregard past searches and cookies, the cost of a flight won’t increase based on your search history. The main cause of price fluctuations, she says, is that flight prices change in real-time, depending on demand and availability. Nicole says that while some operators do collect data to determine dynamic pricing, this isn’t targeted at individual travellers. What is dynamic pricing? Dynamic pricing is a rapid change in the price of a product (in this case, flight tickets) dependent on demand. High demand means a higher price and lower demand means a lower price. Airlines use this strategy as standard practice. If you’re searching for tickets and the price is rising, she advises moving your travel dates where possible and shopping around for airports. For example, changing Paris Charles de Gaulle to Paris Beauvais. What about cookies, then? Cookies are text files with tiny pieces of data — like a username and password — that are downloaded to a computer or phone when they visit a website.  Each time you visit, a note is recorded on your browser. Over time, this paints a picture of the user: what they like, what time they are active, and so on. Do cookies make flights more expensive?On Skyscanner, at least, the answer is no. Laura Lindsay, Skyscanner’s global communications director, says: Ryanair cuts all flights to ‘Hawaii of Europe’ islands affecting 400,000 passengers Bone-chilling winter storm triggers most flight cancellations since Covid Virgin Upper Class review: the naughty youngest child of the luxury travel world ‘The flight prices we display are unbiased and we put obligations on our partners to ensure that flights are available at the prices they send us,’ Laura Lindsay, Skyscanner’s global communications director, says. ‘Airlines use complex algorithms to set their pricing, but the factor that ultimately determines the final price paid is simple supply and demand.’ To find the cheapest rates on Skyscanner specifically, Laura advises using the ‘whole month’ view and the ‘everywhere’ destination tab. Who knows, you might end up booking a trip to somewhere you never expected. Alternative destinations to inspire your travels in 2026 Our Travel writers have been all around the world to bring you stories from places that remain off the main tourist track. Check out some of our expert guides here: Arrow MORE: ‘Premature risers’ are so annoying travellers want them ‘banned from flying’ Arrow MORE: Airports in Asia reintroduce Covid-style health checks amid Nipah virus breakout Arrow MORE: 14,000 flights cancelled and passengers stranded: Bone-chilling winter storm blankets US Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source The Getaway Expert Your exclusive seven-day guide to travelling with confidence from Metro's resident travel expert, Alice Murphy.

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