Tim McPhillips:
You may have heard that Delta is using artificial intelligence to help set some airfare prices.
That sparked fears that the airline could create a custom price for you, using your data to find how much you would be willing to pay for a ticket. But while Delta says they aren’t doing that, they are using A.I. to help them adjust prices in response to market forces faster than humans can.
Here are three things to know if you’re booking airfare now and whether custom pricing could impact you in the future. One, if you’re booking airfare now, the same old adages apply to find the best fare. Delta is testing A.I. to help set prices on limited flights, about 3 percent of fares for now, moving to 20 percent by the end of the year.
But while A.I. might help prices move up and down faster, we currently all still see the same price. So, for a better deal, it’s still a good idea to be flexible, which may mean flying on lower-demand days, like Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday. Consider alternate airports in the areas you are traveling to and from.
Use flight comparison tools like Google Flights to easily compare cities, dates, and airlines. If you’re flying round-trip, check to see if two one-way tickets are cheaper than a round-trip booking. And consider budget airlines or basic economy tickets on mainline carriers. But if you do so, just be sure to pack light to avoid extra fees.
Two, much of the fear sparked by Delta’s announcement comes from what Delta or any other airline or other company, for that matter, could do.
