Thanks Doug, As I near retirement I need to pay attention to these things. That's the first I've heard of Google Flights. Eric
> On 08/12/2025 9:57 AM EDT Doug Church via Mifnet <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > Hi Kathryn, > > I am curious to know why you believe airfare searching "has now become so > difficult that it takes literally hours." I have found it to be much easier > and quicker than ever. I have some favorite go-to's in my search engines > (Google Flights has treated me well so far) and always see newcomers to the > field that offer a simple user experience. > > -Doug Church > > > On Tue, Aug 12, 2025 at 8:30 AM Kathryn Creedy via Mifnet > <[email protected] mailto:[email protected]> wrote: > > > BUT, Addison, I have a capital one card and when I search from capital one > > travel, the prices are much more expensive. Ditto with Hilton. > > > > So, I go to third party sites to find out what the going rate is. I do not > > book on capital one because it is more expensive ALWAYS. I can't help but > > think it's the same for AMEX. > > > > But here's the thing, airfare searching has now become so difficult that it > > takes literally hours. What a pain in the ass, I say as I'm trying to find > > a good fare (oxymoron, I know). Turning the task over to a travel agent > > always yields higher prices. > > > > Will it get so complex airlines will be forced back into the travel agent > > game? All I know now is that the system is broken as the airlines try to > > eliminate seats as a commodity. The personalized pricing model is just the > > next step toward the golden age of travel before the democratization > > brought on by the 747. > > > > Cheers -- Kathryn > > > > On Mon, Aug 11, 2025 at 5:02 PM RWM via Mifnet <[email protected] > > mailto:[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > This is correct, potentially exempts and favors 'full content' buyers via > > > indirect channels from cases where 'the AI' attempts direct channel price > > > discovery at premiums above otherwise published price points, because you > > > are you and your wallet, and somewhat ironic in that since the mid-1990s, > > > airlines have done everything they can to dis-intermediate agencies. > > > > > > That said, it would also disadvantage indirect buyers where 'the AI' > > > test-drove unpublished lower prices designed to capture as 'bookers' more > > > of the 'lookers' in the demand curve, which today is often done via > > > white-box offers through OTAs. > > > > > > Oh, well... one step forward, two steps back. > > > > > > - Bob Mann > > > > > > > > > > > > On 8/11/2025 4:37 PM, Addison Schonland via Mifnet wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > I believe I figured out how to fix this AI issue. I don’t buy DL via > > > > their website. I do it via AmEx. I get better pricing and DL has no > > > > impact on my pricing. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Regards, > > > > > > > > Addison Schonlandhttp://www.airinsight.aero/ > > > > > > > > (858) 536-9900 > > > > > > > > (858) 682-4931 – WhatsApp > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > From: Richard Bittenbender via Mifnet <[email protected]> > > > > mailto:[email protected] > > > > Sent: Monday, August 11, 2025 3:16 PM > > > > To: [email protected] mailto:[email protected] > > > > Cc: Richard Bittenbender <[email protected]> > > > > mailto:[email protected] > > > > Subject: [Mifnet 🛰 73575] Re: Chicago Tribune Editorial Board Says > > > > "Personalized’ airline pricing bad" > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > So, Delta is telling us that they are paying > > > > > > > > a tech consulting company who knows how much > > > > > > > > money when they won’t use the results. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I’m not sure I buy that. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Rich B > > > > > > > > Sent from my iPhone > > > > > > > > > > > > On Aug 11, 2025, at 1:29 PM, Tom Ronell via Mifnet > > > > <[email protected] mailto:[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Is it me, or is the last sentence ironic? > > > > > > > > "AI-driven pricing, especially that which is applied to individuals, is > > > > a real danger unless it is closely monitored." > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------------------- > > > > > > > > From: Cliff Argue via Mifnet <[email protected] > > > > mailto:[email protected]> > > > > To: [email protected] mailto:[email protected] > > > > CC: Cliff Argue <[email protected] mailto:[email protected]> > > > > Date: 2025-08-11T15:53:19Z > > > > Subject: [Mifnet 🛰 73572] Chicago Tribune Editorial Board Says > > > > "Personalized’ airline pricing bad" > > > > > > > > > I thought this would be of interest. > > > > > > > > > > Cliff Argue > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > > Personalized’ airline pricing bad > > > > > > > > > > By Chicago Tribune Editorial Board 7/30/25 > > > > > > > > > > Delta Air Lines says it is rolling out “personalized fares,” which > > > > > sounds benign and even sweet but is precisely the opposite. > > > > > > > > > > What is really going on is that the massive airline is phasing in > > > > > artificial intelligence-powered ticket pricing that may offer you a > > > > > different fare for a particular trip than your neighbor down the > > > > > street. > > > > > > > > > > Delta has insisted that it won’t use personal information, such as > > > > > age or income, although that is the nirvana of this kind of dynamic > > > > > pricing. > > > > > > > > > > Big companies spend billions trying to discover who is price > > > > > sensitive and who is not, so as to charge those who don’t care more > > > > > than those who do. That was the analog thinking behind the old > > > > > Saturday- night-stay requirement and the current variable > > > > > refundability of tickets; price-sensitive leisure travelers need > > > > > lower fares than business travelers who have no choice but to travel > > > > > and typically are not paying their own freight. > > > > > > > > > > Airfares long have been variable, but using AI to boil this down to > > > > > the individual at any given moment is going further than airlines > > > > > ever have gone before. > > > > > > > > > > Savvy travelers, of course, will use their own AI to try and defeat > > > > > the airline’s AI and figure out the optimal moment at which to buy, > > > > > but that will leave more vulnerable travelers, such as seniors or > > > > > young people, potentially at the mercy of the algorithm. > > > > > > > > > > And for the rest of us, it will be exhausting. > > > > > > > > > > Where Delta leads, you can bet other airlines will follow. Already, > > > > > car buying is becoming a battle of AI-fueled data. Savvy consumers > > > > > are fine; other folks, less so. > > > > > > > > > > We think AI-driven pricing, especially that which is applied to > > > > > individuals, is a real danger unless it is closely monitored. We > > > > > don’t need to remind readers how much data an airline like Delta has > > > > > on its customers, whatever its insistence that it would never use it > > > > > for pricing decisions. We think there is something fundamentally > > > > > unfair about the practice on that granular a level: Surely there > > > > > should be a group of real, fair fares out there, not an infinite > > > > > number of gradations that makes a task as simple and routine as > > > > > buying a vacation flight a frustrating exercise that leaves you > > > > > suspicious you just got ripped off, or at least did not get the best > > > > > possible deal. No one wants the Uber-ization of the entire travel > > > > > experience. > > > > > > > > > > These changes are hardly limited to airlines. On Sunday, The Wall > > > > > Street Journal reported on new technology emerging in Europe that > > > > > will allow electronic prices in grocery stores to change without > > > > > notice hundreds of times in a day, based on various, likely > > > > > undisclosed, shifts in supply and demand. > > > > > > > > > > Imagine: A half-gallon of milk might be cheaper at noon than at 9 > > > > > a.m. Or you might find that on hot days, the price of charcoal rises, > > > > > only to fall when it starts to rain. > > > > > > > > > > You can think of it as surge pricing at the grocery store. > > > > > > > > > > Our first worry, though, is that those electronic tags will flash > > > > > different prices based on the facial recognition of whoever is > > > > > walking down the aisle, figuring out how much they have bought on > > > > > their loyalty cards, how much is their typical spend, whether or not > > > > > they buy on sale or couldn’t care less or even how much their > > > > > appearance suggests they make in a week. As with airlines, we’ve also > > > > > voluntarily given up a whole lot of our personal data to grocery > > > > > stores, seduced by promotions within their apps. Many chains have > > > > > insisted they wouldn’t even think of such things, but once the > > > > > technology is in place and revenue is strapped, the temptation will > > > > > only increase. > > > > > > > > > > We know of no one who asked for any of this. And while this page has > > > > > long respected businesses doing their best to maximize profit and > > > > > revenue, we’re with the worried consumer advocates on this one. > > > > > > > > > > Data protection and full disclosure assurances are needed, help for > > > > > vulnerable shoppers is a moral obligation, and supermarkets and other > > > > > stores that go too far will risk a serious shopper backlash. > > > > > > > > > > We’re already upset at the idea of having to stand for several > > > > > minutes at the frozen pizza case in case the prices of pies suddenly > > > > > drop. Who needs that picking up a few items on the way home from work? > > > > > > > > > > AI-driven pricing, especially that which is applied to individuals, > > > > > is a real danger unless it is closely monitored. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > Revised: 20250507 > > > > > > > > You are receiving The Mifnet because you requested to join this list. > > > > > > > > The Mifnet is largely a labor of love, however the infrastructure isn't > > > > exactly cost-free. 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