Washington Wants to Know If Your Airfare Knows Too Much About You

The Federal Trade Commission has ordered Delta, United and JetBlue, along with Uber, Lyft, Walmart, Target, DoorDash and Instacart, to hand over information about their pricing practices. The agency wants to know whether prices can shift based on personal factors such as loyalty-program status.

The Points Guy reported on October 30 that an FTC official said the agency cares less about personalized pricing itself than about companies doing it without telling consumers. Airlines for America said airlines do not engage in personalized pricing, and Delta, United and JetBlue each deny using personal data to set fares.

Thrifty Traveler’s November 3 newsletter said the companies have about 40 days to respond. It also noted that United and American still charge solo travelers more than groups, and that American reportedly sold three Miami to Charlotte tickets for less than the price of one solo fare. Background includes a lawsuit last spring accusing JetBlue of using personal data in pricing.

An inquiry is not an accusation, and the companies’ denials stand. Still, travelers have long suspected that the price they see depends on who is looking. Until there is clarity, comparing fares across devices and in private browsing, and checking the same route as a group, are low-cost ways to test your own prices.

Sources: The Points Guy, Thrifty Traveler