Dutch study finds browser tricks do not cut fares

Clearing your browser cookies, opening an incognito tab or switching to another device before you book a flight will not change the price, according to a market study by the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM).

Many travellers still believe these tricks work: 46% of consumers surveyed think earlier searches push up ticket prices, and 25% think the device they use affects what they pay.

The ACM says personalised pricing, which sets prices using a person’s data and online behaviour, is technically possible.

For now, though, airlines only use it in loyalty programmes that customers choose to join.

Ordinary changes in fares come from supply, demand and automated pricing algorithms.

Flight prices change repeatedly before departure

The study found that airlines change the price of a seat on a single flight 30 to 35 times on average while it is on sale.

One in three tickets is sold at 40% or more above the average fare.

Fares tend to fall gradually and then rise sharply from about two months before departure.

The report says these constant swings make booking stressful and put people with tight budgets or fixed travel dates at a disadvantage.

ACM calls for clearer pricing algorithms

The regulator wants transparency laws that would require companies to explain how their pricing algorithms work. “We expect that, because of AI and the availability of data, companies will use computer-controlled prices more frequently, including personalised prices,” ACM chairman Martijn Snoep told NOS.

He said clear rules are needed to encourage public debate and stop automated systems from exploiting consumers’ weak spots.

Dynamic pricing is also spreading from airlines to webshops, concert tickets and petrol stations.

The ACM says people in the Netherlands should know exactly which factors decide what they pay.

Its draft report is open for public consultation until 9 November 2026.

If a purchase goes wrong, it helps to know the rights you already have as a consumer in the Netherlands.

Source: TheLetters