Clearing cookies, opening an incognito tab or switching devices does not change what airlines charge, a study by the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has found.
Many people think otherwise: 46% of consumers wrongly believe earlier searches push up ticket prices, and 25% think their device affects the price they see.
According to the ACM, airlines currently use personalised pricing only in loyalty programmes that customers choose to join.
Seat prices change dozens of times per flight
On average, airlines change the price of a seat on a single flight 30 to 35 times while it is on sale.
One in three tickets is sold at 40% or more above the average fare.
Average fares fall slowly as departure nears, then rise sharply from about two months before the flight.
The report says these swings make booking more stressful and put people with tight budgets or fixed schedules at a disadvantage.
Watchdog wants pricing algorithms made transparent
The ACM wants transparency rules that would require companies to explain how their pricing algorithms work.
ACM chairman Martijn Snoep told NOS he expects AI and wider access to data to make computer-set prices, including personalised ones, more common.
The public can respond to the draft report until 9 November 2026.