You checked a flight at ₹4,000 yesterday. Today it's ₹5,500. Tomorrow it might drop to ₹3,800. What's going on? Here's how airline pricing really works.
The Fare Bucket System
Airlines don't have ONE price. They have 10-26 fare "buckets" per flight, from cheapest to most expensive. As seats sell, the system moves you up to the next bucket.
What Triggers Price Changes
- 📊 Seats sold: More seats sold = higher bucket = higher price
- 📅 Days to departure: Prices generally rise as date approaches
- 📈 Search demand: High search volume on a route signals the algorithm to raise prices
- 🎪 Events/holidays: Festival, cricket match, long weekend = price spike
- 🏢 Competitor pricing: Airlines monitor rivals and adjust within minutes
How to Beat the System
- 🎯 Sweet spot: Book 15-21 days before domestic departure
- 📅 Day matters: Tuesday flights are 12% cheaper
- 🕐 Time matters: 6 AM and 10 PM flights are cheapest
- 🔔 Set alerts: Use TheBookFlight to compare — don't trust one source