Flight prices feel irrational until you look at what’s happening underneath. You search once, the fare looks fine. You search again later, and now it’s higher. A week later, it drops. Then it jumps again. That isn’t random. Most airlines and booking platforms use airline pricing algorithms that keep adjusting fares as demand, timing, route competition, seat inventory, and broader market conditions change. In other words, the number you see is not some fixed “price.” It is a moving target. That sounds efficient, and for airlines it is. But for travelers, it can feel like the rules keep changing mid-game. The good news is that you do not need to out-code the algorithm. You just need to understand what usually matters more than the myths.
