For the most part, finding mistake fares is about being a member of the community. And it’s a question that, no surprise, showed up on my FAQ page. Now there are some more complex ways to find mistake fares (that I shared in the monthly newsletter last year), but there is one really basic way that will sound a lot like self-promotion… But if I can help people, oh well.
See, I take my deal-finding skills and post on my social media accounts. This benefits really anyone who is active on the TravelisFree Facebook page (that’s how Facebook decides what to show you) or gets notifications.
So last night there was a mistake fare that we got in on, where nearly all Emirates flights on OneTravel.com were super cheap and bookable instantly. How cheap? Flights to India, Cairo, Amman and more were $200 roundtrip from many destinations in the US. Flights to Asia (the long way), Kenya, and many places in Africa were $300 roundtrip and tickets from New York to Milan for $160.
But not only did I post this on Facebook, I updated the comments with what I was finding.
It’s kind of funny that Milan was $160 because we booked two mistake fares to Milan this year. But one was an odd bird that went from New York to Milan, and then flew out of Prague to Hong Kong.
So I shared the exact link to the flight that we booked, and a few people booked and will be on the exact same flight.
This was pretty cool as people could just click and go to the exact same bookable flight, and it got me thinking… Now it’s hard to predict how long these things last, but it would be super cool if sometime there’s another great deal like this, if I link to a flight in the same way and do a meet up. I don’t hear of a lot of traveling meet ups, but regardless, this would be super cool.
Thoughts?
Anyways… Here’s an expensive one I didn’t book. Vienna for $380 on AA.
I do hotels too. 😀
Melia Jakarta grand suite for $19/night
Westin Lima $27/night
What else?
I’ve been pretty selective on what I post on our Facebook page. Usually airline deals make it, that are really good. Like international for $400 or less. But let me know if you think I should be less selective? The reason I am selective is because I want to preserve my channel as one with good content.
Also, should I try to do more mistake fare meet ups? I guess that requires a flexible person to fly on the date that I think to be best… but if there are enough people, I’ll do that more too.
I am grateful for the type of mistake fares you post. I follow you on twitter and get alerts to my phone when you post. Twitter alerted me to go to your Facebook page for this mistake fare… 4 hours too late when I woke up. Bummer. I follow the Flight Deal on Twitter, but there’s no way I would want to get alerts from them, since they post so frequently.
Just my 2 cents. And if I could book the same mistake fare you did, I would gladly be part of a meet up!
Bummed I missed the Milan deal, but thank you for the head’s up. I have great flexibility in when I can travel, so the whole concept of booking last minute or with random dates is great. A meetup would be fun, and it is helpful to post the link of the exact flights for newbies like me. If you click the down arrow on the “liked” button on the FB page, you can turn on notifications to receive updates on recent postings no matter what FB puts in your feed.
Headed to Milan in three weeks, taking the train to the Venice and staying on Choice points in the hotel you mentioned in a previous post. What about a get together in DC? I am thinking of organizing a happy hour thru the saverocity forum again.
Possibly the week of the Frequent Flier University with an anti FFU theme, as in don’t spend $200 plus to learn travel hacks, but rather share with each other over a beer and foster a sense of community?
kim its a great deal for 10,000 choice points and I stayed 5 days last june -its a stone’s throw from st.mark’s square and close to rialto -enjoy your trip
I think my flexibility to travel is proportionate to the price of the mistake fare 😉 I think your selectivity of posts is accurate, if only because I subscribe to TFD twitter, and constantly get alerts, whether a mistake fare or not–these can get overlooked because of their frequency. Also, while the hotel mistake fares are useful, I don’t think they are quite as useful as airfare mistake fares. Again, this is just because of the price savings on airfare vs. hotel.
Thank you for what you do. I only get away for 2 or 3 major trips per year and am already booked up for 2015 but interesting to see regardless.
Please keep doing so. I am also interested in doing a travel meet up. I will make sure to follow more closely on social media. Enjoy the trips Drew!
I was expecting something revolutionary, but please don’t become the flight steal, stealing all the deals from flyertalk.
Look a the recent business class fare to brazil, died within an hour. Only after the insiders booked all their fares. Flyertalk increasingly becoming closed and deals being held from the public.
Primary culprit: TFD.
I actually didn’t realize you guys post mistake fares. Yeah, I’d appreciate it to hear about crazy fare sales, even if I can’t make them. They are a real carrot to get others excited about travelling. I actually found out about the Emirates sale through using this thing called IFTTT on the flyertalk mileage run deals thread. the IFTTT thing is a pretty nice tool so you don’t have to be bothered searching through threads- when there’s a new topic in that section, it sends you an email.
My husband and I are in….on the next one. Keep up the great work!
I missed this fare but I did get the one flying to Milan on the $160 deal you posted leaving in a few weeks, then from Prague I’m doing BKK instead of HK. So I definitely appreciate you posting the mistake fares that are the very best deals, and now I know to check Facebook. A meet-up would be nice, to say thank you in person and meet other travelers!
love everything about your website and would love a meet-up – say where and when im there
My husband and I enjoy your blog and would definitely be interested in a fun group meet-up. I also didn’t know you post mistake fares on facebook, I will work on getting those notifications to show up for me!
Funny thing, my daughter woke me up in the middle of the night. If only I had looked at BB for the FB updates. I would have saw this and for sure booked some tics on Emirates. I think you have the right balance. Only the crazy good deals go up. Keep it up.
This was very widely reported on http://www.theflightdeal.com/
I am up for any meet up. Let me know when or how I can find these mistake fares, pls. I would like a copy of your newsletter that spoke to that.
I’m looking for mistake hotel fares in Amsterdam please post them on your fb ok thanks
kindly provide information for middle east mistake rates…