Planning a solo trip to visit a friend from college or see family back home? That flight might have gotten more expensive, without having anything to do with fuel costs or taxes.
As first reported by Thrifty Traveler, some major airlines, including Delta, United, and American Airlines, have been charging solo travelers more per ticket than those booking two or more seats for certain one-way, domestic flights.
This pricing quirk may be because airlines are trying to capture more revenue from business travelers, who may be more likely to be traveling alone and willing to pay more for flights.
Individuals traveling for leisure, however, may end up getting snared in this pricing design.
But here's the good news: I've got the insider tricks to help you avoid or minimize these higher prices when traveling.
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The Problem: What Airlines Are Doing
To put it simply, some airlines have been charging significantly more per ticket if booked for one person versus multiple fliers.
For example, Thrifty Traveler's analysis found that a one-way United ticket from Chicago's O'Hare airport to another nearby Illinois city, Peoria, costs about one-third less per ticket if booked for two or more people ($269 for a solo traveler versus $181 per person for groups).
While news reports suggest that Delta and United have stopped doing this since the recent revelations, American still seems to be charging more for solo travelers in some cases.
To test it out, we ran the same one-way route from Chicago to Peoria and found that it costs $280 for a solo traveler for an American Airlines Main Cabin flight.
But the same route for two passengers offers Basic Economy — something not available to solo travelers in this example — for about $190 per ticket.
Even when directly comparing Main Cabin tickets, the price per ticket when buying for two passengers is about $220 versus $280 for solo travelers.
It's possible that other airlines are overcharging solo travelers too, but it might be limited to specific routes and dates, so it can be hard to universally say what's occurring.
Why airlines might be doing this
Airlines have dynamic pricing models that give them the right to charge what they think travelers are willing to pay — leaving some of us in a difficult situation.
A business traveler might not think much of paying more for a flight, especially if they have a generous expense limit at their company.
Solo leisure travelers, however, might find themselves priced out of certain routes, although there are some steps you can take to get better deals.
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How To Make Sure You Get the Best Price
To get the best airfare price, there are several strategies you can implement, whether you're traveling by yourself or in a group.
Use the right search tools
A ticket aggregator like Google Flights makes it easy to compare prices and quickly switch the number of passengers to see the price for going solo versus in a group.
Say you're going away for a bachelorette party. Instead of everyone buying their own tickets, you might find it's cheapest to have one person book for the group and then everyone reimburses them separately.
Similarly, using price-tracking travel apps like Skyscanner and Hopper to compare deals and find the best time to book can help you save money.
Search incognito or with a VPN
Browser cookies might lead to an airline assuming you can afford to spend more, based on factors like your location.
To counter this, search for flights using the private browsing option on your preferred browser, like Incognito mode on Chrome.
Or, go a step further by using a VPN, where you can even set it so that it seems like you're browsing from another country to potentially get better deals.
Book at the right time
Knowing when to book your ticket can also make a big difference in the prices you see.
Some of the increase shown to solo travelers might have to do with business travelers booking last-minute weekday trips, whereas if you book further in advance, you might be more likely to see non-business prices.
In general, booking one to three months in advance for a domestic flight gets you the best deal, according to an Expedia study.
Play around with different options too, like one-way versus round-trip tickets, as you might find that a round-trip ticket that includes a weekend means lower prices due to not seeming like a business traveler.
You can also use tools like Hopper that predict if prices are likely to rise or fall in the future.
Be flexible
Being flexible with your travel dates can also help you find better fares.
Wednesdays and Thursdays are generally considered the cheapest days to fly. According to data from Hopper, switching your day could save you as much as 14%.
If you’re even more flexible, you may decide to switch the time of year that you travel. Flights are almost always cheaper during off-season than peak season.
TL;DR: Solo Travel Shouldn't Cost More
Although some airlines might charge more for solo travelers, that doesn't mean you have to get roped into this model.
You can gain more control over pricing and save money by being flexible with your travel dates, searching more privately, like with a VPN, buying in groups if possible, and using apps to help you find and track the best prices.
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