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Solo travelers booking domestic one-way flights were quietly being charged higher fares than groups of two or more, according to a report from Thrifty Traveler first published on Thursday, May 29. The practice affected tickets from American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines.
In some cases, the price difference was significant. For example, Thrifty Traveler found that a one-way United flight from Chicago to Asheville, North Carolina, cost $223 for a single passenger but dropped by more than half when booked for two or more people.
The practice left many solo travelers and business passengers unknowingly paying more, with no clear explanation or notice from the airlines.
"It's not a widespread phenomenon – currently, we're only seeing it on a handful of one-way domestic flights," wrote Thrifty Traveler executive director Kyle Potter. "It's unclear whether this began just recently or weeks, even months ago. Maybe airlines are testing this new pricing tactic out on a smaller scale before expanding.
"We don't know. But we can say one thing for sure: Solo travelers – whether they're flying on a corporate account or not – will be the ones who pay the price."
Experts said the pricing shift was likely aimed at business travelers who typically book alone and are less sensitive to price. It also impacted solo vacationers or friends booking separately for the same trip.
After the travel website's report, Delta updated its fares nationwide on Friday, May 30. The airline removed a rule that required at least two adults on a reservation to access lower prices.
Before Delta's change, a flight from New York City's JFK Airport to Las Vegas was higher for solo travelers. A few hours later, the fare dropped to $119 per passenger, whether booking for one or multiple flyers.
United followed Delta's lead later that day, removing the fare differences for solo travelers. According to Thrifty Traveler, American has yet to make a similar change to its pricing.
You can click here to see Thrifty Traveler's original study.
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