Airfares are constantly fluctuating _ now more than ever. That's because airlines have access to better technology and more real-time information on passengers than ever before. With complex algorithms running their booking systems, the airlines are constantly tweaking prices based on shifts in demand or available seats.
It used to be that airfares could be changed only three times a day due to programming limitations at Airline Tariff Publishing Co., which collects and distributes airfare-related data within the travel industry. But improved technology has enabled airlines to change prices as often as they wish.
Airlines hold their pricing schemes closely, said George Hobica, a travel writer and founder of Airfarewatchdog.com, an airfare alert site now owned by TripAdvisor. And while there are no bulletproof tricks to ensure a passenger gets the lowest fare, there are ways to improve one's odds.
