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As US airlines deploy AI pricing tools, startups help travelers cash in on fare drops

By · Published by Everything Blog

In short

Emerging platforms like JetBack, Junova, and Refare automate the search for cheaper fares after booking, either taking a cut of savings or charging an annual fee. Data indicates price drops occur frequently, with Junova finding reductions on roughly 22 percent of monitored flights over a ten-month period. Although some carriers are tightening their procedures to make manual rebooking necessary, airlines often retain these customer funds because refunds are largely issued as credits.

Key points

  • Monitoring startups monetize fare drops through subscription models or by taking cuts bet…: Monitoring startups monetize fare drops through subscription models or by taking cuts between 20 percent and 25 percent of recovered savings.
  • Lawmakers are increasing their scrutiny of airlines to determine if dynamic artificial in…: Lawmakers are increasing their scrutiny of airlines to determine if dynamic artificial intelligence pricing unfairly impacts consumers using personal data.
  • Airlines may tolerate these rebooking services because recovered savings on non-refundabl…: Airlines may tolerate these rebooking services because recovered savings on non-refundable tickets are frequently retained as flight credits.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

NEW YORK, Oct 30 : US airlines are turning to artificial intelligence to help maximize revenue from airfares. Now startups are putting AI to work on the other side of the transaction, helping passengers automatically claw back savings when ticket prices fall.

Companies including JetBack, Junova and Refare monitor fares after customers have booked and seek refunds or flight credits when prices drop. Their pitch is simple: airlines have spent decades building sophisticated pricing systems, while travelers have largely been left to check the prices themselves.

The services are emerging as airlines face scrutiny over how they use AI in pricing. While AI's role in aviation continues to evolve, airlines are using the technology to monitor competitors' fares while testing applications aimed at optimizing pricing and improving flight operations. The use of AI has garnered questions from lawmakers over whether the technology could harm consumers if it is used to set individualized pricing based on consumer data and behavior.

For travelers, the startups are exploiting a change that followed the COVID-19 pandemic, when many US airlines eliminated change fees on…

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