Airlines are charging solo passengers higher fares than groups

Yesterday, we discovered that Delta was charging solo and business travelers higher fares per ticket than when booking for two or more passengers. But it turns out that pricing quirk goes far beyond just Delta. 

Since we published that story, we've searched through hundreds of fares and found plenty of examples that prove it: All three of the country's largest carriers (American Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta) are penalizing solo travelers with higher ticket prices than you can book when traveling with a group – sometimes, significantly higher.

Our Thrifty Traveler Premium team of flight deal analysts search hundreds of routes each day and confirms it's not exactly widespread – you won't see it on each and every route – but it's undeniable. And while it's unclear how long this pricing tactic has been utilized, it doesn't really matter: Whether it's been just days, months, or even years, it's something that few everyday travelers may realize is happening … or how much it might be costing them.

It's not exactly widespread – you won't see it on each and every route – but it's undeniable. And while it's unclear how long this pricing tactic has been utilized, it doesn't really matter: Whether it's been just days, months, or even years, it's something that few everyday travelers may realize is happening … or how much it might be costing them. 

For example, a search for one passenger flying United from its Chicago-O'Hare (ORD) hub to nearby Peoria (PIA) next month yields a $269 one-way fare. 

But bump that up to two (or three or even four) passengers, and the price drops by almost a third: Just $181 apiece for that exact same standard economy ticket. Plus, a United basic economy fare suddenly appears that's even cheaper – something that wasn't even an option when searching for just one passenger. 

You can see in the fine print below each fare exactly how United is doing this: by opening up different fare buckets based upon how many passengers you're booking for. When searching for one passenger, the lowest economy price is a Q economy fare – United's “discount coach” fare. But by searching for multiple travelers, you can pull in (even cheaper) S class fares, which United considers a “deep discount coach” ticket.

And much like Delta, this isn't a glitch. United spells it all out in the fare rules for these cheaper tickets, which are publicly accessible using an advanced airfare search engine like ITA Matrix. It plainly states: “Must be accompanied on all sectors in same compartment by at least 1 adult 15 or older.”

There's no such “accompaniment restriction” on United's higher-priced single traveler fares.

Whether you'll run into pricier fares searching for one passenger instead of two is hit-or-miss, at least for now. So far, we've seen this pricing dynamic mainly on one-way domestic tickets – not roundtrip fares or long-haul international routes. And we haven't seen it on other major U.S. carriers like Alaska, JetBlue, or Southwest.

Airlines are notoriously secretive about the inner workings of how they price their fares and why. Case in point: No one from American, Delta, or United responded to requests for comment from Thrifty Traveler on this pricing strategy. 

In this case, the rationale for charging solo travelers more is fairly clear: It's just another way for airlines to continue “segmenting” their customers, charging business travelers paying with a corporate card more while offering a better deal to families on the exact same flight.

And it's even more egregious on this American Airlines flight from Charlotte (CLT) to Fort Myers (RSW) this fall. Traveling solo, you'll pay at least $422 fare for this one-way flight in economy on Oct. 13. 

But by searching for two passengers, the ticket cost drops to just $266 per person – and, again, even cheaper if you book an American basic economy  fare.

One last example shows airlines know what their competitors are up to. Searching for one-way flights from Chicago-O'Hare (ORD) to Lexington (LEX) in Kentucky, Google Flights shows you can book either American or United for $214.

Yet the total price for two passengers is $215, or just $108 per passenger. Importantly, Google Flights always displays the total price for all passengers – not the cost per ticket. And while that cheapest fare is a basic economy ticket on both carriers, standard economy fares are still considerably cheaper when booking for two instead of just one.

Whenever this pricing strategy began, this is a massive change in how airlines set prices – and one that will likely catch many travelers off guard. 

Unlike shopping at retail stores or Costco, bulk discounts are unusual for airlines – at least not just for booking just two passengers instead of one. And these higher fares for one passenger are the opposite of what we typically see, where travelers booking for two passengers or more wind up getting charged more per person than a single passenger.

That comes down to the mechanics of how airlines actually sell tickets: Carriers aren't just selling economy, extra legroom, and first class tickets but an alphabet soup of different fare classes, each at a different price. If there's only one fare available at the cheapest $118, searching for two would only yield fares at a higher, $199 price point.

This is a complete reversal. And solo travelers will be the ones who pay the price. 

This is a breaking news story, check back for updates