Airlines based in the United States are intensifying the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to monitor fares, assess competition, and refine the process of setting ticket prices. This technology has the potential to make fare adjustments more complex and help companies increase their revenue.
This technological advancement raises debates about the use of personal data and consumer habits to create personalized prices. American lawmakers have expressed concern about the implications of this approach for travelers.
Airlines already employ advanced systems to manage ticket costs. With the introduction of AI, they seek to expand their ability to analyze market data, track competitor pricing, and experiment with new applications in both pricing and operational management of flights.
The central purpose is to better capitalize on fluctuations in demand and general market conditions to determine the appropriate value for each ticket. Furthermore, the technology enables the adoption of more meticulous strategies that can take into account detailed information about consumer behavior.
It is precisely this possibility of individualized pricing based on personal data that causes apprehension among legislators in the United States. This raises questions about the ethical limits of this practice and its potential effects on passengers.
This discussion takes place against a backdrop of large investments by companies in tools capable of processing vast amounts of information to support their business decisions. As these systems become more sophisticated, scrutiny increases over the criteria used to set a ticket price.
Changes in fares do not only impact company tactics. The possibility of price variation after purchase has also spurred the emergence of services dedicated to monitoring tickets, aiming to identify savings opportunities for consumers.
Startups such as JetBack, Junova, and Refare use AI to track ticket prices and request the difference when a lower fare is detected. This practice has become viable because several American airlines suspended change fees for most non-refundable tickets during the Covid-19 pandemic.
For example, if a ticket purchased for US$ 500 (equivalent to R$ 2,625) is reduced to US$ 400 (R$ 2,100), the passenger may try to recover the difference of US$ 100 (R$ 525), following the airline's rules. However, the refund is not always in cash; compensation is often offered in the form of credit for a future purchase with the same airline.
Operational policies are also subject to changes. In early October, Alaska Airlines ceased handling fare adjustment requests through customer service, advising customers to cancel the ticket and make a new reservation according to the original ticket conditions. Thus, even if monitoring tools help passengers track fluctuations, it is the rules established by the airlines themselves that determine whether and how the difference can be recovered.