Since this seems to be a growing trend, I figured I’d shed some light on this phenomenon. There are countless websites that report travel deals and every once in a while, they will post what we call a glitch fare. Just like it sounds, a glitch fare is a mistake made by an airline as it relates to pricing.

Sometimes these glitch fares will only last for a few minutes, other times they will last for a few hours, which means when you see one you should book it immediately before the airline has a chance to correct their mistake.

It amazes me how many people don’t realize that since we live in the United States we are protected when it comes to purchasing airfare and cancelling within 24 hours. For full details (and the one exclusion), check out this post from The Consumerist.

I’ve booked and cancelled so many flights thanks to this policy. There are many reasons why you may need to cancel a flight within 24 hours, including inability to find a reasonably priced hotel, issues related to getting a Visa (cost, time), to health and safety concerns (think Zika virus or Ebola). Fortunately for us, you don’t have to explain why you changed your mind. Simply go to your reservation and click cancel, it’s really that easy.

My Recent Glitch Deal
Just two weeks ago, I found out about a deal from Washington, DC-Guatemala for $124RT. Yes, I said $124 roundtrip!! While, Guatemala wasn’t at the top of my travel bucket list I couldn’t pass it up. Shoot, I can’t even fly to NY, a 30 minute flight, for that much. Needless to say, I booked within 20 minutes.

The next day, I can’t tell you how many people emailed and texted me saying they waited too late and the deal was gone. So again, repeat after me, book now, ask questions later. (Oh, and never call the airline to report a glitch, that’s not cool.)

Please share which travel deal(s) you missed out on and still regret.