A few years ago, United offered round-trip fares from the mainland to Hawaii for $167 USD. Two years ago, $0 fares were posted between several major US cities for nearly six hours before they were withdrawn.
If you've flown with frequent flier miles, you know that no fare is completely free. You must pay taxes and airport fees. Still, $15-$20 to fly between New York and Denver isn't a bad deal.
Is United incompetent? Certainly not. But like all airlines, they do make mistakes.
American, for example, once offered what should have been a $2000 first-class fare between Southern California and Cincinnati for just $200. A "zero" was omitted.
Search any of the other airlines and their histories, and you'll find similar mistakes.
Why does it happen? Click "next" to the right for a better understanding of these mistakes and how you might profit from them.
