Do you know what an error rate is? Learn how to find and recognize them

Whilst looking for trips, you have found an irresistible offer that you couldn’t understand. “How can this airline ticket be so cheap if its price is usually much higher?”. “If I book for this price I can stay in this 4 star hotel?”. Surely these are questions that have crossed your mind when you have seen an error rate/mistaken price, or even when a friend has told you that he has traveled very cheaply and at that moment you have doubted whether to believe it. But the answer is yes! It is possible that plane ticket or that night at the 4-star hotel costs much less than normal thanks to an “error rate”.

What is an error rate?
An error rate is when a product or service has a tremendously lower price of its value. When speaking of travel, error rates usually refer to airline tickets, to hotel room reservations or to travel packages.

These are failures that are often unrecognizable for companies and agencies, since they are overlooked for hours due to the large number of flights, hotels and operators. And it is precisely because of this, that is, because of the large number of daily offers throughout the world, that it is statistically inevitable that error rates occur.

How do error rates occur?
The causes that originate these low prices are usually system failures or human errors. Below we explain in detail how these failures occur.

Human error. It is not machines, but humans who enter prices, and we already know that people are not perfect. So forgetting a zero or typing wrong can cause a normal price to turn into an error rate.

System failure. The machines can also give an error: for example, the software may fail; it is likely that the system needs an update or even that it has a virus.

Currency conversion error. Error rates can also be caused by calculation errors in conversions from one currency to another.

Forgotten fuel surcharges and airport charges. Sometimes these charges are omitted by mistake, and although it may seem unlikely the reality is that they represent a rather large percentage of the cost of the plane ticket.

How long are error rates available?
There is no fixed time frame in which error rates are available, as they depend on the frequency with which prices vary (which is often quite often) or on the company’s realizing and correcting them. So maybe they are only a few minutes or hours, or some may become available for several days.

What should you know about the error rates?
Here is some advice that we should give you and that you should know before looking for error rates:

The error rates are almost irresistible offers, but unfortunately, they do not always suit us, since we have to fit the destination, the departure airport and the dates.

Whenever you can, pay your error rate with a card: the payment is immediate and the ticket is issued instantly. In addition, you ensure the return in case you cancel your reservation.

The error rates fly, so if you find one do not let it escape. Act fast because if you think about it too long, it is likely that after a few hours it will no longer be available.

If you do not believe you have found an error rate, try to do it, but do not call the company in any way to ask about it, since you can alert them and most likely correct the price and even cancel your reservation.

There are times when the airline can cancel the flight or the hotel reservation agency. So if when you book an error rate, it’s worth being cautious and waiting to plan the rest of the trip when you have received the ticket or confirmation by email.

How to find flights and rooms with error rate?
We’re going to be honest, finding error rates are not always easy. There is no fool-proof trick to find error rate offers, but there are some tips that will help you to more to find them.

You can check the prices of the suppliers or issuers of plane tickets in your own way, even in agencies until you are lucky and find a lower rate than normal. But this will take you a long time, so our first advice is to consult frequently (or activate notifications) of websites specialized in tracking offers and low prices, offers among which you will find error rates at some time or another. If you don’t know any, here are four:

Viajeros piratas

Rateserror.es

ExprimeViajes.com

HolidayGuru.es

But you also have another option, such as activating the alerts of flight search engines that work with as many companies as possible to be the first to find out. An example is Skyscanner, which when it detects offers at very cheap price and sends you alerts via email.

In any case, WePark always guarantees the best price and the best service to park your car at Alicante- Elche airport