how-to
How to Find and Book Business Class Mistake Fares in 2026
Airlines occasionally publish fares with pricing errors — resulting in business class tickets for 70-90% off. Here is how to find them and whether they are honoured.
What is a mistake fare?
A mistake fare (or error fare) occurs when an airline accidentally publishes a fare at the wrong price — usually due to a currency conversion error, missing a digit, or a fuel surcharge glitch. These errors can result in business class tickets appearing at economy prices. Recent notable examples include Emirates business class to Dubai for $400 return and Cathay Pacific business class to Hong Kong for $600 return.
Mistake fares are rare (perhaps 5-10 significant ones per year) and are typically available for only a few hours before the airline corrects the error. Speed is essential.
How to find mistake fares
The best resources for finding mistake fares are:
1. Secret Flying (secretflying.com) — The most comprehensive mistake fare tracking site 2. The Points Guy — Regular mistake fare alerts 3. Twitter/X fare deal accounts — @SecretFlying, @TheFlightDeal 4. Google Flights alerts — Set up price alerts for your preferred routes
The key is speed. When a mistake fare appears, book immediately without overthinking. Use a credit card with good consumer protections in case the fare is not honoured.
Are mistake fares honoured?
The good news: most mistake fares are honoured, especially in the US where Department of Transportation regulations generally require airlines to honour ticketed fares. However, there are exceptions — airlines sometimes cancel mistake fare bookings and offer travel vouchers instead.
To maximise your chances of a mistake fare being honoured: book directly through the airline website (not third-party), do not call the airline to ask about the fare (this draws attention to the error), and wait 2-3 weeks before making non-refundable travel arrangements.
For reliable discounted business class without the gamble of mistake fares, call BookMyBusinessClass on +1 (866) 699-4488 for guaranteed consolidator pricing up to 70% below retail.