Inexpensive holidays: The decisive factor is which device you use to book

Travel Savings Tip
Inexpensive holidays: The decisive factor is which device you use to book

It’s not just the timing that counts

If we book on a Saturday, the plane ticket to Rome costs 109 euros, and a day later it suddenly only costs 89 euros. How can that be?

It has long been known that the point in time and even the time at which we book our holiday can play a major role in the price. Unfortunately, it is completely intransparent for holidaymakers how the travel providers set their prices – and when they go up or down.

PC or iPad? The end device also determines the holiday price

This finding is all the more valuable: the device and browser we use to book tickets and hotel rooms also have an impact on the price. A study by the “Austrian Chamber of Labor” has shown that tariffs vary depending on whether we spend our vacation on a PC, laptop, Notebooksmartphone, iPhone or iPad.

For the study, the organization carried out 30 price queries at the same time on booking.com, lufthansa.com, fluege.de, opodo.com and austrian.com on six days of the month.

There are price differences, especially with travel portals

The result: There were price differences depending on the end device, especially for travel portals. On booking.com, for example, a hotel in Verona was ten percent more expensive for PC, notebook and laptop users than for smartphone, iPhone and iPad users. And the flight to Paris was more expensive on opodo.com with a smartphone and iPhone than on a PC, iPad and notebook.

In the case of Opodo, a different price increase depending on the end device was also found over time. For example, the flight to Paris increased by 26 percent over time when queried via a PC or notebook, but only by 25 percent via a smartphone.

The browser also plays a role

The browser can also have an impact on the price. With the help of “cookies” – small text files – it remembers that you are planning a trip for a specific period of time at a specific location. If you spend hours or even days looking for offers, you are showing great interest. The browser remembers this – and the prices rise.

Sar
Bridget