Planes and trains: the secrets of tickets on the Internet | France 2 | Envoyé Spécial

Some people get them at the last minute, others months in advance. The majority of French people now book train and plane tickets on the Internet. Because of the crisis, when we go on holiday we choose the lowest price. However, prices can double from one site to another, sometimes from minute to minute. We investigated on the rails and in the skies: for the same journey we found 26 different prices. These are fluctuations orchestrated by experts in “yield management”, a business strategy invented in the 80s by American airline companies. The goal: optimise seat management to make the most profit. Since 2003, the SNCF has been using this practice. Do you have to decide very early to get the best deals? How do you get the best bargains without falling into the traps of online tickets? Some travel agencies don’t include handling or credit card charges, in order to show better rates. Others are never around when there’s a problem. What recourse do consumers have in cases of dispute? Marion Leclercqu investigated the secrets of booking on line.