How do i clear cookies (to stop price rises on websites)

longwalks1

Is it true that the more times you visit a web site to check holiday or flight prices, the prices go up each time as you are clearly more interested, hence you returning to the page?

If so, how do i clear my cookies, or prevent the price from rising with every visit? Am looking to book flights and they're gone up from £450 to £560 within the space of about 3 days??

Any advice please?

Onlythebest

Depends on your Browser....or just install and utilise CCleaner

DavidP24

Install 5 browsers, buy with one that you never check prices with

Get Firefox and install

Ghostery
Cookie Controller
Better Privacy

Do not assume that you can delete the cookies from the site you will be visiting, they use 3rd parties sites to track you.

CCleaner is also good but it does not clear the flash cookies that better privacy does unless you enter the path of them . I use both.

Also beware that setting a browser to delete cookies on exit does NOT delete all your cookies, especially on Chrome.

AnotherJoe

No it's not true* or not as a general rule across all web sites in the way you imply. . What happens is that with airlines when a price does rise due to seats being sold, people use that as confirmation of their theory "see I went back and the price was higher" , ignoring the times it didn't rise. "Confirmation Bias" it's called i beleive.

I used to fly a lot and would be tracking prices on easyJet and BA amd AA in the main, and prices many months ahead would be stable for weeks sometimes. Then again you'd eventually trip some limit such as so many weeks to go or so many seats left, and prices would rise.

Funnily enough, firing up a new browser even ona different computer didn't magically get you a lower price. try it yourself and see you can easily try a different browser even if you don't have access to a different computer.

* it makes no sense, if you won't buy at price x why buy at price x+ ? However, this is a myth I am sure will never die so knock your socks off using a browser in private mode to make sure no cookies no history. Wont make no difference though

SouthUKMan

I can answer half the question A recent Radio 4 programme discussed the very point that prices seem to increase every time you check back on an airline site. The guest offering an explanation was a senior person with EasyJet who explained the pricing strategy. It was truly fascinating listening to how they create their pricing structure.... incredibly complex algorithms are employed. But basically you can break it down to this: 1) How far away the departure date is - the nearer the more expensive. 2) Seats are allocated to 'price bands' that are sold on a first come first served basis. For example, an airline might first offer 8 seats at a bargain price of £18. Once they are sold, they might then release 24 seats at £27. etc, etc right up until there is a single seat left that might cost £219 (for example). 3) The time of day, time of year and holiday periods also affect price. From memory, I think the guest said that on average most people book their tickets with about 4 weeks to go until departure which is why prices can seemingly increase every few hours or certainly every day or so.

The guest also explained why people travelling in large groups can pay different prices for the same flight even when all the tickets are booked at exactly the same time. it's all to do with the number of seats allocated to each price band. So two people for example might be lucky and grab the last two seats available in the bargain price band, where as the other four members of the group will have to pay a bit more as their seats are allocated from the next cheapest price band, etc.

comeandgo

I book a lot of flights and when I'm looking sometimes the prices have risen, sometimes they have fallen. Makes no difference how many times I am on the web sites. I buy when the prices are acceptable.

Onlythebest

One thing I have noticed is that sometimes flight prices differ when utilising mobile websites. Often cheaper on the full website.

Onlythebest

DavidP24 wrote: »

Install 5 browsers, buy with one that you never check prices with

Get Firefox and install

Ghostery
Cookie Controller
Better Privacy

Do not assume that you can delete the cookies from the site you will be visiting, they use 3rd parties sites to track you.

CCleaner is also good but it does not clear the flash cookies that better privacy does unless you enter the path of them . I use both.

Also beware that setting a browser to delete cookies on exit does NOT delete all your cookies, especially on Chrome.

https://www.piriform.com/docs/ccleaner/ccleaner-settings/cleaning-flash-cookies

esuhl

DavidP24 wrote: »

Install 5 browsers, buy with one that you never check prices with

Or just use multiple user profiles in the same browser.

DavidP24

makes it a bit tricky to compare side by side, next you will say to install multiple VM's !!

DavidP24

Onlythebest wrote: »

https://www.piriform.com/docs/ccleaner/ccleaner-settings/cleaning-flash-cookies

I tried that a few years ago but for some reason it did not delete 3rd party flash cookies, until I put the folders in manually.