<![CDATA[Well, this is cute.]]>Well, this is cute. I looked up an flight in Firefox and then pasted the URL into a Chromium window where I was logged into my Aeroplan Super-Elite account. Air Canada added $300 to the flight price when I tried to load it from a logged-in browser. Hell of a customer loyalty perk!

I bought the ticket in my non-logged-in window, then added my FF number to it.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/topic/b5ad0601-74b4-4121-a5f3-454ce19c2bba/well-this-is-cute.RSS for NodeThu, 08 Oct 2026 23:16:23 GMTTue, 06 Oct 2026 10:13:25 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to Well, this is cute. on Wed, 07 Oct 2026 13:24:00 GMT]]>@MisuseCase @MaddieM4 @TheGreatLlama @pluralistic The supermarket around the corner has replaced all the price tags with little e-ink displays that get updated wirelessly. Two-colour e-ink, that is, because they need red colour for the bargain prices.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://discordian.social/users/LordCaramac/statuses/117399843045229973https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://discordian.social/users/LordCaramac/statuses/117399843045229973Wed, 07 Oct 2026 13:24:00 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Well, this is cute. on Wed, 07 Oct 2026 13:05:04 GMT]]>@TheGreatLlama @pluralistic Big companies that own brick-and-mortar stores have wanted to do surveillance pricing or algorithmically driven pricing for decades, since before there was a formal term for it. I first read about the concept in the early 2000s but IIRC it’s older than that.

They just didn’t have the technology until now.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://twit.social/users/MisuseCase/statuses/117399768586278560https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://twit.social/users/MisuseCase/statuses/117399768586278560Wed, 07 Oct 2026 13:05:04 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Well, this is cute. on Wed, 07 Oct 2026 07:34:55 GMT]]>@pluralistic

, fuck yeah!

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://infosec.exchange/users/oots/statuses/117398470383253453https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://infosec.exchange/users/oots/statuses/117398470383253453Wed, 07 Oct 2026 07:34:55 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Well, this is cute. on Wed, 07 Oct 2026 06:58:05 GMT]]>@pluralistic

Well, "loyalty" programmes do not exist because companies are nice...

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/knud/statuses/117398325521368534https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/knud/statuses/117398325521368534Wed, 07 Oct 2026 06:58:05 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Well, this is cute. on Wed, 07 Oct 2026 03:12:50 GMT]]>@pluralistic WHAT

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://cosocial.ca/users/evan/statuses/117397439797902990https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://cosocial.ca/users/evan/statuses/117397439797902990Wed, 07 Oct 2026 03:12:50 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Well, this is cute. on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 21:42:27 GMT]]>@pluralistic Sounds about right. bunch of crooks!

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://allovertheplace.ca/users/mcourcel/statuses/117396140690854571https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://allovertheplace.ca/users/mcourcel/statuses/117396140690854571Tue, 06 Oct 2026 21:42:27 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Well, this is cute. on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 20:26:04 GMT]]>@Ehay2k looking at the Air Canada Aeroplan Chase credit card perks proverbially flying away right now... I hate it.

cc @pluralistic @energisch_

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://sms.cybik.moe/users/root/statuses/117395840334016926https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://sms.cybik.moe/users/root/statuses/117395840334016926Tue, 06 Oct 2026 20:26:04 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Well, this is cute. on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 20:11:12 GMT]]>@pluralistic Everybody knows that seats cost airlines more to service when you use Chromium. It makes them heavier, require more fuel to get off the ground.

Airlines are efficient private companies operating in a vibrant and competitive free market environment. I trust they only mark up prices to cover their costs.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mstdn.ca/users/zazzoo/statuses/117395781898094692https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mstdn.ca/users/zazzoo/statuses/117395781898094692Tue, 06 Oct 2026 20:11:12 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Well, this is cute. on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 19:54:41 GMT]]>@human3500 Isn't it funny? 🤡 @hub @Ehay2k @pluralistic

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://troet.cafe/users/energisch_/statuses/117395716959586948https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://troet.cafe/users/energisch_/statuses/117395716959586948Tue, 06 Oct 2026 19:54:41 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Well, this is cute. on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 19:37:31 GMT]]>@pluralistic I always go through a 3rd party search site like google or skyscanner. That's where they have to provide their lowest rates to stay competitive.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://tech.lgbt/users/pq1r/statuses/117395649442898470https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://tech.lgbt/users/pq1r/statuses/117395649442898470Tue, 06 Oct 2026 19:37:31 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Well, this is cute. on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 19:26:17 GMT]]>@pluralistic @chx @energisch_ Besides whether logged in or not, check browser capabilities: firefox can be configured to delete cookies when you close firefox. Other browsers might not do that. Also, see if you get a different price when using a laptop at a coffee shop, possibly trying different towns. Maybe there is a surcharge if your Internet connection is physically located in a "high rent district".

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://fosstodon.org/users/bzdev/statuses/117395605252246308https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://fosstodon.org/users/bzdev/statuses/117395605252246308Tue, 06 Oct 2026 19:26:17 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Well, this is cute. on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 19:23:21 GMT]]>@pluralistic but it's such a pain to sign into one's Air Canada account anyway, can't do it accidentally...

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.nz/users/va2lam/statuses/117395593723126160https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.nz/users/va2lam/statuses/117395593723126160Tue, 06 Oct 2026 19:23:21 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Well, this is cute. on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 19:06:28 GMT]]>@energisch_
I have a streaming contact with TSN in Canada. Every year, i cancel it in November. No refunds. Then, for black Friday, they offer a deal to new customers only. I qualify as a new customer even with the same email address and account already on file. It's usually a 40 % discount.
@hub @Ehay2k @pluralistic

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://ottawa.place/users/human3500/statuses/117395527325526736https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://ottawa.place/users/human3500/statuses/117395527325526736Tue, 06 Oct 2026 19:06:28 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Well, this is cute. on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 17:49:29 GMT]]>@theogrin @pluralistic it happens in a matter of a day or two!

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/randulo/statuses/117395224596213669https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/randulo/statuses/117395224596213669Tue, 06 Oct 2026 17:49:29 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Well, this is cute. on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 17:45:55 GMT]]>@chx @energisch_ You have enormous confidence that this airline, a monopolist, on a route where it has a monopoly, which has already boasted of its algorithmic pricing and its ability to do first-order price discrimination, an industry-wide trend boasted of by the vendors hired to do this, is not doing this, entirely on the basis of some a priori assumptions for which you have offered zero evidence.

Do you work in AC ops?

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mamot.fr/users/pluralistic/statuses/117395210587931114https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mamot.fr/users/pluralistic/statuses/117395210587931114Tue, 06 Oct 2026 17:45:55 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Well, this is cute. on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 17:45:13 GMT]]>@pluralistic

Airlines have really made an art of taking this magical human achievement of flying through the air and bogging it down with as much shit as they can shovel until it's viewed as an extremely unpleasant chore.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://masto.nyc/users/gbargoud/statuses/117395207873747815https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://masto.nyc/users/gbargoud/statuses/117395207873747815Tue, 06 Oct 2026 17:45:13 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Well, this is cute. on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 17:37:49 GMT]]>@angela_underscore @pluralistic I've read that if you leave and come back a few times that the price will go up. Private/anonymous would likely help with that along with clearing cache and cookies.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://social.linux.pizza/users/Thorium/statuses/117395178759822543https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://social.linux.pizza/users/Thorium/statuses/117395178759822543Tue, 06 Oct 2026 17:37:49 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Well, this is cute. on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 17:21:39 GMT]]>@pluralistic @energisch_ alas, this is a case of incompetence not malice. They offer a special fare for certain OTAs and the department arranging that fare didn't coordinate with the very very disjoint department who handles frequent fliers. Not sure whether this makes sense. I am merely saying Air Canada is incompetent and not malicious. But they are *very* incompetent there's no doubt.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://chx.contact/users/chx/statuses/117395115202169110https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://chx.contact/users/chx/statuses/117395115202169110Tue, 06 Oct 2026 17:21:39 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Well, this is cute. on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 16:41:15 GMT]]>@pluralistic

"In capitalism, loyalty never goes unpunished."

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://lgbtqia.space/users/dianea/statuses/117394956291833705https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://lgbtqia.space/users/dianea/statuses/117394956291833705Tue, 06 Oct 2026 16:41:15 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Well, this is cute. on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 16:37:11 GMT]]>@chx @energisch_ Even if you stipulate that (for some incoherent reason) Air Canada offers discounts to Google Flights users, that is *still price discrimination against its frequent fliers.*

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mamot.fr/users/pluralistic/statuses/117394940334322072https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mamot.fr/users/pluralistic/statuses/117394940334322072Tue, 06 Oct 2026 16:37:11 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Well, this is cute. on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 16:35:23 GMT]]>@chx @energisch_ I confess that I'm baffled by the ardor to find an alternative explanation. The major airlines routinely boast of their surveillance pricing plans and programs. The people who develop, consult on and manage loyalty programs brag that frequent customers don't notice when prices go up. AC has a monopoly on the route.

The same URL in two browsers, one logged in, and one not, produces a 25% premium price for the logged in session.

Occam's razor applies.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mamot.fr/users/pluralistic/statuses/117394933221565466https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mamot.fr/users/pluralistic/statuses/117394933221565466Tue, 06 Oct 2026 16:35:23 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Well, this is cute. on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 16:34:31 GMT]]>@hub Loyalty is not treasured any longer, true. Our internet provider offers far better conditions for new customers than for old one. We decided to quit our contract.
A day later we got the same deal as a new customer 😉
@Ehay2k @pluralistic

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://troet.cafe/users/energisch_/statuses/117394929854955659https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://troet.cafe/users/energisch_/statuses/117394929854955659Tue, 06 Oct 2026 16:34:31 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Well, this is cute. on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 16:25:22 GMT]]>COINCIDENTALLY this happened to me the last time i went to Paris. 2009 to be precise. but the site i was logged in was Expedia.com and the airline i ended up buying directly from? .

i have never traveled as much as you do; so since then i don’t pay attention to frequency programs and just book “anonymously”.

@pluralistic

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/blogdiva/statuses/117394893882038905https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/blogdiva/statuses/117394893882038905Tue, 06 Oct 2026 16:25:22 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Well, this is cute. on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 16:20:41 GMT]]>@pluralistic @energisch_ this can easily be explained: the URL doesn't have the Google Flights referral. That might be stored in a cookie or in their database and you have a session ID. Countercheck with a private browser windows in Firefox.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://chx.contact/users/chx/statuses/117394875446143964https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://chx.contact/users/chx/statuses/117394875446143964Tue, 06 Oct 2026 16:20:41 GMT