Carrier Neglects To Add In Fuel Charges

Who says airfares continue to climb? Anyone shopping ticket prices on United Airlines Thursday afternoon received an unexpected break -- domestic fares as much as $130 lower than prices posted just hours earlier.

Alas, it wasn't an example of airline charity, reports The Wall Street Journal... but rather a mistake United made during its 12:30 EDT price filing to the Airline Tariff Publishing Co.

"What happened was a human error that resulted in us taking off the fuel surcharge on all domestic flights," United spokeswoman Robin Urbanski said Thursday afternoon.

The airline wasn't able to correct the error until its next filing with the air fares clearing house, at 2000 EDT. So, for seven-and-a-half hours, consumers purchasing air travel on United received a much-appreciated pricing break.

Fare-tracking website FareCompares.com was the first to notice the error, and contacted United officials to verify the prices... while also sending a mass-email to subscribers, alerting them to the low fares.

And if you've ever wondered how much fuel surcharge and other fees gouge ticket prices, consider these prices: a one-way fare from Nashville to Indianapolis dropped from $540 to $410; Washington, DC to Hartford plummeted from $197 to $67.

Depending on availability, some of the discounted fares are still offered on United's website, or online travel services like Orbitz.

FMI: www.united.com