Apparently, so does JetBlue.
In a since deleted tweet, the company told a customer who tagged the company over a $230 increase in just one day to clear their “cache and cookies.”
In response, the company told the user, who goes by Nugg, to “try clearing your cache and cookies or booking with an incognito window. We’re sorry for your loss.”
The user’s post got a little over 100,000 views before JetBlue deleted it, but of the two comments, one is missing (the deleted JetBlue response) and the other was, conveniently, a screenshot of JetBlue’s response by another user who told Nugg “this post will be removed soon. Take a screenshot of it if you think you’ll need it.”
In a statement to Fortune, the company said it does not determine fares via personal browsing information.
“The reply from our JetBlue crewmember on social media was incorrect, and we apologize for the error. JetBlue fares on JetBlue.com and our mobile app are not determined by cached data or other personal information,” the company statement read.
“Pricing is based on real-time availability and is managed through our reservation system. Fares can change at any moment as seats are purchased or as inventory is adjusted based on demand, and are not guaranteed until a purchase is completed,” the statement continued.
JetBlue is hardly the first airline to fall into the limelight for potentially changing its prices based on a user’s browser history.
Experts say opting out of cookies really doesn’t make a difference.
However, when it comes to airline fares, Quinlan told Fortune that it may help after all.
“Clearing your cookies before searching for flights is still worth doing. Websites can use your browsing history to adjust what prices you see, and wiping that data resets what they think they know about you, making it more likely a lower fare will show up if one exists. Just keep in mind that flight prices also shift constantly based on demand and timing, so there’s no guarantee a clean browser alone will land you a deal.”
