諸如 Delta 等航空公司正日益採用人工智慧來取代傳統的人類分析師與靜態的定價規則，例如當航班機艙載客率達到 25% 時自動漲價 20% 的規定。取而代之的是，航空公司正利用第三方的 AI 平台來處理數十個即時變數——包含油價波動、市場競爭以及航班取消率——以制定動態且精確的票價，這有效地消除了過去精打細算的旅客所喜愛尋找並利用的票價漏洞。

由總部位於以色列的 Fetcherr 與總部位於亞特蘭大的 Volantio 等新創公司所開發的科技，透過在機票售出後甚至進一步為航空公司擷取收益增長，展現了這種趨勢。當航班需求激增時，其 AI 系統會提供計畫彈性的旅客改搭較冷門航班的選項，並以座位升等等誘因促使乘客接受報價。航空公司接著會將該座位以更高的價格轉售給另一位尋找最後一刻航班的乘客。

那麼這對您的下一次假期意味著什麼？這可能好壞參半——但分析師表示，乘客應做好票價整體呈現上升趨勢的準備。在繁忙且需求極高的航線上，那些幸運的超低價座位將變得更加難以尋獲。儘管如此，仍然有一線希望：如果您擁有搭乘離峰航班並大幅提前預訂的彈性，這項科技實際上可能對您有利。否則，無論是現在或是在 AI 驅動的未來，您能做的最佳策略就是提早預訂。

Airlines like Delta are increasingly adopting artificial intelligence to replace traditional human analysts and static pricing rules, such as automatic 20% price increases when a flight's cabin capacity reaches 25%. Instead, carriers are utilizing third-party AI platforms to process dozens of real-time variables—including oil price fluctuations, market competition, and flight cancellation rates—to establish dynamic and precise ticket pricing, effectively eliminating the pricing loopholes that penny-pinching travelers loved to hunt down and exploit.

Technologies developed by startups such as Israel-based Fetcherr and Atlanta-based Volantio demonstrate this trend by extracting revenue gains for airlines even after a seat has been purchased. When flight demand surges, their AI systems offer travelers with flexible plans the option to switch to less popular flights, providing enticements like a seat upgrade to take the bid. The airline then resells the original seat at a higher price to another passenger looking for a last-minute flight.

So what does this mean for your next vacation? It can be a mixed bag—but analysts state that passengers should prepare for fares to generally exhibit an upward trend. On busy, highly sought-after routes, those lucky bottom-dollar seats will be much harder to find. Still, there is a silver lining: if you have the flexibility to fly off-peak and book significantly in advance, the technology might actually work in your favor. Otherwise, the best strategy you can adopt—now and into the AI-driven future—is to book early.