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Airline industry profits are projected to exceed $25 billion in 2024 according to the International Air Transport Association, but scammers continue taking advantage of consumers by fabricating flight cancellation notices and tricking consumers when they are trying to contact airline customer service agents. BBB Scam Tracker has received multiple reports of scammers creating fake airline ticket booking sites or customer service numbers to charge travelers for rescheduling fake flights. If you are buying airfare, use caution and double-check the URL or phone number before providing your credit card information.
How the scam works
While searching for cheap flights online, you come across what seems like a great deal with a major airline. You book the flight—either through the website or by calling a customer support number.
But shortly after making the payment, you receive a call from the company saying there's been a sudden price increase or an extra charge to finalize your booking. This is something a legitimate company would never do! It turns out that you accidentally purchased tickets through a scam website or a phony customer service number. The price increase is a way to get more money out of you.
One person reported to BBB Scam Tracker, "This is one of the travel companies listed on [website name redacted]. I booked travel with them, but instead of confirmation they sent me a booking reference number, then called me about an hour later to ask if I was "okay with the restrictions" on the ticket...they said that there was a strict no baggage of any kind rule, and that you could not attempt to purchase baggage fare at the airport or the airline would automatically change your airfare to full price at the time of flight. They then attempted to upsell me, which I declined. After I hung up, I researched the company and found that this company is a scam."
Another consumer shared their experience about booking cheap airfare, "Confirmation stated they would send itinary when billed and they would call to confirm. They then called and said that price was no longer available and I must pay a higher price and that I could not cancel and I could not check luggage or have a carryon unless I upgraded."
In another similar con, your original flight was real, but the cancellation notice is fake. You get an email or text message claiming that your upcoming flight has been canceled and you need to rebook. When you call the number provided, the “airline” offers to book you a new ticket – for a price. However, if you follow up with real airline support, you’ll discover that nothing was wrong with your original flight. The message was a scam, and you just gave your credit card details to a con artist.
One consumer told BBB Scam Tracker: "I thought that I bought airline tickets with United Airlines through a company that sells at discounted prices. They called me shortly after I bought my tickets and said that the flight had been canceled. They wanted permission to put me on another flight with Southwest and said it would be 80 dollars extra… It turned out that United Airlines never canceled a flight. I tried to call this company and leave a message, and I tried to email them to no avail. It turns out that the airlines were unaware of this ticket purchase.”
And, be careful when searching for airline customer service phone numbers. Several consumers have reported to BBB Scam Tracker that their online searches for customer service numbers lead them to fake phone numbers created by scammers. For example, one person shared the following experience on BBB Scam Tracker: "I googled the number for [company name redacted]. I found this 1800 number. I called and the guy knew about our flights - but I realize he was just checking the website. He wanted to charge me to change the flights...I called [company name redacted] and they confirmed that the 1800 number I called is not theirs, and is a scam."
How to avoid travel scams
- Do your research. If you come across a company you haven’t dealt with before, research it before making any purchases. Look on BBB.org for reviews and feedback from previous customers. As a safe practice, use travel businesses or agencies that are BBB Accredited.
- Double check flight details before calling support. Scammers are blasting out fake airline cancellation emails and text messages that can easily be mistaken for the real deal. Confirm the information in the message – such as the flight and reservation numbers – is correct before calling customer support. If you're unsure if the message is legitimate, don't call the customer service number included in the message. It could be fake. Go to your airline's real website and look for their customer service number there.
- Confirm the URL before you enter personal and payment information. It can be easy to click on a sponsored ad or impostor website without noticing. Before entering any sensitive information, double-check that you are on the right website and that the link is secure. (Secure links start with “HTTPS//” and include a lock icon on the purchase page.) Read BBB's tips on how to spot a fake website.
- Be wary of third-party websites. Some websites appear to offer a legitimate service but are only fronts for a scam. Be suspicious of websites with no working customer service number or physical address. Typos and grammatical errors can indicate a scammer’s handiwork. Read more from BBB about a new twist on third-party arline ticket booking scams.
- Make online purchases with your credit card. Fraudulent charges on a credit card can usually be disputed, whereas that might not be the case with other payment methods. Unfortunately, there is no way to get back the personal information you may have shared.
For more information
See tips for flying safely on your vacation.
For ways to protect yourself from travel scams, go to BBB.org/Travel. Read more about customer service number scams.
Stay one step ahead of scammers by subscribing to BBB's weekly Scam Alert emails.
If you’ve been a victim of an airline ticket or other travel scam, please report your experience at BBB.org/ScamTracker. By doing so, you can help others to avoid falling prey to scammers.