A viral TikTok video has reignited debate about whether travelers can actually save money on flights by using VPNs and incognito browsing. Canadian user Lore (@lootscroc) demonstrated a dramatic price difference when booking the same WestJet flight from Calgary to Toronto using different virtual locations.
The timing couldn’t be more relevant for frustrated travelers. Air travel fares have jumped approximately 27% compared to last year, according to The Points Guy, with many experts predicting costs will continue climbing. Rising fuel prices and reduced flight schedules have left passengers scrambling for any way to cut costs, from controversial tactics like skiplagging to hunting for mystery vacation deals on Groupon.
Lore’s experiment showed her original flight quote of $1,012.17 CAD (around $738 USD) dropping to $640.47 CAD (about $467 USD) when she switched her VPN location to India while using an incognito browser window. That’s a savings of more than $300 for the exact same domestic flight within Canada.
“These airlines, they’re so f—– up,” Lore declared in her video, which has garnered over 692,000 views. “We need anti-trust laws. We need anti-monopoly laws in Canada. This is crazy.”
The dramatic price difference taps into growing frustration with airline pricing practices, especially in Canada where domestic flights are notoriously expensive. Commenters expressed outrage at both the price manipulation and overall flight costs:
- “Girl they charging me $700 to fly from Jacksonville, fl to Miami, Fl which is a 1hr flight!!!!”
- “Ok but why is no one talking about why it’s 1K TO FLY 4 HOURS to Toronto which is in the SAME COUNTRY???”
- “I used to go from calgary to Toronto for $130 round trip before covid”
But does this VPN trick actually work consistently? The evidence is mixed at best. VPNs work by routing internet traffic through remote servers, effectively masking your real location. The theory suggests airlines show different prices based on the perceived economic conditions of your location.
However, multiple studies have failed to find reliable price differences based on browsing location or cookies. A 2017 TIME investigation found prices were often higher when using incognito browsing, contrary to popular belief. Travel site Going dismisses cookie-based pricing entirely, noting they run thousands of daily searches without seeing price increases from repeated queries.
What likely happened in Lore’s case illustrates why this “trick” remains unreliable. Airline pricing changes constantly throughout the day based on demand, availability, and complex algorithms. A flight can fluctuate by hundreds of dollars between morning and evening searches, regardless of VPN usage.
Tellingly, Lore admitted in comments that the trick “didn’t work the first time I tried it,” suggesting the price difference may have been coincidental timing rather than location spoofing. The gap between her original search and VPN search could have coincided with a legitimate price drop.
While some travelers report occasional success with VPN pricing, any savings are typically minor and inconsistent. The airline industry’s opaque pricing makes it nearly impossible to determine whether location affects costs or if observed differences are simply normal price fluctuations.
For travelers facing sky-high fares, the search for reliable savings methods continues. While VPN tricks make for viral content, they’re unlikely to provide the consistent relief passengers desperately need as airline costs continue their upward climb.