Flight Price Tracking Startups Help Travellers Recover Savings as AI Pricing Expands

US airlines are increasingly using artificial intelligence to optimise airfares, but a group of travel technology startups is applying similar tools to help passengers find savings after booking. Companies including Junova, JetBack and Refare monitor ticket prices and seek refunds or travel credits when fares fall, giving travellers another way to reduce the cost of flights they have already purchased.

The opportunity comes from changes to airline ticket policies after the COVID-19 pandemic, when many US carriers removed change fees on a range of non-refundable fares. That flexibility has allowed services to track bookings and pursue price adjustments that were previously less practical. However, the process depends on each airline’s fare and cancellation rules.

How flight price tracking startups find savings

These services monitor the price of a booked itinerary after a passenger has purchased a ticket. If the same flight becomes cheaper, they may help the customer cancel and rebook at the lower fare or obtain a credit for the difference, depending on the airline’s conditions.

Junova said it identified at least one fare reduction on 22% of 10,000 flights it monitored between September 2025 and July 2026. Around 40% of the flights that became cheaper experienced more than one price drop. The figures come from Junova’s own tracking data, rather than an industry-wide survey.

The companies use different pricing models. Junova takes 20% of the savings it recovers, while Refare charges 25%. JetBack instead offers an annual subscription costing $100. JetBack’s founder said the service had recovered $2.4 million in credits and refunds since its launch in early 2025.

The potential benefit varies by ticket, airline and timing. A lower advertised fare does not automatically mean a passenger is entitled to cash back. Some airlines issue credits, while others impose restrictions that can reduce or eliminate the value of rebooking.

Airline policies could limit the business model

The growth of flight price tracking startups relies on airlines continuing to allow passengers to change or cancel eligible bookings without prohibitive penalties. That arrangement is not guaranteed to remain in place.

Alaska Airlines changed its approach in early October, stopping customer-service adjustments for fare drops and directing passengers to cancel and rebook under the applicable fare rules. Its main and first-class fares do not carry cancellation fees, but basic-economy customers may receive only 50% of the ticket value as credit when cancelling at least 14 days before departure.

The change has raised concerns among startups that other carriers could adopt similar policies. If airlines make it harder to capture lower fares after booking, the services may have fewer opportunities to recover money for customers.

AI pricing creates a new consumer technology market

Airlines are using AI to monitor competitors’ fares and explore ways to optimise pricing and flight operations. The technology has also prompted questions from lawmakers about the possibility of individualised pricing based on customer data and behaviour.

The startups are approaching the same shifting market from the passenger’s side. Their tools aim to reduce the need for travellers to repeatedly check fares themselves, although the savings are subject to airline rules and service fees.

Airlines may have little incentive to block every adjustment. Credits issued for non-refundable tickets often have to be spent with the same carrier, keeping the money within its business. Whether that balance continues will help determine how much room these services have to grow.