The impact of the internet on the pricing strategies of the European low cost airlines

•We analyse the effect of the Internet on airline pricing.•Both users and companies benefit from the use of ICTs in airline industry.•Regions with greater access to the Internet find lower prices.•Airlines use real time information to optimise their prices.•The competence is still the most important parameter in pricing strategies.

This study seeks to analyse the price determination of low cost airlines in Europe and the effect that Internet has on this strategy. The outcomes obtained reveal that both users and companies benefit from the use of ICTs in the purchase and sale of airline tickets: the Internet allows consumers to increase their bargaining power comparing different airlines and choosing the most competitive flight, while companies can easily check the behaviour of users to adapt their pricing strategies using internal information.More than 2500 flights of the largest European low cost airlines have been used to carry out the study. The study revealed that the most significant variables for understanding pricing strategies were the number of rivals, the behaviour of the demand and the associated costs. The results indicated that consumers should buy their tickets before 25 days prior to departure.