Image zoom Credit: Getty Images Sometimes, a flight deal seems too good to be true. Maybe you’ve spotted a $300 ticket to Japan, or a flight to Australia for under $500 — numbers far below the typical price point. When airfare drops this low, it’s often labeled as a mistake fare, an error fare, or sometimes a “fat finger” fare. These names indicate what happens when a misplaced decimal point, miscalculated currency conversion, or data entry error accidentally publishes incorrect (and incredibly cheap) ticket prices. Sometimes, mistake fares are the result of a ticket posted before airport taxes or fuel surcharges are added. Other times, they’re simply caused by a computer glitch. Whatever the cause, mistake fares can result in truly outrageous flight prices, the likes of which wouldn’t happen during even the best airfare sale.