United Airlines makes third cheap flight blunder

United Airlines has once again handed out ridiculously cheap flights to lucky customers after screwing up its online systems for the third time in just over a year.

The airline accidentally offered $5 return tickets on many internal flights to popular destinations such as San Francisco and Los Angeles. The mistake occurred after an associate company put the wrong price on flights advertised on the United website.

The firm responsible, Airline Tariff Publishing Company (ATPC), noticed the mistake after the tickets had been on sale for 45 minutes yesterday.

United has no idea how many customers got the $5 tickets this time but is hoping this mistake will not match its last two fare gaffes.

In February 2001 United sold 143 tickets to London, Paris and Hong Kong for $24.98 and in August 120 customers flew to Bombay from Chicago for around $140.

ATPC was created in the 1960s to independently transfer fare information to travel agents and reservation systems.