Dutch market watchdog urges firms to disclose how AI sets prices after airline ticket study

# What the ACM found

The Dutch consumer markets authority (ACM) investigated airline ticket pricing and found striking inconsistencies. For some seats the watchdog recorded 35 different prices. Around one-third of tickets were priced at roughly 40% above the average fare for the same flight.

ACM chair Martijn Snoep said the airline findings matter beyond aviation because the same techniques are already used in other markets. Online retailers, concert ticket platforms and petrol stations were specifically mentioned as sectors where algorithmic price-setting is in use.

# How prices are being set

Companies are increasingly using computer-aided systems to set prices dynamically. These systems pull together data on supply and demand, competitor pricing and other inputs to calculate offers in real time. That can include personalised pricing, where different customers see different fares for the same product.

The ACM noted a consequence many consumers will recognise: identical products can be offered at different prices at the same time depending on who is viewing them. That makes comparison shopping harder and often lengthens the time consumers spend searching for the best deal.

The watchdog is calling for greater transparency. Specifically, it wants firms to disclose that they use algorithmic pricing and to explain which factors the algorithms take into account. The stated aim is to allow a public debate about whether this direction of pricing is desirable and to make it possible to monitor market functioning and prevent exploitation of vulnerabilities.

The ACM framed transparency as a prerequisite for assessing consequences and for enabling oversight — both public and regulatory.

# Why this matters now

# Practical implications for consumers and regulators

For consumers: expect more variation in prices for the same product and potentially longer searches to find the lowest price. Where possible, check multiple sites and consider clearing cookies or using different devices if you suspect personalised pricing.

For regulators and policy makers: the ACM's call is to require disclosure of the inputs and the role of algorithms in price-setting. That would enable assessment of market effects and help determine if further rules or oversight mechanisms are needed.

# What the ACM explicitly said

That is the core of the watchdog's recommendation following its airline ticket pricing probe.