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Internet's 'Lowest' Air Fares: A Data Quality Mess
A report in The Washington Post's Travel Section on December 14th examines the confusing structure of low-cost air fares that are advertised on the Internet. Post staff reporters Carol Sottili and Craig Stoltz researched air fares posted on the Internet from Washington D.C. to various destinations around the world by various Internet travel booking services.
The Post reporters discovered that not only flights by competing airlines to the same destination varied significantly in price, but the price of the same seat on the same flight on the same airline varied significantly, depending upon which online booking service was quoted. For example, the Post reporters researched air fares between Washington Dulles Airport to London's Heathrow Airport - same carrier, same flight. The difference between the air fares quoted by two online booking services varied by over $240. According to the Post, such disparities are common. There is little or no data-sharing among competing airlines, competing travel agencies, and competing Internet travel booking services. The reporters found that new software, which allows consumers to submit one travel query to five Internet booking services, is seriously flawed.
For now, the Post advises using an experienced travel agent, and a "spreadsheet" approach after consulting Internet booking services, as the way to get the cheapest air fare.
Database Errors Falsely Implicate Maryland Woman
On December 15th, a report in the Metro Section of The Washington Post examined a Maryland woman's troubles with erroneous computer records which caused her to be falsely arrested and to lose several jobs. Several of the data errors involved identity theft by the woman's sister, who later was convicted of burglary and assault. (According to the Post, it is common for persons on the run from the law to use a sibling's identity).
Several other errors in a child neglect and abuse database the State of Maryland routinely uses when granting background clearances to those applying to work in childcare caused the woman to lose her job as a child care director. Although the woman's Social Security number and date of birth were in a Baltimore County database in connection with four child protective services cases between 1987 and 1994, the woman had never lived in Baltimore County. Nor was her name in the database. Fortunately, thanks to the Post's investigation, the woman's name was expunged from the database. Unfortunately, the woman was still unemployed as Christmas approached. The article was written by Post staff writer Eugene Meyer.