Same thing happened to me via Travelocity. I was told "they must have just raised the price." I booked my trip with an airline directly for a lower price. I will never again use Travelocity. They did nothing to correct what I believe to be their problem.
Having worked for the airlines I can tell you that each time you go to a travel website whether Travelocity or the actual airline’s site, you are creating a demand for those city pairs that you enter into their system. You do it enough times throughout the day and the computers trigger the system to eliminate the lowest fare bucket snd raise the price thinking there’s a run on Cancun, or Detroit, or Fort Lauderdale, for example.
Now, if your neighbor queries the same city pairs it may show the original price is still available unless he goes back and checks again tonite or tomorrow morning and then the same will happen to him.
Orbitz frequently says only 4 seats available at this price. BS. The airline may have only allocated 4 seats to Orbitz at that price but by going to the airline’s website you’ll find seats for you and the kids, grandma and grandpa, and their nurse attendants all at that price or perhaps even somewhat cheaper.
American doesn’t want to pay Orbitz, Travelocity and the others what they are demanding to be listed on the websites.
Note that Southwest never has been listed on these websites but books exclusively at their own site. It’s time American pulled the plug and eliminated this unnecessary cost of doing business too.