Q. Late last Tuesday evening, I opened an email sent by you earlier that afternoon regarding an American Airlines sale to Europe. I was specifically interested in the JFK-Barcelona fare for $260. When I click on the vendor links provided in your fare details, the cheapest flight is more than double what you claim. Do seats really go that quickly?

A. That was an amazing sale, and we're sorry you missed out! To answer your question, yep, seats really do go that quickly! As we've said before, fares can change up to three times a day, and you can be pretty sure that an abnormally low fare (esp. a transatlantic for under $300)  isn't going to stick around for long. Think of these unadvertised sale fares like a clearance rack at a store, with just a few of the right color and size left, and a competitive mob of shoppers rummaging through the pile for the bargain that suits them best. Show up at 5 to a sale that started at 9, and chances are you'll be left to pick through the dregs. Velvet leopard-print unitards (with epaulets) in size XXXXXL, and size 14 shoes! That's why we suggest opening your emails as soon as possible, and of course following us on Twitter!