What Happens When a Mistake Fare Goes Sideways?

Skift Take
Sometimes you can find a deal, sometimes a mistake. It's good to know the difference between the two.
One of the main reasons that I got into the travel industry as an early grad was for the pursuit of airline mistake fares. For many, finding and participating in mistake fares is like an adult version of an Easter egg hunt. They're almost impossible to find. Each egg has something completely different inside. But when they do show up and when they do work out, the prize can be amazing.
Over the years, both the consumer and the industry sides of the hunt have developed into a science. Sites like Flyertalk and Milepoint fastidiously monitor and report on low and mistake fares in a community setting. Airfarewatchdog manually searches thousands of fares each d