Someone help me explain this

How does the same flight to the same destination with the same airline have two different fares?

I called Precision Air this morning to reserve a seat on the Mwanza - Kilimanjaro flight. I was told the single fare was Shs.240,000 but before I could confirm my reservation I ran out of phone credit. I called five minutes later and this time the fare had shot up to shs.295,000.

"In five minutes?" I asked. And was told it all depends on the available class at the time. Okay, fair enough. In the intervening five minutes someone could have taken "my" shs.240,000 seat.

One hour later on my way to the Mwanza Precision Air office to reluctantly pay my fare I visited a travel agency to get a satisfactory explanation of this class difference.

I left the agency with more questions than answers. They not only managed to find for me another fare class at shs.233,000 but also told me that when they make reservations the agencies and the airline use the same reservation system.

Waiting for a flight at the departure lounge of an airport.

So does this mean the agencies have more competent staff than Precision Air? How then would you explain a class that is available through travel agencies but not through the airline?

Like the Precision Air customer representative told me, the young woman at the agency also said the fare you get depends on the available class.

Pardon my French but what bloody class? I know I will be on a flight that has no class compartments.

Could someone explain this to me?