Frequent travelers have gamed the airfare system and figured out how to get cheap last-minute flights ever since they could search for their own direct flights. Historically, airlines have followed what is often referred to as the “21-day rule” in pricing their flights.
Flights typically open for booking between 330 and 361 days in advance, depending on the route, and from then until about 21 days before departure, the price is the least expensive you’ll find — after which they raise ticket prices at 14 days, and again at seven days.
Research shows that the sweet spot for finding low fares is about 44 days before your flight. But last-minute flight deals are out there — you just need to know where and how to look.
Is it possible to get last-minute cheap flights?
Statistically, airlines do tend to mark up their fares as you get closer to your flight time. The idea is that the airlines anticipate capturing different types of customers further out from a flight than they do at the last minute.
Flyers concerned about their budget might choose tickets that sell earlier, while business travelers who book on the company’s dime are less concerned about price and might be more likely to book closer to the departure date.
The airlines’ fare structures plan for certain types of travelers, pricing one bucket of seats for the advance planners, another for the less price-conscious travelers, another for mileage upgrades and so on. But more and more often, airlines are moving toward a dynamic pricing model; in other words, their fares may change dozens of times a day based on factors like:
- Market conditions
- How customers are booking
- How the flight is selling at any given time
While you’re generally more likely to get a good deal the earlier you book, there are still deals to be had if you know how to get cheap last-minute flights. And by using a combination of good strategy and search tools, you can find cheap flights.
How to get cheap flights last minute
1. Be flexible with timing
If you can be flexible with your travel dates, your savings can be significant. Let’s say you want to travel from Sacramento to Atlanta around a certain time, but you’re not committed to exact dates. You can go to the KAYAK Flight Search and enter your origin and destination, but before you hit the search key, click on the calendar icon next to the date you’re searching for.
You’ll get a pulldown calendar that will show you which dates are the cheapest for that particular flight (on the dates I searched, I found more than a $120 difference between days). You can choose from those options or go to the upper right-hand corner of the calendar and click on the dropdown arrow next to “Departure”. If you have the flexibility, choose “±3 days” from the dates dropdown list. This will find you the cheapest fares 3 days before or after your chosen dates.
2. Look for alternate cities and nearby airports
Often, different airports close to your destination can have cheaper last-minute flights.
Example 1: Let’s say you’re going to Salem, OR. The main airport serving this area is Portland Airport (PDX), which is 50 miles north of Salem. Pro tip for getting cheap last-minute flights to this destination: try searching for flights to Eugene Airport (EUG) instead. It’s 58 miles south, and depending on where you’re coming from, flights can be much cheaper.
Example 2: If you are traveling to Paris, check the various airports, not just Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG). For example, search for flights to the smaller Paris-Orly Airport (ORY) or Paris Beauvais-Tille Airport (BVA),
Example 3: Search for London, and you’ll find flight options for Heathrow (LHR), Gatwick (LGW), and London City (LCY), among others. If you’re flexible, you can find the best deals more easily.
Just keep in mind that you might need to make a stop along the way. If you’re looking for a deal, consider alternate cities or other nearby airports for your destination.
3. Be flexible with your destination
If you want to get away at the last minute, and you’re willing to go anywhere your budget will take you, you can use the KAYAK Explore tool. Just enter your departure city, and find places you can fly to within your price range.
Use the slide tools to filter for budget and flight length, as well as the type of trip (flexible? Check “anything”) and how many stops you’re willing to make. You can search within a date range or any time, any duration, and discover a deal you never even thought about.
4. Hack your search: get cheap last-minute flights with one-way flights
For years, resourceful travelers have hacked their travel by searching for one-way flights and then combining them to create their own itinerary. The idea is that rather than booking a roundtrip fare, you can book two one-way fares, each on a different airline.
You don’t even need to put in the work, because the KAYAK Hacker Fares tool does it for you automatically. If you’ve found a hacker fare, it will typically say “Hacker Fare” underneath the price.
5. Set a price alert
Price Alerts let you track flight rate changes by getting updates right in your inbox. This is especially handy if you’ve got a specific destination in mind. To do this on KAYAK:
- Perform a flight search
- Then click on the bell icon next to it.
- Your price alert will be set and when the price changes, KAYAK will notify you via email or push notification.
You can use this tool in a couple of different ways. Search airfares for an exact date range; monitor the fares for a particular destination or flight route (with Flexible Dates); or even set up a Top 25 Cities Price Alert that will let you know when there’s a deal to one of the most popular cities.
You will need to log in or enter your email in order to set up these alerts.
FAQs
Generally, booking at the last minute is not cheaper, and booking closer to the departure date is typically more expensive than booking in advance. That being said, there are still ways to find great last-minute deals with our tools.
Yes, airlines will occasionally put seats on sale at the last minute to fill remaining spots on flights if they haven’t been fully booked already. But this is never guaranteed, so it’s best not to count on it.
Prices fluctuate with demand, so booking on a certain day won’t increase your chances of landing a cheap last-minute fare. Check out KAYAK’s addition to the line-up of money-saving tools, the Best Time to Travel, and nail down your trip dates for your particular origin and destination.
Some of our top last minute flight routes
