One of the biggest obstacles when you’re craving an immediate getaway is too-expensive airfare. Indeed, figuring out how to get cheap flights last minute has always been a challenge for travelers when wanderlust strikes late. But it’s not impossible, and with a little know-how, you, too, can score a deal — even at the 11th hour.
Here’s how to get last-minute flight deals, starting with a look at how airlines price their tickets, and the best tips, tricks and hacks to snagging deals.
What to know about airline pricing models.
Before we discuss how to get cheap last-minute flights, it’s helpful to understand how airline pricing models work.
Generally speaking, airlines tend to increase fares as the flight approaches. Traditionally, this strategy has enabled airlines to capitalize on business travelers flying on the company dime, who are less impacted by higher prices and often book closer to the departure date. Budget-conscious leisure travelers, meanwhile, need to be especially savvy in scoring cheap last-minute flights.
The airlines’ fare structures plan for certain types of travelers, pricing one tier of seats for advance planners, another for the less price-conscious travelers, another for mileage upgrades and so on.
But more airlines are adopting dynamic pricing models, in which fares may fluctuate often based on factors including:
- Market conditions
- Passenger demand for the flight
- How the flight is selling at any given time
What is the 21-day rule?
Another way to optimally time your booking is to consider the weeks-long window before the flight. Historically, airlines have followed what is often referred to as the “21-day rule” in pricing their flights, which provides a rough gauge of when travelers can typically expect prices to increase prior to departure. Let’s break it down:
- Flights typically open for booking between 330 and 361 days in advance, depending on the route.
- From when bookings open until about 21 days before departure, the price is cheapest.
- After this, ticket prices increase. They increase again 14 days before departure and again seven days beforehand.
Research also shows that the sweet spot for finding low fares is about 44 days before your flight.
How to get cheap flights last minute.
While you’re generally more likely to see lower prices by booking earlier, there are still deals to be had if you know how to get cheap last-minute flights.
1. Be flexible with timing.
If you can be flexible with travel dates, your savings can be significant. Let’s say you want to travel from Sacramento to Atlanta but you’re not committed to exact dates. With KAYAK Flight Search, 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 see a pulldown calendar that will indicate 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 feature will indicate the cheapest fares three days before or after your chosen dates.
2. Consider alternate cities and nearby airports.
Often, different airports that allow access to your desired destination can offer 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. To find cheap last-minute flights, 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 city’s various airports, not just the main international hub, Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG). Expand your search for flights to include 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 other London-area airports. This can be an excellent way to find cheap last-minute flights.
3. Be flexible with your destination.
If you’re craving a last-minute getaway and you’re willing to fly anywhere within your budget, you can use the KAYAK Explore tool. Just enter your departure city and discover destinations you can fly to within your price range.
Use the slide tools to filter for budget and flight duration, 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 – and a destination! – you may have never even considered otherwise.
4. Travel during the offseason or shoulder season.
It sounds cliche, but planning your trip during the offseason or shoulder season can increase your chances of scoring a last minute deal on flights (as well as other savings, like more affordable hotels).
A cheap last minute flight is much less likely to happen during major holidays and peak seasons, such as the summer months, when demand is high. If you are flying internationally this summer, KAYAK data shows that fares dip as summer winds down, making August your best bet for cheap last minute deals.
5. Fly on actual holidays, like Christmas Day or New Year’s.
One all-but-guaranteed way to snag last minute flight deals: Fly on the actual holiday, such as Christmas, the Fourth of July or Thanksgiving, when prices are often significantly less expensive than right before or after the holiday.
6. Hack your search: get cheap last-minute flights with one-way flights.
Another straightforward way to snag last minute deals on flights: search for one-way routes, even on a different airline. This way, you can mix and match airlines – and even airports — to create a budget-friendly trip.
You don’t even need to put in the work, because KAYAK Hacker Fares does it for you automatically. If you’ve found a hacker fare, it will typically say “Hacker Fare” underneath the price. If you do book on different airlines, be sure you have downloaded each carrier’s app so you can stay informed about flight updates or cancellations.
7. Consider redeye flights.
Many travelers don’t take redeye flights unless they absolutely have to. However, this option can work in your favor to save some money, as redeyes are often cheaper than their daytime counterparts.
A couple of factors are at play: Airlines sometimes incentivize travelers with lower fares, and less demand also can keep prices down until the last minute. On certain routes, such as flights to Europe, redeyes are all but unavoidable. However, opting for a redeye on transcontinental flights is often the cheaper option.
8. How skiplagging can help you save on last minute flights.
Skiplagging, as it’s known, can pay off when it comes to scoring cheaper flights. Here’s how it works: Say you want to fly from Atlanta to Chicago, but flights are super pricey. However, you find a cheaper connecting flight to Phoenix, with a stop in Chicago, your desired destination. You would simply not use (or “skip”) the onward flight to Phoenix.
Skiplagging comes with big risks. It’s strictly forbidden by major airlines, and if they catch you doing it, you can be banned from flying with them. Another big drawback: If you don’t show up for one leg, the airline will cancel the remainder of your itinerary. As a result, skiplagging generally works better on one-way routes.
Finally, skiplagging requires you to travel extremely light. You won’t be checking bags, of course (as they will be sent to your stated, but not actual, final destination,) and having only a personal item is highly recommended in case flight attendants force you to check your carry-on bag during a full flight. If you do decide to give it a go, proceed with caution.
9. Take advantage of tech tricks like KAYAK AI.
Backed by robust KAYAK data, KAYAK.ai is the only tool that offers real-time pricing in conversational search (others rely on cached data). It’s a great way to get travel ideas you may not have considered and snag cheap last-minute flights.
To give it a try, consider prompts such as the following:
- “Find me cheap last minute flights from Copenhagen to Berlin”
- “Are there any cheap last minute flights from New York JFK to London this weekend?”
- “I’m looking for cheap flight options from NYC JFK to London in August”
10. Use KAYAK’s Price Alert tool.
Finally, don’t forget about the set-it-and-forget-it convenience of Price Alerts, which can make it a cinch to score cheap flights last minute. The Price Alert tool will update you when a fare changes — like when prices drop. I find this especially handy when I have my eye on a specific destination.
To do this on KAYAK:
- Run a flight search
- Toggle on ‘Track prices’ next to the search results
- Your price alert will be set. 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.
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 said, there are still ways to find great last-minute deals with our tools.
Airlines occasionally sell seats at the last minute to fill remaining spots on flights that aren’t full. But this is never guaranteed, so it’s best to book early, especially if you see a good deal.
Prices fluctuate with demand, so booking on a certain day usually won’t increase your chances of landing a cheap last-minute fare. Check out KAYAK’s addition to the lineup of money-saving tools, the Best Time to Travel, and nail down your trip dates for your particular origin and destination.
There’s no hard and fast rule, but flights booked with seven days of departure are usually considered last minute. Booking a flight within two weeks of departure is sometimes considered last minute. And finally, booking a flight for the next day is most definitely considered last minute.
Generally speaking, most flights get more expensive closer to departure. Most airlines follow what’s often referred to as the 21-day rule in pricing flights. When flights are open for booking, you’ll generally find the best prices up to 21 days before departure, at which point fares will typically go up. At 14 days, prices will increase again, and then again at seven days beforehand. Even so, savvy travelers know how to get cheap last minute flights by using specific tips and strategies.
Some of our top last minute flight routes.
