LAST-MINUTE FLIGHTS: YOUR GUIDE TO GETTING THE BEST FLIGHT DEALS IN A HURRY
It’s no secret that booking a flight in advance is the best way to get the best flight deals, whether you’re taking a one-way or round trip. However, there are times when you can score airfare deals by waiting until the last minute. Airlines often offer cheap last-minute flights as selling tickets at a discount is better than having empty seats. But how do you find these travel deals?
Let’s look at some of the best places to find last-minute flights. These strategies can help you consistently score a cheap flight and provide more guidance to make the process seamless.
7 Best Sites to Find Last-Minute Flight Deals
The internet makes finding and comparing flights easier than ever to get the best deals. But which sites should you use to save money and get the best ticket prices? Let’s look at the seven best platforms for finding cheap flights.
1. Expedia
Expedia is the most well-known travel booking site, meaning you don’t have to worry about whether or not you’ll get cheated when you’re using them to find cheap tickets that work for you and your budget. They make it easy to find the best domestic flights across various airlines. You don’t have to worry about paying exorbitant prices to major cities like New York, and you can bundle your flight and hotel accommodations together.
2. Hopper
Are you a big fan of using mobile apps to book a flight? If so, you might like Hopper. Hopper is designed to help you find a wide range of cheap airfare based on your desired travel time and will even use predictive analytics to tell you when it will be cheapest to fly to your destination. While this might not be the best app when you have to be somewhere tomorrow, it can help you find a cheaper flight a few weeks from your desired departure date.
3. Last minute travel
If you constantly book last-minute flights for work or leisure and don’t mind paying $50 a year, the Last Minute Travel Club might be for you. Aptly named, this site boasts a deep discount of around 60% off for some of its flights, superior service, great hotel deals, and your own special rewards plan.
4. Orbitz
Orbitz is another travel site worth mentioning because you can get fantastic deals if you’re willing to do a little digging and compare different airlines. Booking flights with them is easy, and they’re another established company that you can find all the details on when you look into reviews about them. If you’re going on a last-minute trip and want to avoid having to vet the platform you’re using to get a good deal, try Orbitz for your last-minute flying needs.
5. Airfare watchdog
Are you someone who likes to keep your eye on airline prices as you anticipate needing to travel somewhere throughout the year? If so, Airfare Watchdog is a website that can help you get the ticket price alerts you want. The site makes it easy to see all the cheapest flights going out of any airport, offers a wide range of deals on its social media pages, and offers alerts to let you know when a deal you’ve been looking for is available. All you have to do is set up alerts and wait!
6. Skyscanner
Skyscanner is a unique platform in that it isn’t a travel site; it’s a site that scans travel sites. That can help you identify some of the best deals across the various travel aggregators so you don’t have to spend your time going to each one, which is especially crucial when booking a last-minute flight. If you’re looking for a great deal on hotels or rental cars, they can help with that, too.
7. Google Flights
Everyone is accustomed to using Google’s tools, regardless of whether they’re looking for the best restaurants or shopping online. Google Flights offers a seamless user experience that makes it easier to find the lowest fares when taking a spur-of-the-moment trip. They also provide price tracking features and a host of filters that you can use to find what you’re looking for easily.
Best Practices for Securing Cheap Flights
All the websites above are great for helping you get better flight prices when looking for last-minute travel deals. However, it’s important to have plenty of best practice tips to know what to do to get the best deal every time. Let’s look at some of the best practices for securing cheap flights that you should know beforehand.
Don’t stop at the first deal you find
It can be tempting to scoop up whatever deal you find first, but that puts you in a position where you can save more money yet not cancel the tickets you just booked. Do your research across different airlines and use multiple sites to guarantee you’re getting the best deal possible. You may even want to hold off buying a ticket immediately and set up price alerts to see if you could get a better deal closer to your departure date.
Always consider bundling
Are you traveling to a destination where you know you’ll be able to stay with family or friends? If so, you only have to worry about the cost of your flight. If not, you’ll need somewhere to stay. Bundling deals, where you book your flights and your hotel accommodations together, can help you fetch better prices than if you were to shop for each separately. Take this into consideration when you begin planning your last-minute trip.
Know the terms and conditions of certain airlines or third-party booking sites
It’s crucial to know everything about the platforms you use to book plane tickets, regardless of whether you work directly with airlines or a travel site. This includes cancellation and refund policies, how easy or difficult it is to change travel plans, and your rights and protections. The more you plan ahead, the easier it will be to navigate any potential obstacles you might encounter in the future.
Fly on the cheapest days
If you plan on flying, some days will be cheaper than others. If you have flexible dates when scheduling your flight, always aim to do it in the middle of the week. Interestingly enough, however, the general rule of thumb when buying tickets is to do so on a Sunday, which may help you secure the cheapest ticket prices.
Always use your credit card when booking flights
The first benefit of using your credit card when buying plane tickets is the reward points you may earn if you have a card specifically designed for travel. But beyond that, using your credit card ensures you can initiate a chargeback (only in severe situations where an airline refuses to refund you when you know they must), avoid potential problems that come with paying in cash or with debit, and help you tap into certain protections like built-in travel insurance protections. Just make sure you can pay the total ticket price back without dealing with interest.
Find the cheapest flight when flying to Europe
Most people search for airline tickets to the airport of the city they want to travel to. While this makes sense in the United States, traveling internationally to Europe is a better option. Many travel pros know that Europe has multiple low-cost carriers, making flying to a different airport cheap.
To save the most money, find the cheapest flight from the U.S. to Europe and then search for tickets to your final destination.
The Pros and Cons of Using Travel Sites and Individual Airlines to Find Plane Tickets
Travel sites make it easy to see everything at a glance, but individual airlines also have their fair share of advantages and disadvantages. Before you use the advice and resources in the guide above to find the best last-minute flight deals, here’s a brief overview of the pros and cons of each so you can choose the best fit for you at a glance.
Travel site pros and cons
Pros:
- You can see more possible bookings over multiple airlines and hotel chains instead of just one.
- You can use filters to find better plane tickets based on your unique needs.
- You can often set up alerts to track prices to grab tickets when they’re at the best price.
- Some travel sites offer additional rewards and other perks that you can take advantage of.
Cons:
- Changing arrangements or cancellations may not be as flexible through these sites.
- You won’t necessarily see your money back if there’s a mix-up on a travel site.
- Some sites advertise deals available in limited numbers to get you onto their site.
- There are predatory platforms out there.
Booking with airlines: pros and cons
Pros:
- If the airline cancels your flight, you can receive free money in the form of complimentary stays and other benefits.
- It’s much easier to make changes and cancel flights with airlines than with travel sites.
- You may earn more in rewards if you frequently fly with one airline, have a credit card with them, or participate in their rewards program.
Cons:
- More research and logistics are involved in booking this way, as you do everything independently.
- If the airline you frequent doesn’t directly fly to your destination, you might not find nonstop flights.