THE TRUTH: Are Flights Cheap Last Minute?

Plane ticket prices always seem high. Years ago, travel hackers raved about last minute travel deals that saved them big money on tickets. So, are flights cheap last minute?

ANSWER: No. Last minute flights are NOT cheaper but are usually MORE expensive than planning a few months ahead of time. The closer to departure, the more expensive the flight. 

Exception: If you have open travel plans and looking to go anywhere, airlines occasionally put open seats on sale to fill the remaining spots. These cheap seats are for unusual times and sometimes to unpopular places.

If you are planning a trip and already have a destination in mind, book in advance. Do not leave your plane tickets to chance hoping to save a few dollars. Planes to popular places usually sell out. 

	1 Day	3 Days	7 Days	14 Days	30 Days
New York	$338	$287	$206	$144	$126
Los Angeles	$454	$402	$296	$248	$198
Paris	$2,516	$1,892	$1,447	$1,335	$1,190
Buenos Aires	$1,604	$1,263	$1,092	$803	$634
Istanbul	$2,728	$2,172	$1,987	$1,843	$1,230

From the table above, we can see that the closer to the destination date, the higher the price. I used Maimi, Florida as an example showing the drastic price differences within one month of leaving for your trip.

Although the exact prices will change based on your departure airport, the travel season, and the time you choose to fly, this chart will give you an idea about what to expect from pricing on last minute flights.

If you are looking for longer than thirty days, there is a sweet spot for booking tickets when prices drop for flights. Cheap flights aren’t about luck, but about planning ahead and knowing a few little tricks.

Why Are Plane Tickets More Expensive Last Minute?

Demand for flights usually grows as the departure date draws closer. Flights book slowly when tickets are first released by the airlines, and when fewer seats are available, the prices go up. 

When the travel date is only a few days away there are usually only a few seats available, each priced at an inflated rate. Airlines know based on years of ticket sales what price to put on each seat. 

If your travel plans fall around a nationally celebrated holiday, expect an even bigger jump in price. Flight demand shoots through the roof around holidays because the general population has time off work. When there is more leisurely time, people will spend those days traveling and visiting family or friends. 

5 Tips For Finding Cheap, Last Minute Flights

Let’s be real: if you are looking for cheap last minute flights, you won’t find a killer deal. 

But, if circumstance forces you to travel last minute, or if you are jonesing for a quick getaway, here are a few tips that will help save you money and put your travel budget towards the necessities like super, amazing, delicious food. 

1. Book Your Flight ASAP

As soon as you know a tentative travel timeframe, book your flights as soon as possible. Flights are cheaper a week away than three days away from travel. Don’t hesitate and don’t wait for a better travel deal. Do a little searching and buy the tickets. 

2. Consider Buses, Trains, and Rental Cars

If your goal is saving money, then consider other travel alternatives such as long distance buses, high-speed trains, or inexpensive rental cars. By utilizing more options, your last minute travel plans may run cheaper than sticking with only flights. 

Fly Into A Major Airport First

If your final destination is a smaller town or city, consider flying to the closest major airport and taking a bus, train, or rental car for the final leg of the trip. 

If you wanted to visit Aspen, Colorado for its epic ski season, flights directly to Aspen run a substantial premium. You must first fly into Denver International Airport before hopping on a smaller jet to reach Aspen. 

This extra flight costs $300-$600 USD per person. There are bus services running from Denver to Aspen for around $80 USD per person. Huge savings come with out of the box thinking. 

Look To Trains For Convenience and Lower Prices

Outside of the United States, trains are the most efficient and cost effective way to travel long distances.

If you are traveling in Europe especially, trains run superior in price compared to flying. Hopping on and off the train using the Eurorail pass to visit multiple countries in a short time frame can save huge money and time. 

Buses Are Perfect For Traveling From City to City

In South East Asia, getting from one part of the country to another was cheapest by bus. $30 USD took my wife and me from Bangkok to Chaing Mai when flights cost triple. Tickets are always available and we booked our bus a few days away from travel. 

Drive One Way But Fly Back

For a spontaneous trip one year, my wife and I wanted to eat our way through the Texas State Fair, but the mood struck a little too late with only a few days left remaining. 

Unfortunately, my work schedule was absurdly busy and round trip plane tickets were too expensive to fit into the tight schedule. So I Frankensteined a crazy last-minute travel itinerary that fit our time frame and budget. 

While working the final week’s shift on a Saturday, my wife got a rental car from the airport and picked me up from work around 7:00 pm. We drove overnight to Dallas (with a break for a short nap) and gorged ourselves all Sunday on wonderful fair food. 

We drove to the Dallas airport that evening, dropped off our rental, and flew back to Denver landing around 9:00 pm, ready for work on Monday.  

The rental was $25 a day.
The flight was $45 per person. 
A spontaneous trip for less than $200 on transit. Not bad 🙂

3. Flight Hack For Cheaper Fares

Kayak’s main advantage in booking flights is the multiple airline connections. The multi-airline fare is multiple airlines that cost super low adding to savings instead of taking one airline all the way to your destination. 

Savings are huge, but there are some important details to consider. 

Watch Those Baggage Fees

Checked and carry on baggage fees apply to each airline for each person and must be paid separately. If your plans are short, try to bring a few necessary pairs of clothes and pack them in a backpack or small personal item bag. 

Most airlines allow free personal bags for every flight. Each airline will have its own regulations on personal bags, but I’ve done this to reduce costs for quick trips to Las Vegas. 

If you do end up checking a bag, you must retrieve your checked baggage and recheck it with a new airline every time you land. 

Travel Disruptions Will Cost You

If one flight is late or canceled your entire trip could be dead. Since each airline is different, if one flight is canceled or delayed, the other subsequent flights cannot be modified. You are taking a chance with different connecting flights. 

Beware Of Long Layovers

Multiple airlines at different airports can mean longer layovers during connections. When a basic nonstop flight may only take a few hours, a multiple airline itinerary could take all day with constant stops and long waits at airports.

Border Control For Multiple International Flights

If you travel internationally with multiple airlines, you may need to officially go through border control and customs before continuing on to your next flight since you will be checking in with a different airline which could be located in a different terminal. 

4. Use Hidden City Flights

A hidden city flight is when you book a flight with a layover and end up staying in the layover city instead of the final destination. The process sounds counterintuitive but flights with layovers are often cheaper than direct flights. 

Consider using Skiplagged to look through the different options and see if your trip has any crazy flight deals. 

The only catch comes with baggage. You must carry on baggage only. If you check bags, you will end up at the final destination instead of the connection city you intended to stay.

5. Book Round Trip Tickets If You Are Traveling One Way

When vagabonding through Europe, flights between counties were notoriously cheap. Tiny airlines I never heard of could take me from London to Madrid for less than $50 USD. 

Sometimes if you are only planning a one way ticket, a round trip fare is actually cheaper. Look through both options and book the around trip if it’s cheaper. When it’s time for the return flight, just leave it alone. Don’t check in, or inform the airline. Act like it doesn’t exist. 

Conclusion

Are flights cheaper last minute? Nope. Plan ahead and don’t risk your budget on hopefully landing a cheap plane ticket. If life forces you to fly last minute, review the above tips and do your research quickly and buy the ticket.

The longer you wait, the more money you spend. Just buy those tickets and get ready for travel!