Last minute air tickets
Last Updated on Sunday, 3 January 2009 06:47 Written by admin Sunday, 3 January 2009 06:46
There is a certain thrill in hunting down the best fares on the Internet. Being able to travel to the destination of your choice at a bargain price just feels good. This Christmas there were tons of people doing just that, searching online for the best prices on last minute air tickets. But how do you actually find these tickets, what strategies and game plan is most effective?
Departure day
It is a rule of thumb that Friday or Saturday night last minute air tickets are more expensive than for other flights. Thursdays and Saturday mornings, on the other hand, are usually cheaper. It is also common that the airlines set aside tickets for Tuesdays and Wednesdays to sell cheap. These are the days you want to buy last minute air tickets. However, a strategy like this does require that your travel plans are flexible.
Offline strategies
A different strategy that was very popular before the rise of the Internet is to show up at the airport at the last minute. This has of course become less effective, as most tickets are sold online, and you also have to deal with the extra intrusive security checks when purchasing this late. There are also the unpublicized, off-line, discounts that you can find if you dig deep. Try calling the airline directly just before a domestic flight and see if you can get a bargain.
Travel sites
Some airlines dump last minute bulk tickets on the travel sites, like Expedia and Orbitz. Checking these sites a few hours before a flight can result in unexpected bargains. You can also search the net for coupons or campaigns these sites are running, and possibly shave a few percentages off the price of your last minute air ticket. However, with the low margins these sites have on flight tickets, coupons are rare.
Overestimating demand around holidays
When traveling around holidays or major public events near your destination, sometimes the airlines put up extra capacity. In some instances they overestimate and dump prices, and you can save a killing on a last minute ticket.
Deregulated domestically, regulated internationally
All commercial flights, operated for domestic flight travel, within the US work on a deregulated price system. What does this mean for you? That they change prices in response to market demand, often day to day or hour to hour. Foreign route flights on the other hand are price-regulated by IATA, which is a quasi-cartel that effects flight prices and keeps them high. For a discount on these tickets there is no point in approaching the airline. Last minute air tickets can, however, be found through travel agents and bucket shops. Don’t bother checking the travel sites, and they simply show IATA prices.