If you’re a savvy traveler, you know that nabbing a good deal on a flight isn’t just luck.​ It takes a plan and the effort of following through on your strategy.​ The motivation behind finding the best price is simple: save money and get the best value for your airfare.​ Here are a few tips to help you score last-minute flights at a discounted rate.​

Timing is key when it comes to keeping your wallet from taking a hit.​ Booking a flight a week or two ahead of time can save you 25 to 60% compared to the standard last-minute fare.​ And if possible, book on Tuesday or Wednesday, as many airlines offer discounts on mid-week flights.​ If the price is still too high, using a meta-search engine like Sky Scanner, Google Flights or Kayak can help you locate the best deals in the shortest amount of time.​

Flexibility is another way to drive down the cost of tickets.​ With a flexible travel date, you can play around with different combination of dates and times to find the lowest fare.​ Plus, look up the airports that are available in the search.​ You never know, there could be an alternate airport that is way closer to your destination.​

If you’re already Indigo patron, you can join their frequent flyer program and earn points on eligible flights.​ Just make sure to go through your online account to view how much reward points you have and use them to redeem an even cheaper fare.​ And apart from Indigo, you can even check out other airline loyalty programs such as Emirates Skywards or Air India to get extra perks.​

Do note that these deals won’t be available all the time so the best way to get them is to keep an eye on your favorite airline’s special offers.​ Just sign up for their email notifications so you can get instant alerts when they are running promotions.​ Also, certain credit cards offer promotions for a certain period of time where you can get discounts every time you use them.​

Lastly, if you’re looking to save more on your last-minute travel, explore alternate low cost carriers that partner with primary airlines such as Southwest, Frontier and JetBlue.​ These airlines are known for their steep discounts if you happen to come across a sale, you’ll get a great deal on your flight.​

Member-exclusive Deals

Membership sites like Groupon and Living social can help you save big on last-minute airfares with their exclusive flight deals.​ Signing up with these sites will get you access to a variety of discounts and offers that are tailored to your preference.​ With such sites, you have to act quickly as some flight deals are only available for a limited time.​

Moreover, you can even join members-only clubs like Skyscanner which specializes in finding discounted tickets.​ Their system works by quickly scanning all the major airlines and reap the best discounts.​ How cool is that? Not only can you book flights fast, but also save big at the same time.​

Finally, some travel sites like Travelocity and Expedia also helps you get the best prices when you book your tickets.​ All you have to do is to enter your destination and the system will search for the cheapest fare available.​ Easy peasy and you just saved yourself some extra bucks.​

Between Giant Airlines

When you’re trying to find the best deal possible on your last-minute flight, don’t overlook the major airline alliances.​ With major players such as Star Alliance, oneworld and SkyTeam, you can find discounted tickets through the alliance’s various global partners.​ All you have to do is to use the members’ network to your advantage.​

Of course, the lowest fare may not be available through one provider.​ That’s why smart travelers should launch multiple searches across different alliance networks to see the full range of discounted fares available.​


For example, let’s say you wanted to fly from Dubai to London you can search through various global members to get the best deal.​

Also, if you’re really keen on getting the lowest price, make sure you check out their website during flash sale where you can get heavily discounted tickets.​ For example, Air India often offers cheap tickets during their weekly flash sale, all you have to do is check your email around that time and book before the deals expire!

Booking through an airline alliance’s program also comes with other perks as well.​ You can sign up for their rewards program and unlock exclusive discounts, valuable points and other benefits.​ So why not take advantage of this and save more?

Look After Yourself

When you’re booking a flight last minute, make sure you still practice basic safety precautions.​ This includes double checking your travel documents, verifying the airline’s terms and conditions, and signing up for alerts in case of any changes.​ After all, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.​

As you can see, if you want to find the best deals on last-minute flights, you need to take a proactive approach and take advantage of all the resources available.​ So, the next time you book a flight, use these tips to make sure you get the best value for your money.​

Get an Airfare Monitor

If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of constantly searching for prices, one of the best ways to save on last-minute flights is to use an airfare monitor.​ Aviaseller and TravelPlanner both offer services that allow you to monitor price changes in order to get the best deal.​ Let technology do the work for you and get your planning done faster and more effectively!

Of course, you can also take advantage of online flight tracking apps that will alert you when the price drops.​ This way, you’ll get informed right away when the fares drop, so you can snatch up the deal before anyone else.​

Lastly, if you’re confident on flying last-minute, look out for last-minute specials.​ This is especially useful if you’re looking to book a round trip ticket in which you’ll get half of the tickets for free.​ Some airlines offer these promotions too, so make sure you go through them and see what savings you can get.​

Pinpoint SRO Flights

If you have a bit of arrange liberty, identify “standby tickets”.​ These are issued to travelers prepared to fly — and at certain times offered at substantially lowered rates.​ Passengers should not expect to fly today on a standby ticket though, as long routes normally require prior reservations.​

These tickets are finest for travelers who are occasionally within a couple of days off their original travel plan as well as are alright with taking any kind of air travel recourse that’s on schedule.​ To conserve money on standby tickets, take into consideration signing up for an airline loyalty program where you can usually keep a running tab of your miles as well as redeem them for discounts and also deals.​

Other sites such as Fly.​com or CheapAir.​com additionally offer standby flights, but make sure to understand their policies prior to reserving these tickets.​ In some cases, they can be non-refundable.​ On the other hand, if you score one excellent, you could save substantially on the ticket with few strings affixed.​

Consult a Professional Agent

If you’re not sure what steps to take to score a good deal, booking through a professional travel agent might come in handy.​ They’ll be able to offer specific itineraries and airfares that other websites may not be able to match.​ It never hurts to at least contact a few agents to compare prices and see what deals they can get you.​ Just make sure to ask about cancellation policies before confirming anything.​

Also, some travel agents even offer coupons and other promotional codes where you can get additional discount when booking through them.​ For example, TUI, Thomas Cook and Expedia all provide special discounts through their agents, so make sure to check that too.​

In the end, always remember to do your research and to never leave anything up to chance.​ The secret to finding the best deal on a last-minute flight lies in being prepared and taking advantage of all the resources available.​ Fight hard, get the best deals and happy travels!

FAQ Section

Q: How Can I Save Money on Last-Minute Flights?

A: To save money on last-minute flights, it’s best to book in advance, use meta-search engines to compare prices, join airline loyalty programs, sign up for online alerts, get member-exclusive discounts, search through airline alliances, and consult a professional travel agent.​

Q: What Are The Best Sites To Find Last-Minute Flight Deals?

A: Some of the best sites to find last-minute flight deals include Sky Scanner, Google Flights, Kayak, Groupon, LivingSocial, Skyscanner, Travelocity, Expedia, Aviaseller, TravelPlanner, Fly.​com, and CheapAir.​com.​

Q: Where Can I Find Alternatives To Paying For Full Price Last-Minute Tickets?

A: Alternatives to paying full price for last-minute tickets include exploring low-cost carriers, signing up for airline loyalty programs, using standby tickets, and looking for promotions, coupons, and special offers.​