Finding last minute plane tickets on the internet today is a snap if you follow some tips from the pros. No mention of “bucket shops” (the black holes of yesterday into which cheap flights went—you had to pick through them, too, for a decent rate.) Shopping online has streamlined into something of a science.
To find last minute air plane tickets, try some of the airlines themselves. They are beginning to list their own best prices on last minute plane tickets to fill their flights. It’s in the interest of the airlines to cut the commission that goes to the discounters to sell these same seats, and the airlines realize that advertising their own best prices on last minute air plane tickets is a public “good will” gesture, perhaps promoting customer loyalty.
(Virgin does not even list on all the discount ticket selling sites. Recently a fare 50% below a discounter’s listed fare for the same flight was listed on the Virgin site. Done deal at Virgin Airlines.)
Check both the discount sellers and the airlines themselves on Saturday mornings for last minute plane tickets at discount prices. Airlines make the last fare change of the week on Friday night at 8 pm. This allows airlines to compete amongst themselves and sneak in that deal. Be among the first to find the last minute air plane ticket at the bottom price.
When you check the airlines for these last minute plane tickets, don’t rely merely on the internet. Use the telephone and talk to a real person. If you ask the travel specialist at the airline, he or she may let you know in how many minutes or hours the next booking changes take place. You can call until you’ve booked the flight you want. This is more difficult and takes perseverance, but it’s worth a ticket to the tropics when it’s cold in New York.
Another way to find last minute plane tickets at discount prices is to search “consolidator fares” on the web. Consolidators buy up the last minute plane tickets, bundle them up, and then sell them off individually at a discounted price. You don’t know what you’ll find, but if you are flexible about your vacation, travel time, or taking connecting flights, you could score big with a consolidator. (Still, the advantage of travel search engines remains flexibility in finding last minute plane tickets.)
There are a couple of trips for which you may not find last minute plane tickets. Summer, with shore points hot and kids out of school, may require advance ticket purchases to premiere summer seasonal spots. And if you plan to travel for the November-December holidays, book months in advance. (I booked tickets for 3 to Kauai for Christmas months ahead, and I ended up on a different flight from that of my family from Chicago to LA.) If having the family spend holidays together lies in the balance, better to be safe than sorry.
