Okay, there’s been a death in the family, or, Grandma insists you visit or you’re out of the will, or, your kid in college is about to drop out and join a cult. So, you’ve got to get on a plane. You know it’s going to be pricey, but you also know: YOU. MUST. GO. So, are you doomed to pay a $1,000 for your airline ticket? Well…not necessarily! Here are some tips for finding cheap airfare at the very last minute…

Finding the Cheapest Last Minute Airfares

• Buy Vacation Packages - Drop the extras you don’t need
  • The entire package may still be much cheaper than a last minute airfare! Don’t need the hotel or car? No problem…just ditch em!
  • A friend recently needed to take an emergency flight from Dallas to Phoenix (the emergency was the spouse’s need to “get out of town”); the friend found a vacation getaway, complete with hotel, which saved her hundreds of dollars.
  • She was a little worried that if she canceled the hotel, the entire package would fall apart, but it didn’t of course. The hotel still made money from the package, and now had an empty room to offer at its regular price.

• Use Frequent Flier Miles - Buy them if you have to
  • This is the time to use your Frequent Flier miles. When you use them for an expensive ticket, you get a bigger bang for your bucks.
  • But what if you only have 15,000-miles, and you need 25,000-for a ticket? No problem: just buy the miles you need!
  • For example, at American Airlines, 10,000-miles cost about $250, which means your airfare is just $250! But before you buy, make sure the flight you want will accept FF miles!
  • Also note: some airlines say your miles may not be posted for 48-hours after purchase, so make a call to be sure your newly purchased miles will be counted!

• Senior Airfares - A good last-minute deal, if you can find them
  • The good news is, some Senior Airfares have Zero-Day Advance-Purchase.
  • The bad news is, a lot of airlines have dumped their senior programs, but there are still some around. It should be noted that often you can buy cheaper fares than Senior Discounts, but when it comes to last-minute fares, senior fares are bargains. Note: Seniors are generally 65+

• Y-UP Airfares May Save You Money - Or at least make you more comfortable
  • Did you miss your flight? Instead of paying that tremendous premium for failing to use your ticket, ask about Y-UP fares that put you into 1^st Class, and may even be cheaper!
  • It’s not cheaper? Well, if it’s only a little more, at least you’ll be a lot more comfy!
  • Go to the airline counter to inquire about these fares; if the rep doesn’t know about Y-UP fares, ask for someone who does.
• Always Check Out the Low-Cost Airlines
  • Their last-minute fares will still be high, but they’ll sure be cheaper than the big boys!
  • The low-cost airlines often “cap” their top prices at $600 or so; the larger airlines ceiling is much, much higher.
• Bereavement Airfares - Never hurts to ask
  • Most airlines have dropped their bereavement fares, but if you can get a someone on the phone (preferably not someone in an overseas call center), ask nicely if they can do something for you. Never hurts to ask, and it’s worked for some of our friends!
  • A colleague recently tried this for flights on a low-cost airline, expected nothing, but, they agreed to knock-off about half the price!
  • Often, it depends who you talk to, and your attitude (courtesy can go a long way).