Land A Great Weekend Getaway With Last Minute Flight Sales
These days, there is absolutely no reason why you should worry too much about booking a flight in advance. With the widespread use of the Internet, last minute flight sales are available to all to such an extent that it may be wiser to wait until the last minute to book your flight. The reason is simple. Airlines need to sell seats.
Riding The Wave
You can book a flight up to 330 days before your departure date and get a good deal. This makes sense…book your Thanksgiving Day holiday in March and the airline saves in the long run. As the flight gets closer, demand increases until the price hits an all-time high. It then starts to go down. If you can ride this wave out-and you may have to ride it all the way to the day you want to fly-you can save a lot of cash on a last minute flight sale.
Three Words: Flexibility, Flexibility, Flexibility!
The key to being successful in your search for a last minute flight sale is to be flexible. This is probably not the way you want to use to get to a wedding or a funeral. Scheduling your time around air travel can be an iffy proposition even if you plan everything ahead of time. By casting your lot with a last minute flight sale, be prepared to be flexible!
By flexibility, of course, we mean being able to compromise. You may land an amazing deal, but be prepared to watch a two hour trip turn into five hours, or five hours into ten. You may find yourself spending the day in multiple layover cities. In fact, some savvy travelers will seek these out in order to spend time in multiple locations and broaden their travel experience.
The Old Fashioned Way
The oldest, most time-tested method of gaining access to a great last minute flight sale is to go to the airport on the day of your flight and buy a ticket from the ticket counter at the airline. Naturally, this doesn't always work. There is a relatively strong chance that you will walk away empty-handed. This is where personal touches can really swing the difference. By being polite and not overly demanding, the attendant may be more inclined to help you!
The Internet
So many people buy their tickets with last minute flight sales these days, thanks in large part to the Internet. This is where good search skills are truly important; the first, most common travel sites with the best advertising may not be the ones you want for the cheapest fares possible. Broaden your search to forums and opinion sites. Often airline sites themselves have the same deals that many flight aggregator sites feature, so be sure to check out their home websites.
One final tool to become a pro at last minute flight sales is to sign up for frequent flyer programs or programs with bargain websites that "watch" fares for you. They are often automated to send out an email when the fare falls below a predetermined point. Or they may simply send you a weekly list of their dirt-cheap tickets and let you pick. Whatever method you use, be safe and stick to websites you can trust!
