Last Minute Flight Deals

Occasionally, a search for last minute flight deals will present the best prices if you agree to switch airlines during your trip. Although an inconvenience, I think it’s worth the extra savings.

For example, lets say you are wanting to go to New York from Seattle, Washington… and you want to go TOMORROW.

Your search for last minute flight deals will be very frustrating if you tell the search engine that you want a non-stop flight. Change the search terms to include layovers and airline transfers, however, and you may be in for a very big (big as in savings) surprise.

An article on the Last Minute Flights Blog mentions,

“It may surprise you, but experts agree that the answer is now an undeniable “YES”. What was once considered a no-no and an extreme inconvenience is now considered a wise move for the airfare bargain seeker.”

So switch airlines enroute, and save some bucks on your last minute flight plans.

A recent post on the Last Minute Flights Blog is suggesting Booking Buddy’s e-mail list as a great source for last minute flight bargains. I used a Booking Buddy tip for a spontaneous trip to Orlando, Florida last year and the price was about $300 less than my quote from Travelocity. Here’s what that post had to say:

“Booking a flight until the last minute usually means that there are very few seats left. When this happens, the airlines may charge a premium price for those seats that are left. My suggestion is to be vigilant with the Booking Buddy E-Mail List. I don’t know how they do it, but Booking Buddy’s list always has the best last minute fares.”

If you haven’t given Booking Buddy a try, then I suggest visiting their website and signing up for their Top 20. They only send an e-mail once per week and you can stop it at any time. There are some terrific deals for spontaneous (last-minute) travelers.

Q. I filled up my car today for less than $20. I paid $1.61 per gallon which is the lowest price I have paid in years. Do you think the lower fuel prices will have any effect on Airfare prices?

A. Jet fuel prices have fallen like a rock, and the plunging price of jet fuel has lots of airline passengers wondering why their fares haven’t plunged accordingly. Even with lower fuel costs, the global recession has put mammoth pressure on hard-hit airlines. That’s why analysts say that airlines will not cut ticket prices or rescind fees for services that once came for free.