Timeline for Are inexpensive last minute tickets a thing?
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
26 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
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| Oct 19 at 20:26 | comment | added | rw-nandemo | @user27701 You don't seem to have any grasp on what "supply and demand" means | |
| Aug 2, 2023 at 23:51 | comment | added | user27701 | @Turbo Maybe, that's an interesting thought experiment, but the fact remains that the airline sells seats, and the passengers pay for them. | |
| Aug 2, 2023 at 22:06 | comment | added | Turbo | @user27701 We could also think of the passengers being the supply, and empty seats the demand. The plane is flying regardless, the airline seeks people to fill them. Not saying you're wrong, but it's likely a complicated equation of "It's better to sell 1 seat at $500 than to sell 4 seats at $100 each" | |
| Aug 2, 2023 at 20:58 | comment | added | JimmyJames | @JasonB It used to be more common. Fights seem to be fuller and overbooked. And back in the day it was a lot easier to go and wait at the gate in case there were no-shows. | |
| Aug 2, 2023 at 18:28 | comment | added | JasonB | This was now 20 years ago, but I had a friend who lived in Atlanta, and got notices for cheap last-minute fares (like a day or two beforehand), and so got some weekends in Europe out of that. | |
| Aug 2, 2023 at 12:20 | comment | added | ROIMaison | Related question: travel.stackexchange.com/questions/2952/… | |
| Aug 2, 2023 at 9:19 | answer | added | mckenzm | timeline score: 1 | |
| Aug 2, 2023 at 8:55 | comment | added | pts | I've been lucky recently, because I was able to book a flight 7 days in advance for cheap (as cheap as 90 days in advance, off-season). I had to be flexible though, flying back 2 days later than I originally planned. I always check the flight options for last-minute travel, but I very rarely see low prices. | |
| Aug 1, 2023 at 22:26 | comment | added | gparyani | Essential Air Service routes in the U.S. are flat-priced as per government policy (as they're subsidized), so those have inexpensive last-minute fares. | |
| Aug 1, 2023 at 19:28 | comment | added | user71659 | One strategy airlines use is to have last minute deals on frequent flyer mile redemptions. That separates urgent business travel from leisure, and it allows some revenue from an otherwise unused seat. | |
| S Aug 1, 2023 at 15:07 | history | suggested | FreeMan | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
Change title to reflect the question asked - obviously, anyone can buy a last minute ticket...
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| Aug 1, 2023 at 14:46 | answer | added | Dean MacGregor | timeline score: 5 | |
| Aug 1, 2023 at 13:25 | review | Suggested edits | |||
| S Aug 1, 2023 at 15:07 | |||||
| Aug 1, 2023 at 2:57 | comment | added | Azor Ahai -him- | Alrighty folks, three or four people have pointed out it's the other way around, we can probably stop there. | |
| Jul 31, 2023 at 21:17 | comment | added | user27701 | No. Supply and demand. The supply is low, and if you suddenly need to fly with such sort notice, they know you are more likely willing to pay more for it. So is everyone else who needs a last minute flight. And so the airline, with its very limited supply, raises the price with the very predictable expectation that at least one of you will still buy it. They do offer standby tickets sometimes, which are usually regular or even cheaper price, but you might get bumped for someone who bought the ticket. | |
| Jul 31, 2023 at 19:05 | history | edited | Franck Dernoncourt |
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| Jul 31, 2023 at 19:02 | answer | added | Franck Dernoncourt | timeline score: 7 | |
| Jul 31, 2023 at 16:03 | history | edited | JonathanReez♦ |
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| Jul 31, 2023 at 13:30 | history | became hot network question | |||
| Jul 31, 2023 at 13:03 | comment | added | Hilmar | In most cases it's the other way around. United prices typically go up (A LOT) one week before departure. Many airlines hope to squeeze extra cash out of people who need to fly on short notice and typically are desperate enough to shell out the extra money. | |
| Jul 31, 2023 at 12:39 | answer | added | Itai | timeline score: 9 | |
| Jul 31, 2023 at 8:54 | comment | added | jcaron | Probably depends a lot on whether the route (or flight) attracts business flyers (who often book late and supposedly are able to pay more) and last minute short stays or not. But all in all it’s probably a matter of date (especially weekday) more than proximity to the flight date. Don’t expect cheap flights to sunny destinations during holiday season at the last minute. You can always try the namesake website, but you can hardly count on prices going down. | |
| Jul 31, 2023 at 7:56 | answer | added | Johnnyjanko | timeline score: 25 | |
| Jul 31, 2023 at 7:07 | comment | added | Ozzy | It's usually the inverse. Tickets are cheaper some time before and as the date approaches prices are ratcheted up. | |
| Jul 31, 2023 at 7:01 | answer | added | Matte.Car | timeline score: 2 | |
| Jul 31, 2023 at 5:24 | history | asked | Real Dreams | CC BY-SA 4.0 |