Last Minute Airline Tickets: the Advantages and Disadvantages

Last Minute Airline Tickets: the Advantages and Disadvantages

There are two main reasons a person might need a last-minute airline ticket: one is because of some type of work or family emergency and the other is because of a sudden desire to go somewhere exotic for fun. Last minute airline tickets are best suited for the sudden desire, particularly when the traveler can be flexible about the ultimate destination and the dates of travel. In this situation, it is possible to find inexpensive airline tickets as airlines attempt to fill planes on less popular flights.

This is where a romantic streak can come in handy--there will probably be no last-minute cheap flights to warm places in the winter or to Paris in the spring. But if you are willing to be something of an adventurer, you might try a destination you would never have thought about or you might be able to take advantage of off-season pricing of hotels at your destination.

Off-season trips often allow you to see a place as it is, not a place carpeted in tourists. You can meet the locals and possibly have a more authentic experience of a place. While some places may be closed, landscape is always open; if your destination involves interesting outdoor sights, you will not be disappointed.

When an emergency arises, you still may be able to find a deal, particularly if your emergency takes you against the prevailing line of traffic. For example, it was probably cheaper to fly out of Beijing on 8/8/08 than to fly in. The internet is your best resource here. Google your point of origination and your destination and see what is available. You might try some of the travel websites that collect information from multiple airlines as well as the airline websites themselves.

If you can be flexible either about dates or about airports you use, you may still be able to get a deal. For example, it may be cheaper to fly to an airport fifty miles from your destination and rent a car than to fly to the airport in that particular town. In sum: the main disadvantages of last minute airline tickets are the steep price and the possible lack of seats to your particular destination on your particular date. With flexibility in your travel plans, however, you can take advantage of cheap prices and you may even have a completely memorable adventure

You can read more about finding the
Last Minute Airline Ticket
or airfares in general at
http://www.southwestairline.biz