Last second airport flights - A go'er or a myth?

jetboy

This practice used to be common a few years ago but it seems dead now. You're better off checking the travel websites. If you want to go away at very short notice, Ryanair is the last place I would look. They are dearer than the real airlines with fares at short notice.

saveapenny

not alwasy a myth ...I had been looking for a flight to Santorini for Tuesday gone (23rd) and nothing was about due to the XL colapse and what had been about before was way over £400 each then one popped up right at the last hour for £191 for 2 but with only 2 hours to be packed and a 4 hour journey to Gatwick unfortunatly it was no goer for us. If I had of lived closer to Gatwick I would have snapped it up
The best thing to bag a bargain is to pack your case and be flexiable with in 24 hours of going and bargains can still be had

If you can go tomorrow to Alicante Thomsons fly have a flight for £130 for 2
same price on Saturday 27th for 1 week also Sunday and Tuesday next week for 1 week so they might even become cheaper

phatbear

saveapenny wrote: »

If you can go tomorrow to Alicante Thomsons fly have a flight for £130 for 2 same price on Saturday 27th for 1 week also Sunday and Tuesday next week for 1 week so they might even become cheaper

But this is'nt pitching up at the airport to get a last minute cheap holiday as you can get the same deal by sitting at home and booking it for next week.

All the best

the bear

richardw

Nobjocki wrote: »

Put it this way - Ryanair's Michael O'Leary has often said his favourite passengers are people going to funerals.
They need to travel at the last-minute and they'll pay whatever it takes to get there.

Other scheduled airlines offer compassionate fares which are reasonable, worth remembering.

saveapenny

phatbear wrote: »

But this is'nt pitching up at the airport to get a last minute cheap holiday as you can get the same deal by sitting at home and booking it for next week.

All the best

the bear

But if Thomsons havnt sold the seat by the time the flight is due out they will sell at teh airport and it will be cheap. It doesnt happen as often as it use to be they still can be had if you live close enough to a large airport you have more chance
My auntie often does it in corfu...she stays there for a couple of months in the summer ( early and late) then when shes ready turns up at teh airport and gets a cheap flight back

jetboy

Fair point saveapenny this does happen abroad but is extremely rare now at UK airports. In the good ole days it was quite common at the old Skybreak desk at LGW.

richardw

saveapenny wrote: »

My auntie often does it in corfu...she stays there for a couple of months in the summer ( early and late) then when shes ready turns up at teh airport and gets a cheap flight back

Interesting, did she do it last year?

lackingwedge

I think you can do it for AA in the US erspecially flying domestically.
My mate there uses it to fly domestically within the US and goes on the standby list.

The flights are rarely full and if they cannot flog all the seats to last minute business flyers he will get on.
When flying from the HUB sites like Chicago, New York and Miami he always gets on as few seats on thos flights are for connecting passengers who have missed thier flights.
He also uses it to fly to Hawaii on Holiday.

saveapenny

richardw wrote: »

Interesting, did she do it last year?

last year and this year...shes out there now and will be coming back begining of October and plans to do the saem again The one in June cost 65 euros each. Sometimes they have to come back on seperate flights, Like one into Birmingham and other on into manchester whcih is what happened last October so shes expecting the same again. Shes being doing this now for over 15 years and the most shes ever paid is 100 euros each
Great if your a single traveler as they cant often sell the 1 seat + they have a car so if no flights on the day they want to come home they just go back to the villa and try the next one
This wouldnt suit everyone

donny_osmonds_mad_fan

our company had to book some seats last minute for 4 people on monarch the other day and they were £1600 total for what had previously been a lot less that was airport price at the desk.