The Cheapest Airlines for Last-Minute Travel

While no airline can guarantee a cheap last-minute flight 100% of the time, there are a few carriers where you’re more likely to find reasonable fares close to departure.

Best For:Travel in Central America, South America, the United States, the Caribbean

Spirit Airlines ranked number one in WalletHub’s 2025 Best Airline study , scoring highest in safety and affordability, so expect last-minute flights with this carrier to be cheap and reliable. Spirit Vacations offers deals of up to 40% on flight and hotel bundles, with last-minute trips as low as $500.

Best For:Travel in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East

RyanAir is a top option for travelers looking for cheap flights around the European Union and surrounding areas on short notice. At press time, sample fares from Dublin to Milan departing the next day were available for as little as $70 one way. Sticking with the Basic Fare is a surefire way to guarantee the lowest price, but be aware of the carrier's strict baggage policy to avoid a mandatory gate check.

Best For:Domestic flights within the United States

Second only to Spirit in price, Frontier is a budget airline that actually encourages last-minute travel through its GoWild! Pass (more on this later). Their flight sales page , up-to-date roundups, and Discount Den membership —where kids fly free—are all points in favor of this low-cost carrier.

Best For:Transatlantic flights from the United States to Europe

PLAY Air is a low-cost carrier connecting three East Coast cities—New York, Boston, and Baltimore—with destinations across Europe and Northern Africa. Their PLAY Basic class is bare bones, allowing them to sell fares at rock-bottom prices even as close as a week from departure. At press time, a search for a 6-day trip to Dublin departing from New York next week was available for less than $490 roundtrip.

Best For:International flights from United States airports on both coasts

Virgin Atlantic is not a budget airline, but its interface makes hunting for the best last-minute deals relatively stress-free. The results page highlights the cheapest flight available within the time surrounding your selected departure date. While searching for flights from Boston to London, the page highlighted a fare two days from my selected date for about $200 cheaper roundtrip.

The best time to book flights on any airline is three months in advance for domestic travel and roughly eight months for international. However, these cost-saving strategies could help you find a secret last-minute steal.

Search for flights departing from multiple airports in your area to boost your chances of paying less. A better fare may lurk in the departures from a regional airport rather than the nearest big city hub.

Strategic use of frequent flier miles can score you a great deal, no matter when you book. They become especially useful when scrambling for a last-minute fare, lowering the potentially elevated cost. Joining a frequent flier program is a great way to stay prepared for any jetsetting impulses that may arise.

Many airlines will list unsold seats on upcoming flights for a discounted price. While no booking engines let you search for unsold seats directly, a pro-level membership on ExpertFlyer enables you to check out the seating availability on flights by over 120 airlines to give you an edge while you search. Unsold seats also increase your odds of scoring an upgrade. If you've shelled out for a pricey last-minute economy ticket, try your luck at the gate. Your price will remain the same, but it may seem comparatively small while sipping wine in business class at no charge. Check out our guide to scoring an upgrade to better your chances.

Be ready to hop on a last-minute flight at any time with an airline flight pass. Frontier’s GoWild! All You Can Fly Pass actually requires travel to be booked at the last minute, either one day before domestic travel or ten days before international, to take advantage of the deals. Other airlines with similar programs include the Alaska Airlines flight pass , a $69 monthly membership, and the Air Canada flight pass , which offers one-way flights in exchange for pre-paid flight credits available for booking up to one hour before departure.

Sifting through individual online travel agency (OTA) results pages can take hours and won’t always turn up a good deal. Try searching with tools like BookingBuddy , SmarterTravel’s sister site, which allows you to compare results pages across multiple OTAs simultaneously. Dedicated deals websites like GoLastMinute and CheapOAir have pages focused on landing cheap last-minute fares.

It may seem counterintuitive, but scoring a great last-minute deal may require some pre-planning. Set fare alerts to your dream destinations on Google Flights or AirfareWatchdog , another companion site to SmarterTravel, so you will be notified when the routes you're eyeing are especially affordable. This way, you'll be the first to know if the price drops or if any “mistake fares”—or ultra-cheap fares that are accidentally set live—come around.

If you have the itch to travel but have no destination in mind, let the deals guide you. Use Skyscanner’s or Google Flights’ Explore feature to find the cheapest destinations to fly to in the coming weeks.