Do airlines sell their empty seats on day of flight at reduced price?
Jun 15th, 2005, 05:05 PM
#1
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Do airlines sell their empty seats on day of flight at reduced price?
Really need a vacation! Will consider most anywhere I can reach without it costing me an arm and a leg. If I went to the airport with bags packed, is there a way to learn of the available empty seats on a given airline, and will those seats be sold at a reduced price? I'm desparate for a break!
Jun 15th, 2005, 05:14 PM
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You're much more likely to find planes with all seats full and people waiting on standby. And last minute (at the airport) tickets are almost always the MOST expensive,
Have you considered looking at some of the web sites that offer last minute flights or packages the week of the flight? Sometimes they have good deals.
Do a search above to find the names - I've never used them so don;t have the details.
Have you considered looking at some of the web sites that offer last minute flights or packages the week of the flight? Sometimes they have good deals.
Do a search above to find the names - I've never used them so don;t have the details.
Jun 15th, 2005, 05:31 PM
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Check the websites for the carriers you use to see if there are esavers for your dates of travel. Site59 and www.lastminutetravel.com often have deals for last minute travel. Also, www.smarterliving.com has some deals.
Jun 15th, 2005, 06:34 PM
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Since 911, I do not think you are able to head to the airport with bags in hand expecting to leave the same day.
I am not sure where you are located and which airport you have access to but you might also want to check out charter flights that fly out of your airport (for example: www.worryfreevacations.com). Sometimes they have some pretty awesome last minute deals.
Another option is Southwest Airlines if they fly to your airport. They really have a great DING program.
I am not sure where you are located and which airport you have access to but you might also want to check out charter flights that fly out of your airport (for example: www.worryfreevacations.com). Sometimes they have some pretty awesome last minute deals.
Another option is Southwest Airlines if they fly to your airport. They really have a great DING program.
Jun 15th, 2005, 07:15 PM
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You could try the internet specials on an airline website. American, for example, offers their excess seats each Wednesday, for travel that weekend, departing Friday evening or Saturday and returning Monday or Tuesday, for very low fares. For example, Chicago-Washington at, say, $139 roundtrip.
Jun 15th, 2005, 07:35 PM
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I thought it interesting while sitting in the Ft. Myers airport a couple weeks ago waiting for my American Eagle flight to be cancelled, that when I called Jet Blue thinking maybe I could just buy a last minute seat to New York on my own, they quoted me something like $329 one way, despite that the plane would be leaving in a couple hours and there were seats available. (I had paid $129 on American for round trip).
Jun 15th, 2005, 08:16 PM
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Thanks for all the suggestions. Really appreciate your efforts to help me. I've just downloaded Ding from Southwest. Hopefully something will come up soon. Will also take a look at the other recommended sites, especially the Wednesday savers on American. I've never understood why an airline would rather fly with empty seats than sell at a discount. Makes absolutely no sense to me. Maybe that's part of why many of them are in financial trouble.
Jun 15th, 2005, 08:21 PM
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It makes lots of sense to not discount seats in the last minute. There are plenty of people on business or have personal emergencies that need to fly on very short notice. These people will pay full-fare coach, which is up to $1,000 domestic roundtrip. Why give these folks a discount?
Airlines will not generate many traffic if they discount fares on the last day. People who need to travel will either buy in advance or pay up. Few will say, "what am I going to do today? Maybe I will fly to Chicago since it's cheap!"
Airlines will not generate many traffic if they discount fares on the last day. People who need to travel will either buy in advance or pay up. Few will say, "what am I going to do today? Maybe I will fly to Chicago since it's cheap!"
Jun 16th, 2005, 05:31 AM
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The airlines have this pretty much figured out that if you're inquiring on the day of the flight (or shortly before) you're desperate or a business traveler who'll pay top dollar for a seat.
They also have it figured out that if they have five empty seats, it's better to sell three of them for $1000 each than five for $300 each.
They also have it figured out that if they have five empty seats, it's better to sell three of them for $1000 each than five for $300 each.
Jun 16th, 2005, 05:51 AM
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I seriously doubt that airlines would ever make it a policy to make empty seats available at the cheap price at the airport at the last minute. Once word got out that one could travel cheaply by doing this, there would be utter chaos at the airports!
#39;(
Jun 16th, 2005, 07:06 AM
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Some airlines in some countries have stuff like last-minute "mystery flights", where you go to the airport in the morning, pay the money, and they tell you where you're going with a same day return.
That will eliminate the business travellers; but I think few people take the offer. My parents tried it from Perth, West Australia; and got a cheap day-trip to Adelaide. But they would not do that again, as next time they may get Adelaide again - where's the fun in that?
That will eliminate the business travellers; but I think few people take the offer. My parents tried it from Perth, West Australia; and got a cheap day-trip to Adelaide. But they would not do that again, as next time they may get Adelaide again - where's the fun in that?
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