While last-minute flights are generally more expensive than booking ahead — in fact, they’re designed to be — that doesn’t mean a good deal doesn’t exist. However, if you’re flexible with timings, destinations, and airports, you can improve your chances at spotting one. 

Do flights get cheaper last minute?

They can do but it’s not common. Flight pricing is impacted by demand, seat availability and booking patterns of travellers. This is known as dynamic pricing. When flights get closer to departure, there is usually more demand than seats, so prices are typically high. However, on routes where demand may be lower than expected, such as during quieter travel periods or less popular flight times, flight prices may drop.

How to get cheap last-minute flight deals

1. Search Everywhere

If you want to travel soon and are happy to consider cheap last-minute flights to anywhere, enter your departure airport, travel dates and search 'Everywhere' on Skyscanner. 

2. Compare nearby airports

Many cities are served by more than one airport, which means there may be several airlines, routes, and fare combinations for the same trip. If fares look high at your first-choice airport, use Skyscanner’s nearby airports feature to widen your options.

For example, UK travellers looking for cheap last-minute flights can compare:

• London: Heathrow (LHR), Gatwick (LGW), Stansted (STN), Luton (LTN), London City (LCY)

• North West: Manchester (MAN), Liverpool John Lennon (LPL), Leeds Bradford (LBA)

• Scotland: Edinburgh (EDI), Glasgow (GLA), Glasgow Prestwick (PIK)

• Midlands: Birmingham (BHX), East Midlands (EMA)

• South West and Wales: Bristol (BRS), Cardiff (CWL)

• Northern Ireland: Belfast International (BFS), Belfast City (BHD)

3. Compare one-way and return flights

Comparing one-way flights instead of booking a traditional return ticket can sometimes uncover cheaper last-minute fares. That’s because each leg of your trip is priced separately, giving you more flexibility to mix airlines, airports and flight times.

For example, you might find a cheaper outbound flight with easyJet from London Luton and a lower-cost return with Ryanair into London Stansted.

4. Search European gateway hubs

If direct last-minute flights to your final destination are expensive, try searching routes via a major European hub instead. This can be especially useful because bigger hubs usually have more frequent flights, more airline competition, and more onward connections, opening up more options:

• Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG): Paris’ Charles de Gaulle serves as a gateway to regional French destinations such as Bordeaux, Marseille and Toulouse, as well as onward European connections through Air France.

• Paris-Orly Airport (ORY): Orly is useful for short-haul and lower-cost European routes, with Transavia operating from its French hub here.

• Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS): Amsterdam is a strong hub for destinations across the Netherlands, the Nordics, Germany and Eastern Europe, with onward connections through KLM and Transavia, from its Dutch hub.

• Beauvais–Tillé Airport (BVA): Paris’ Beauvais airport can work well for lower-cost short-haul routes into and out of Paris.

• Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD): Madrid’s airport serves as a gateway to Spanish destinations such as Granada, Asturias, A Coruña and the Canary Islands via low-cost carriers such as Iberia Express and Air Europa.

• Josep Tarradellas Barcelona–El Prat Airport (BCN): Barcelona’s airport is useful for the Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, Alicante, Málaga and coastal Spain, with routes from low-cost carrier Vueling.

• Frankfurt am Main Airport (FRA): Frankfurt serves as a gateway to Germany, the Alps, Central Europe and Eastern Europe, with onward connections through Lufthansa.

• Düsseldorf Airport (DUS): Düsseldorf can be useful for lower-cost European and North African routes with budget airline, Eurowings.

• Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP): Milan Malpensa serves as a gateway to northern Italy, the Italian Lakes and the Alps, with onward European routes from budget carriers such as easyJet and Wizz Air.

• Milan Linate Airport (LIN): Milan Linate is useful for connecting to other Italian cities and European destinations via ITA Airways.

• Il Caravaggio International Airport (BGY): Bergamo Airport is especially useful for low-cost routes across Italy and Europe, with Ryanair operating flights between Bergamo and several UK airports.

• IGA Istanbul Airport (IST): Istanbul Airport serves as a gateway to destinations across Turkey, the Middle East, Central Asia and beyond through Turkish Airlines’ extensive network.

• Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW): Istanbul’s second airport is useful for lower-cost routes across Turkey, Eastern Europe and the Middle East, with Pegasus Airlines operating a large short-haul and regional network.

5. Check flights with stops, not just direct flights

Direct flights are often the quickest option, but they may not be the cheapest, especially for long-haul last-minute flights where fewer seats may be left. A layover can add time, but it may also give you more fare options to compare. 

6. Be flexible with your travel dates

Changing your departure or return date by one day can make a difference when you’re booking close to departure as prices can vary across the same week depending on demand, route and remaining seats. 

Skyscanner’s flexible date search tool offers an overview of fares day-by-day across the entire month, so you can spot whether fares for a last-minute weekend trip are cheaper on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday. 

7. Try early morning, late-night and off-peak flights

Airlines sometimes reduce fares when there are still unsold seats close to departure, more commonly on quieter routes. So, if you’re looking for cheap last-minute flights for the next week or so, look at flights during less popular travel times, such as midweek, early morning or late night.

8. Move quickly when a good fare appears

Last-minute flight prices can sometimes drop so it helps to be ready to book when a good fare appears. Setting Price Alerts via the Skyscanner app helps you track price changes on a particular route, so if the price decreases, you’ll be notified. But act quickly. There’s no guarantee for how long the deal will be available for. 

9. Compare flight prices against Avios points

Travellers with Avios or other types of airline loyalty points may find that a reward seat is more cost-effective last minute compared to the cash fare, so compare both for more options.

Why are last-minute flights sometimes so expensive?

Last-minute flights are usually expensive because airlines adjust fares in real time based on demand, remaining seats and booking behaviour. 

However, by being flexible on destinations and airports, as well as being open to flying during quieter periods, such as midweek, travellers can improve chances of finding lower fares, especially when also using specific tools designed to help spot deals on last minute flights.

How late can you book a flight?

For most domestic and short-haul European flights, check-in usually closes around 40 to 45 minutes before departure.

For long-haul international flights, check-in usually closes around 60 minutes before departure, though some airlines may close earlier depending on the route.

However, booking even one or two weeks before departure rather than a couple of days will often offer travellers more options and better fares.

Where to find cheap last-minute flight deals

When time is limited, use tools that let you compare destinations, airports, dates and prices in one place. Skyscanner’s tools help travellers:

• Compare fares quickly

• Search flexible destinations

• Compare nearby airports

• Track changing prices

• Browse last-minute flight deals to anywhere

You can also search last-minute flights on Skyscanner to compare fares, whether you’re looking for a weekend city break, a short-notice European trip or a long-haul flight next week.