Cheap flights

[nik4411]

Does anyone know any tips or secrets to getting cheap, last minute flights?
Are there any sites that offer last minute flights really cheap just trying to fill them up?

[kevinpate]

Haven't flown but once in the last decade. I assumed last minute tickets were more expensive, under a theory that anyone who seeks a ticket last minute really needs a ticket.

Could be wrong.

[positano]

Hard to provide a short answer, and in fact there are books devoted to the subject (Peter Greenburg writes a series - something like the "Travel Detective" - that gives pretty good info). Kayak is a great site that searches multiple travel sites for airfares and lets you provide a variety of search parameters. I've found good last minute deals with them, and you can sign up for "Fare Alerts" that will notify you by email when a special pops up.

However...most "good" deals come at a cost. Some of those last-minute deals are certainly cheaper, but scheduling is most often the compromise. Flight may be cheap, but you may have multiple stops and layovers. For instance, you could buy a $1200 ticket to Costa Rica that gets you there in 5 hours, or a $400 ticket that takes 16 hours plus an overnight stay, so be wary of jumping on what appears to be a great deal without researching it.