Are last-minute flights cheaper? When waiting pays off and when it costs you

The short answer: last-minute is usually dearer

For most trips, waiting until the last minute costs more, not less. Airlines sell seats on each flight at several price levels, and as the cheaper ones sell, the seats left cost more. Travellers who book late are often people who have to travel, such as business travellers or families with an emergency, and airlines know they will pay. That is how fares generally behave, not a rule any airline publishes, and individual flights can break the pattern.

The data that is published points the same way. Google’s 2026 travel trends post, based on several years of Google Flights prices for trips from the US, found the lowest average fares about 39 days before departure for domestic flights and about 89 days before for international ones. It adds that for Europe, waiting rarely pays off, so booking early is the safer choice. Those are averages for US departures, so treat them as a guide, not a promise for your route.

When a last-minute deal can happen

Late bargains are real, just not reliable. They are most likely when an airline has empty seats on a flight that isn’t selling, on a route where several airlines compete. Short-haul city breaks in Europe outside school holidays, and midweek flights between big cities, are the kind of trips where you sometimes see this. Peak dates almost never get cheaper late, because the seats sell anyway.

This table is our own rule of thumb for when it’s worth waiting, not a guarantee.

How to find a late deal if you do wait

If you can be flexible, the trick is to let the fare choose the trip rather than the other way round. Start with a departure airport and a range of dates, then look at where is cheap.

1. 1Check our deals page for the cheapest fares travellers found recently from London, New York, Manchester and other cities
2. 2Open the fare calendar for a route to see the lowest fare for each day over the next 12 months, so you can see whether next week really is cheaper
3. 3Try nearby airports: Gatwick or Stansted instead of Heathrow, Newark instead of JFK. Our London airports guide compares them
4. 4Compare the total price with bags, because a cheap late fare is often the most basic fare
5. 5Book as soon as the price is right: late fares can disappear within hours

What you give up by booking late

Price isn’t the only cost. In the US, the Department of Transportation requires airlines to let you hold a fare or cancel for a full refund within 24 hours of booking, but only for reservations made at least seven days before departure. Book inside that week and the safety net goes. Our guide to the 24-hour cancellation rule has the details.

Choice suffers too. The best flight times, seats together and cheaper fare types with a bag included are usually the first to go, so a late booking can mean an awkward connection or paying extra to sit with your family.

Don’t forget travel permits

A last-minute trip abroad can fall at the border rather than the fare. US Customs and Border Protection advises applying for an ESTA as early as possible and no less than 72 hours before you fly; without an approved ESTA, travellers on the Visa Waiver Programme won’t be allowed to board. For visitors to the UK who need an Electronic Travel Authorisation, GOV.UK says you’ll usually get a decision within a day, but it can take up to 3 working days, and you must wait for it before you travel.

Check these before you pay for a late fare. Our ESTA and UK ETA guide explains who needs which.

Our verdict

Treat last-minute deals as a bonus for flexible trips, not a strategy. If you know where and when you’re going, book inside the normal window and watch the price beforehand. If you only know you want a few days away, look at what is cheap from your airport this week, such as London to Lisbon or New York to Cancún, and be ready to book the moment you see a good fare.

Questions people ask