It used to be when planning a trip, you would book your flight as soon as possible because the closer you got to your departure date, the more expensive it was going to be. But now, with the advent of discount travel websites, like Expedia, Priceline, Orbitz and Cheaptickets, last-minute airfare is often less expensive than pre-booked airfare. The reason for this is that when an airline has empty seats on a flight, it wants to fill up those seats and will often drop the prices of airfare at the last minute in hopes that seats will sell.
Research different travel websites for the lowest rates on last-minute travel. These websites negotiate with the airlines, so just because one site doesn't have the rate you want, don't give up. Check them all, and compare prices.
Log on to your discount travel website of choice. Book on a Wednesday two to four weeks prior to your departure date for the lowest prices.
Click on the "Flights" tab.
Enter your departure city, destination city, departure date, return date, number of travelers, and click on the "Search Flights" tab.
Browse search results to find the lowest airfare.
