The need for an airplane ticket can appear out of nowhere. Maybe a friend wants to take a last-minute ski trip before the lifts close. An urgent work assignment might require your presence in a faraway place. Or you could want to get away during an ideal weather window.
Which airlines are best for these last-second trips? To find out, Upgraded Points studied more than 21,000 flights across the 10 busiest domestic routes and analyzed daily fares for two weeks straight. The study found what passengers really pay when booking one week prior.
The airlines with the cheapest and most expensive last-minute fares
Purchasing a ticket last-minute can bring prices across the board, with some more expensive and others cheaper. In Upgraded Points’ analysis, last-minute flights cost 8.3% less on average than those booked in advance. Among all the flights analyzed, the average last-minute fare was $228.21. However, some airlines offered much lower (or higher) prices than others.
The airlines with the cheapest last-minute one-way flights:
- Spirit Airlines: $151.53
- Frontier Airlines: $160.89
- Hawaiian Airlines: $190.19
- Southwest Airlines: $212.43
- Alaska Airlines: $229.73
The airlines with the most expensive last-minute one-way flights:
- JetBlue: $310.15
- American Airlines: $288.26
- United Airlines: $274.33
- Delta Air Lines: $236.36
Airlines whose last-minute one-way fares cost less:
- Alaska Airlines: -22.6%
- Southwest Airlines: -8.2%
- Frontier Airlines: -3.6%
- Spirit Airlines: -3.1%
- American Airlines: -0.8%
Airlines whose last-minute one-way fares cost more:
- JetBlue: +29.9%
- Hawaiian Airlines: +19.3%
- United Airlines: +15.6%
- Delta Air Lines: +1.2%
The study’s results show how last-minute fares can be significantly more or less than those booked in advance. If you’re flying Alaska Airlines, you could score a deal by waiting until the last minute, while if you’re flying JetBlue, you should probably book in advance. Your destination could determine your choice, as airline networks serve various destinations. Either way, you can use this info when planning your next trip.
