Expert: Matthew Smith - 4/9/2009

Question
Hello Mr. Smith.

I am wondering if there is a particular website (or any other means) that can locate last minute travel deals better than the rest. There are dozens of search engines that compare Expedia, Orbitz, etc. at once, but they all usually yield about the same prices for flights.

Specifically, I need to get from Austin TX to New Orleans by about noon on April 18.  I'm not asking you to find me that cheap ticket, just asking how you'd go about finding it.  It seems tix are as much as $300 when I look online.  Would you just call an airline the day before?  Is there any benefit to waiting til the last minute, generally speaking?  Thanks!

Answer
I'm sorry for the delay in answering.  I've recently moved and didn't have time to answer.  I am now out of the active pricing side of the industry, so I am not aware of any websites that locate last minute deals.

It's become harder and harder to find "good deals" because all websites cull info from the same sources (the airlines' systems).

There is absolutely NO benefit to waiting until the day before.  Last minute flights are generally the most expensive.  At my former airline, we sold tickets from Phoenix to LA for $49 one way if you bought the ticket 21 days or more in advance, but $499 one way at the last minute.  The idea being that the person who waits until the last minute is probably on business and is willing to pay a premium for immediate service.