Best Airlines, Routes for Last-Minute Flight Bookings

It’s widely accepted that getting the best prices on airfare often requires booking far in advance of your travel dates. However, if you’re more likely to book your next trip last minute, you don’t have to accept over-the-top airfare. You can save a little cash by choosing one of the best airlines or routes for last-minute flight bookings, as determined by a recent study from Upgraded Points.

According to the study, you’ll find the lowest average, last-minute airfares (the study considered “last minute” as one week before your flight) offered by budget airlines such as Spirit Airlines, Frontier Airlines and Southwest Airlines, but also from a few surprising outliers, such as Alaska Airlines.

In contrast, the study identified JetBlue, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines as the most likely airlines to jack up the cost of a last-minute flight. In fact, a JetBlue flight booked at the last minute could cost you around 30 percent more than if you’d booked the flight in advance.

As mentioned, though, regardless of airline chosen, the study also found some routes are more likely to offer you lower fares when booking last minute. Routes where you can expect to get a good deal include Los Angeles International Airport to San Francisco International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport to LaGuardia Airport, and LaGuardia Airport to Chicago O’Hare International Airport.