Last-Minute Deals: Myth vs Reality
Popular travel wisdom suggests that last-minute booking provides access to deeply discounted flights as airlines desperately sell remaining inventory. This belief, heavily promoted in movies and travel folklore, actually represents one of the most costly misconceptions in modern air travel. Airlines now use sophisticated revenue management systems that typically increase prices as departure dates approach, making last-minute booking one of the most expensive strategies for most routes.
The myth originated during the early airline deregulation period when carriers lacked sophisticated pricing algorithms and often sold remaining seats at steep discounts. Modern revenue management systems have completely inverted this model. Airlines now predict demand patterns months in advance and raise prices systematically as flights fill and departure dates approach.
However, legitimate last-minute opportunities do exist in specific circumstances. Airlines occasionally offer genuine last-minute deals when flights remain