Is it customary for airlines to discount flights at the last minute???

Question

I booked my return ticket to San Francisco via Virgin America and logged on today to see if the plane is sold out and noticed that my seat is currently selling for $60 cheaper than when I bought it a week ago!!!!!

Is it customary for airlines to discount their seats in the final hours? If so, would it be smarter for me NOT to buy a roundtrip ticket, but book my return flight on the day of???

Thanks in advance for your answers!

Answer 1

yes it is, mostly if passengers would have paid for tickets don't show the airlines then sell on the seats to people that go on Sand by

Answer 2

I've known people turn up at the airport with bags packed and just go up to desks and ask if there're any seats free. I've known of people get trans atlantic flights for $10, they'd rather make something on a seat than nothing and if there're minutes to go you can get crazy prizes! Of course it's hard because you might not even get a seat but well worth the risk!

Answer 3

To answer your question YES it is customary to discount tickets for a seat.  The reason is simple supply and demand.  The airline loses money if the seat is empty and may break even of make a little money if a person is sitting in a seat.

The airlines have a set price for each seat and will book seats in advance to see how many seats will be occupied at the going rate.  The night before or same day the price may go down.  However if you show up at the ticket counter and just have to be on the flight the airline can and will probably charge you a lot more for the same seat (supply & demand).

I fly a lot out of San Francisco and Oakland and no two seats will have the same price in most cases.  It all depends when you purchase the seat and what the demand is for a certain flight.  Prices will vary greatly, this is why I watch the airlines web site for discounts and will click on the price I want when it is available.

Answer 4

Yes and no, you see up two days before the flight the airline gets worried that the plane is not full so the drop the prices, they can usually estimate how many people will be on there. Then two days before the flight (or when there are only a few seats left) the prices go back up and they know some other people will need to go on that plane for other reasons, i.e. emergency, relative sick, missed flight. They are very good at knowing just when to chnage the prices. If you want to leave it late you could but then run the risk of not getting a ticket, or having to pay more because there are only a few left

Answer 5

It really depends on the situation.  Sometimes the price will go down, however I believe in most situations the price will go up.  Last minute travelers are usually business travelers.  They are willing to pay more for a trip as (a) they aren't paying for it... thier company is and (b) they really have no choice in many situations... they have to take the trip.

I have seen $150 airfare 3 weeks out become $800-1200 the day before a trip.

My best advise is to book more than 30 days out.  The risk you take in saving some money at the last minute is overshadowed by the chance you will need to pay a huge pricetag for a last minute fare.

Hope this helps answer your question.