How to find cheap flights for the same day 

All savvy travelers know the best way to save up on airfare and secure the cheapest flight is to plan and book in advance. But sometimes circumstances such as pressing business matters or family emergencies might need you to pack your bags and take off in a matter of a few hours.

Finding cheap last-minute flights has always been a complicated process but fortunately, there are a few tricks and tips you can deploy to score the most affordable last-minute flight deal.  

Naturally, due to the amount of data available, there is some confusion regarding the process of deciding airfare by the carriers. So, let’s clear the air before finally jumping into the travel hacks you can use to find the cheapest same-day flights.

• There is a myth that same-day flights are always costly. This is exclusively not true. It depends on where you are going, which carrier you are using, etc.

• Airlines decide the price of tickets based on the availability of seats on a plane. So, If you are lucky enough to encounter a flight that’s not fully booked you will be able to book cheap same-day flight tickets.

You can also use the following flight booking hacks to find the best possible price. Implement these hacks and never overpay even for last-minute unplanned trips.

1. Stay Flexible with Destination Airport

Staying flexible regarding which airport you land at can be a great way to save almost a quarter of your airfare on average. For example, flying from Delhi to Mumbai on a same-day booking will surely be costly as both of these airports are major travel hubs but instead of landing in Mumbai you can book a flight to Pune and take a 3-hour drive to Mumbai and save about 20-25% on airfare.

This hack works better for international flights because of the availability of multiple airports around major European and American cities. London has 6 functioning airports, and the difference in fares is also considerable at all those airports. New York also has two major airports giving you the option of choosing the cheapest flight to either airport.

2. Search for Fares Individually

This trick applies to those who are traveling with family or friends. The pricing system is designed in such a way that it will look to give you the same price for all the tickets. Let’s say you are traveling in a group of 4 people and if the cost of the ticket shown is 6000 INR, it will look for all the seats costing 6000 INR even if there are cheaper seats in the same or different class available.

It requires extra effort on your part but it is worth trying especially when you are trying to book cheap flight tickets at the very last minute.

3. Search for One-Way Flights

Booking a roundtrip ticket may seem like a money-saving proposition at first glance but it isn’t always the case. Searching for tickets separately for outbound and inbound journeys with different airlines will most likely give you the cheapest tickets.

Sometimes the outbound airline might not have cheap inbound tickets so it will show you the best it has got to offer but in the majority of cases, it is not good enough. But you can book cheaper return tickets to your destination using a different airline. Just remember to check the baggage policy on both airlines to avoid paying extra for your baggage.

4. Book Budget Airlines on Short Notice

Budget airlines will almost always offer cheaper flight tickets than your regular national or international carrier. However, the word budget is given a new meaning when it comes to air travel.

For a short-term travel plan, budget airlines should be the ideal choice if you are willing to drop your additional baggage allowance and travel with just a carry-on bag. Almost all major airlines in India offer reduced fares if you travel without the additional luggage making a big difference to your final fare.

5. Always Book Connecting Flights

If you are flying to a faraway destination on short notice, it might be easier on your pocket to book connecting flights instead of direct ones. It is a well-known fact that connecting flights are always cheaper than direct flights.

You can take this one step further by booking your ticket with two airlines for your two flights to your destination. For example, instead of flying Delhi to Chennai with a connection in Kolkata using Indigo, you can fly Delhi to Kolkata using the cheapest airline and the same from Kolkata to Chennai.

6. Go Incognito and clear your Cookies

This is the most basic step that you should be applying in your search for cheap same-day flights. All the websites that you visit store and monitor the data and when you visit flight booking websites multiple times, the prices skyrocket as a mechanism to make you book your tickets quickly.

Cookies are used to store data from your recent browsing activities. It is used by travel and airline websites to determine what prices to show you based on your recent and repeated searches. To avoid this from happening to you, always search for flight tickets in the incognito mode and regularly clear cookies from your browser.

7. Book the Non-Refundable Tickets

Refundable tickets should not be a priority when traveling on a few hours' notice. Hence, always book the non-refundable option when looking for a same-day departure as it will be somewhat cheaper when compared to the conventional refundable tickets.

8. Use the Frequent Flyer Program

Loyalty goes a long way, especially when you want to use your frequent flyer miles to book an affordable same-day flight. Every major airline offers a loyalty program where they add free points to your account whenever you travel with them. These points accumulate over time resulting in significant discounts and even free flights in some cases.

Apart from the airline loyalty program, your credit card is also a powerful tool to bring your bill down by a considerable amount. You can also use the student discount if you are eligible for it. By using this combination of rewards you can obtain maximum benefit and save your pockets from being raided.

9. Use the Airline Website to Book

No matter how attractive an offer is from a third-party travel website or app, they always find a way to add charges to the final amount and you end up paying a lot. But if you make a little extra effort and visit the airline website, you will surely save some money because they too run offers but they do not levy extra charges. It is also easier in case of cancellations, delays, and so on.

10. Use Comparison Websites

Irrespective of how much of a hurry you are in, always make sure to use a flight comparison website before making a purchase. Especially when you are making a booking in a hurry, you may not necessarily be getting the best deal. Websites like Skyscanner, Kayak, and Momondo provide a detailed list of various flights with many options to filter out the best deals for you.

Although it will always be cheaper to book flights in advance with flexible dates, you can still implement the aforementioned steps to make your last-minute bookings a little more affordable.

Frequently Asked Questions

1.    How late can I book a flight?

In India, you can book domestic flights up to 2 hours before departure and International flights up to 4 hours, but this can be done through a call or in-person at the airport. Online bookings close a bit earlier depending on the carrier.

2.    Are flight tickets cheaper at the last minute?

The flights are generally the cheapest 30-60 days before the departure but if you need to travel last minute, you can refer to the booking tips mentioned above. In some cases where the flight is not fully booked, the prices can come considerably down offering you a chance to book cheap flights to your destination.

3.    Which airline offers cheap same-day flights?

While there is no fixed answer as a lot of factors play a role in this, the usual carriers like Spicejet and Indigo are your best bet. You can book cheap flight tickets with the newly introduced budget airline - Akasa Air. These are your best bets to book cheap flight tickets on the go.

4. How do I find last-minute flight deals?

Use the steps from this blog as a guide and find the best cheap flights to your destination. If you follow the steps diligently, you will surely save some money.

5.  Are some days cheaper to fly than the others?

Yes, typically you can save some money if you are flying on Tuesdays and Wednesdays as they are considered to be the least expensive days to fly.

6. Can I use credit cards to book same-day flight tickets?

You can and it is actually encouraged to use credit cards to book flight tickets as a lot of the card providers offer a variety of discounts and other perks like lounge access and so on.