Is it true you can get dirt cheap international flights if you turn upto an airport & just get a spare seat?

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bud

yes its true, only problem is the seats tend to be strapped to the wing!

Tea C

It is called "stand-by" and that is what it is. You may stand there for a long time. You might make it to one city and have to stand there again for your next flight. Too much trouble

laplandfan

I have heard that some bargains can be had but I think it;s risky and unlikely. You would be far better going to a travel agent and seeing what last minute holidays and flights are available.

Dana p

Generally no. Most airlines have different type of fared tickets and the cheapest ones go first and that is why you might pay more the closer you get to your departure date. Sometimes if there's cancellations those fares open back up or if they need to fill a lot of seats they might come up with a special fare but this is rare. This year more people are traveling more than ever before so airlines really don't need many flights with last minute cheap fares. Also, if you're from the states, this is the high season for international travel a lot of flights are booked full, and possibly oversold, so if you do happen to find a flight with a few open seats you'll pay a lot.

achrimsdale

They are called Sandby fares.

It depends on the airline, how good you are at negotiating and remember you have to come home again and your language skills may not be good enough to bargain in a foreign airport.

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Neil M

No.

I lived near Gatwick, and a few times enquired at the check-in desks for cheap seats for immediate departure, and the prices were higher than if I had booked a few days in advance.

BanjoBoy

i was wondering this myself, ill try and find out and get back to ya

Mr. T's Pretty Cuzzin

Generally no, you can not turn up and expect cheap seats. Airlines have figured out that doing this conditions customers to expect cheap flights, so instead they use "yield management" to make the most profit from each flight, and filling last minute seats cheaply does not support this model.

That said, with the right tools, you might be able to do alright with a "normal" advance purchase fare--with as few as 3 days advance. It depends where you'll be travelling from, and where you want to go.

Naomi D

I wouldn't chance it if you want to be flying together. They may have a spare seat, but rarely two at a time.
If you are willing to fly separately and arrive in your goal city at different times (even different days) it's worth a try.

zâ˜ºâ˜ºmjetâ–ºâ–ºâ–º

It's true. I turned up at Gatwick and got a dirt cheap flight to Novosibirsk with Trans-Ural Airlines. My wife got a dirtier and cheaper flight to Ouagadougou with Burkina Faso International Airways.
We had a lovely couple of weeks apart.

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