For some people, the last minute airplane ticket purchase is to buy it one day before traveling, while for others it means buying the flight and booking the hotel in the last two weeks before the trip, although it doesn´t really matter what you think about "last-minute purchase", what really matters is that if you are thinking about waiting for the last moment to go on vacation, it will be very useful to know what are the advantages and disadvantages of buy at the last minute.
The advantages you have by buying last minute
If spontaneity is your thing and you try to live the moment, this way of traveling where you don´t know where you are going until the last minute is the right way to let yourself be carried away by adventure and surprise, be it a summer in the Alps, a trip to Dubai, a trip of two weeks through Central America, in short the options are too many and the last minute deals usually go unnoticed, offers that can take you to a totally new experience in places where you would never have imagined being. Not to mention the stress that you will get rid of by not having to plan anything or investigate, you just have to relax and let yourself go. Another advantage is the possibility of saving money, where you will most notice it is in the accommodation, as the hotel cost usually decreases as you approach the arrival date. The philosophy of hotels is to occupy the rooms even at a low price rather than leaving them empty, especially on dates of very low demand.
Finding a last minute cheap flight is more complicated since the prices, due to the increase in flight demand, rise the closer the departure date is. But this doesn´t mean that you can´t find a way to find this kind of cheap flights, it's just a matter of following some advice.
There is no secret formula to look for last minute offers, but there are ways to find cheaper prices, regardless of whether you prepare the trip in advance or not. As a general rule, we recommend you to be flexible, usually flights in the early hours or at night are cheaper because of the discomfort that can cause this type of flights as they can be from very early or arrive very late to your destination.
Look for flights that leave on weekdays and not near the weekend, simply adjusting the flight schedule and you can save some money, it is also better to fly on a holiday such as Christmas, for example, than a few days before or after. Another option may be to fly to a city near your destination where your flight may be much cheaper and pay a much cheaper transport that takes you to the final city.
Buy your airplane ticket at the last minute is not always as bad as you think, but it's all about your needs, tastes and even a little luck, enjoy the adventure to the unknown and improvised.