Last minute flights at airport

[sligoman]

This is something I've always wondered about. Is it ever possible/worthwhile just turning up at an airport, with no destination in mind and just see if there's any flights with a lot of empty seats and therefore going cheap at the last minute?

Saw them do similar in The Simpsons before

[HarpoJoyce]

This is something I've always wondered about. Is it ever possible/worthwhile just turning up at an airport, with no destination in mind and just see if there's any flights with a lot of empty seats and therefore going cheap at the last minute?

Saw them do similar in The Simpsons before

That's quite an assumption. It is possible to buy flights from the Airlines at Airports. But the customers are expected to be business travellers, passengers having to change plans or need to travel urgently. The airline desks may only have authority to sell flights under the main prices like Y for economy, C is one business class. Those economy seat prices advertised maybe X, Q, W those seats might be gone or nobody will sell them to you at the airport. Those classes usually have retrictions on how late then can be sold aswell.

[Spudulika]

It used to be called stand by and operated up into the 90's, but then sometime around 1995 (I believe) there was a restriction brought in. During my holidays from Uni in 1992 myself and a team mate went to Dublin Airport and got an Aer Lingus flight to London for the princely sum of £10 plus taxes. However it was only one way, so we ended up on a bus back from Victoria 2 days later. Still fun though.

[OneRedArmy]

As Harpo said in almost all cases you'll pay top whack.

An exception is Aer Arann who are trying to lure people from Galway who land in Dublin and are planning to get the bus and are offering a very low walk up rate in the arrivals hall to fly with them instead.

WRT The Simpsons, a walk up fare in the US for an internal flight is generally in the thousands of dollars.

[brendy_éire]

An exception is Aer Arann who are trying to lure people from Galway who land in Dublin and are planning to get the bus and are offering a very low walk up rate in the arrivals hall to fly with them instead.

Aye, spot on there. It may work slightly better on the continent, where the have trains as competition, but stuck on our wee island, last minute fares to get off it are never great.

Aer Arann, as said, is pretty good for internal flights at last minute because they're competing against buses and trains. I assume Ryanair are the same.

[dahamsta]

The irish package deal companies all have last minute offers, you can get great cheapies with them, if you're not fussy. They do standalone flights too.