Generally, everybody plans before buying an airline ticket but if due to some reason
not able to book the cheap air tickets in advance then you have to buy air tickets available at the price quoted by the airlines company.
If you are still looking for a good last minute flight deal then you have to put some efforts. First of all it is always advisable to book your airlines ticket in advance but in case of urgency there are really less options left.
The foremost thing to get a last minute flight deal is to check the website of airlines because if there will be any vacant seat then airline company will try to sell it out. An airline company will never fly with vacant seats. So to get the seats filled they quote discounted price. If you dont see any discounts in one then try different airlines.
Secondly, if you dont find cheap air tickets on the airline websites then you can check it with consolidators. A consolidator purchases bulk tickets from different airline companies. If any airline tickets are not sold completely then they offer huge discounts. If you do no not find cheap air tickets here then only option left is to call airline companies.
You can call the travel helpdesk and inquire about the flights available at cheap rates. Here you can also negotiate with the representative. The airlines will definitely like to fill the seats. If the time of take off is less than the chances to get cheap air tickets is higher. But yes at the same time the probability to get a seat is also less.
Lastly, if you are not getting an airline ticket then call a travel agent, they will definitely help you to get an air ticket but that can be at a higher price. But if the situation is too urgent then one can afford to buy tickets at a higher price.
It is not that every time you will buy an air ticket at last moment and get the best deal. It depends on the various factors like if it is an off season then you can really fetch a great deal at last minute. But it doesnt mean that every time you wait so longer as waiting so long may let you to buy an airline ticket at higher price.
In short, try to focus on the quotes like Hot Deals, Special Offer, etc. These offers are nothing but the cheap air tickets which an airline company wants to sell to full the flight.