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Taking a spontaneous trip is one of the most rewarding forms of travel. Finding cheap last-minute flights, on the other hand, can feel like an impossible barrier to flying by the seat of your pants. But booking with low-cost carriers isn't the only way to avoid forking over exorbitant fares. There are last-minute deals to be found—if you know where and how to look. Before you get started, having a basic grasp of how airlines determine their ticket prices can be helpful. Increasingly, airlines are implementing what’s known as dynamic pricing, a model used by hotels and other segments across the travel industry. With dynamic pricing, airfare costs go up or down depending on market conditions, which means the same seats on the same flight can be sold for many different prices at different times depending on the specific airline's pricing algorithm.

Fortunately, a growing selection of technological tools with predictive features takes the guesswork out of knowing when the best time to buy cheap flights is—or when you should wait it out. Along with a few time-tested guidelines, getting the best deal doesn’t have to be a stressful, time-consuming task. If you feel like you're the only flier still paying full price for airfare–or feeling overwhelmed by all the newsletters and flight deals to keep track of—don’t fret. We've assembled the best tips and tricks from frequent travellers and budget travel gurus to ensure you can take those spontaneous trips without breaking the bank.

Tech tools can be a traveller’s secret weapon to scoring a cheap flight—and there are more options than ever to choose from. Already a favourite for its functionality, Google Flights upgraded its ability to tell passengers exactly when to buy tickets (or wait) with a feature it launched in August 2023 backed by trends data on and around the flight route and trip dates. Google Flights also has a handy tracking feature that notifies you by email when prices drop on routes that you have specified. Google is so confident in its predictive data that it will guarantee the lowest fare on select flights; if you buy a flight marked with the colourful price guarantee badge, Google Flights will pay you the difference (up to $500 per year) if the airfare decreases after you book.

Travel experts often advise checking to see if flying a day earlier or later or from a nearby airport—options that are now offered on most online search sites—might result in cheaper fares. But for bigger savings, consider extending your flexibility to the destination as well. If your dates are fixed, browse the options on Skyscanner, which allows users to select “explore everywhere” as the destination. Then skim for the best value over a certain timeframe. When flying to Europe, remember that you don’t need your ultimate destination to be your first stop. If direct flights to Paris are pricey, look around and see if routes to, say, Amsterdam are cheaper on those dates. Then, you can take a budget airline for the final leg—instead of sacrificing your comfort for the entire long-haul journey.