One minute you're in the rhythm of your regular workday; the next, you're scrambling to book a red-eye flight out of town. Emergencies don't wait for paydays and the price tag on last-minute travel can be steep.
Typically, airfare booked closer to your departure date can cost more than when you plan in advance. That's because many airlines use dynamic pricing, which raises fares as demand increases and seat availability shrinks.
In some cases, airlines offer bereavement fares, which are discounted tickets for travelers dealing with the death or imminent death of a loved one. To qualify, travelers are usually required to book directly through the airline and provide documentation, such as a death certificate, funeral home contact information or proof of relationship.
CNBC Select outlines the tools that can help you save and how to pay for your trip without accruing debt.
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Compare rates on flights
Start with flight price comparison sites like Hopper and Going. These platforms track airfare trends and show you whether the price you're seeing is a fair deal or inflated because you're booking at the last minute. These sites make it easier to compare prices than doing it yourself.
Hopper uses predictive analytics to help customers save on flight, hotel and rental car bookings. Users are notified of price changes and they can freeze flights at a current price for a duration of time for a fee.
The Hopper app is free to download, but the company offers optional paid tiers such as Hopper Pro, an annual subscription available for $60 that provides additional discounts and benefits. Additionally, customers can join the waitlist for Hopper Premium, a $9.99‑per‑month subscription with perks like members‑only flash deals.To be sure, Hopper may also charge service fees on certain bookings.
Going allows users to select multiple departure airports and receive alerts when deals pop up. While the company's free version is more helpful for long-term planning, its paid feature can be useful for emergency travel.
For example, Going's premium service costs $49 annually and aims to find economy flight deals for domestic and international travel, plus mistake fares from airlines. Its elite tier offers similar services, access to higher fare classes, and more perks with a $199 price tag.
It's worth noting that when booking through third-party sites, travelers may face additional fees, stricter change policies or more limited customer service compared to booking directly with an airline. Reviewing the fine print before completing your purchase can help you avoid surprises later.
Use credit card points
Credit card points can be one of the fastest ways to reduce the upfront cost of emergency travel, especially if you've been earning rewards on everyday spending. Points can typically be redeemed for flights through an issuer's travel portal or transferred to airline or hotel partners. Even if you don't have enough rewards to cover the full trip, offsetting part of the cost can ease the financial strain.
A popular card to consider is the Capital One VentureOne Rewards, which allows cardholders to earn flexible travel rewards that can be redeemed or transferred to travel partners. Having this in your wallet to begin with helps with emergency travel, but if you're looking to apply, you could wait roughly a few minutes to 10 business days to hear back. It could take another seven to 10 business days to receive your card.
The Capital One VentureOne Rewards card allows cardholders to earn 1.25X miles on every purchase. Among its standard travel benefits, last-minute travelers can access its price match guarantee, which could mean the difference between overpaying for an emergency flight and receiving a travel credit for the price gap if you find a better rate within 24 hours.
The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card earns transferrable miles, which is a stand-out benefit for a no-annual-fee card.
- You can transfer miles to over 15 Capital One partners, including Emirates Skywards, Choice Privileges and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- No annual fee
- Limited bonus spending category that only applies to certain Capital One Travel bookings
- No travel credits and limited travel protections
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn a bonus of 20,000 miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $200 in travel
- $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees
- Earn unlimited 1.25X miles on every purchase, every day
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Enjoy 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; 18.49% - 28.49% variable APR after that; balance transfer fee applies
- Top rated mobile app
Balance transfer fee
3% for the first 15 months; 4% at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer you at any other time
Foreign transaction fee
None
With no annual fee and a 0% introductory APR for the first 15 months — followed by a variable APR of 18.49% to 28.49% — this card is a low-cost entry point into travel rewards. However, it typically requires a credit score of 670 or higher.
Pay without racking up debt
However, you may not have the cash or points for an emergency trip. When booking, find a way to cover the expenses without turning a last-minute trip into long-term financial stress.
A credit card offering a 0% introductory APR — like the Capital One VentureOne above — can give you time to pay off your trip expenses without interest for 15 months.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® (see rates and fees) offers an intro APR on purchases and balance transfers, along with cash back rewards on dining, travel and everyday spending. The Citi® Double Cash Card also boasts a long introductory APR offer on balance transfers (and purchases) and allows cardholders to earn 2% cash back on all spending — 1% when you buy and 1% when you pay.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a no-annual-fee card that earns generous cash-back on everyday purchases and a lucrative welcome bonus.
- Users get a high rewards rate and strong welcome bonus
- Purchases and balance transfers get long intro APR
- No annual fee
- Travelers face a foreign transaction fee
- Few rewarding ongoing benefits
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
- Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases.
- No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can use points to redeem for cash through an account statement credit or an electronic deposit into an eligible Chase account located in the United States!
- Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 18.24% - 27.74%.
- No annual fee – You won't have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Unlimited® card
- Keep tabs on your credit health, Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, alerts, and more.
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Intro fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater, in the first 60 days. After that, either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Foreign transaction fee
3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars
The Citi Double Cash® Card is one of the best no-annual-fee cash-back cards thanks to its straightforward rewards structure.
- Balance transfers get a long intro APR
- Generous flat-rate cash-back rewards structure
- No annual fee
- Travelers face a foreign transaction fee
- Intro APR only applies to balance tranfer
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
- Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time. Plus, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked with Citi Travel.
- Balance Transfer Only Offer: 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 17.49% - 27.49%, based on your creditworthiness.
- Balance Transfers do not earn cash back. Intro APR does not apply to purchases.
- If you transfer a balance, interest will be charged on your purchases unless you pay your entire balance (including balance transfers) by the due date each month.
- There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
Balance transfer fee
There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. A balance transfer fee of 5% of each transfer ($5 minimum) applies if completed after 4 months of account opening.
Foreign transaction fee
3%
For both cards, you may receive an instant decision when applying online, though it may take up to 30 days if your application requires a manual review. Once approved, it generally takes seven to 10 business days to receive your physical card in the mail. However, Chase cardholders can often add their new card to a digital wallet immediately upon approval or request free expedited shipping, whereas Citi typically does not offer expedited shipping for new accounts.
Neither card has an annual fee, making them cost-effective options for long-term use. To qualify, you generally need a good to excellent credit score, typically ranging from 670 to 850.
This approach works best if you have a clear plan to pay off the balance before the introductory period ends, since standard interest rates apply once the promotion expires.
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