Q. In your experience, do airlines ever offer last minute discount rates over Christmas?

A. In the past, airlines have offered these discounts, especially for off peak holiday travel, such as Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day departures and New Year's Day returns. These deals are becoming less generous and more scarce these days, as overbooked flights become the norm. We suggest searching in early to mid November when these fares tend to pop up, that is
if they pop up at all this year.

Oh, and should you feel like spending your holidays abroad this year, you might want to check out this deal on
Continental's BusinessFirst to Europe.