If all flights seem to be fully booked, an experienced travel agent might still be able to find you a seat.

When our travel plans include flying, most of us like to book tickets well in advance, both for peace of mind and for the potential savings. When we are forced to book a flight at the last minute, on the other hand, things can get stressful as well as expensive. Luckily, there are a few tricks of the trade that can help you snag eleventh hour plane tickets with relative ease and for a competitive price.

Wendy Perrin is the Consumer News Editor and travel expert for Conde Nast Traveler magazine and writes a practical advice column called "The Perrin Report." She also writes feature-length reports on a wide variety of travel topics including hotels, business travel, adventure trips and vacation bargains. Perrin joined Conde Nast Traveler in 1989. Here she offers tips for getting an airline ticket at the last minute:

• Do it yourself. Travel agents are handy when you're planning elaborate vacations, but if you just need a plane ticket or a hotel room at the last minute, you may be better off making your own arrangements.

• Compare prices. Comparison-shopping is the key to getting a fair price, and the web is the quickest and easiest way to get multiple price options. Websites like Orbitz, Travelocity and Expedia are hooked up with the airlines and often have great rates, even without advance booking.

• Be flexible. Another very useful trick is to try out different departure and arrival dates and times, and even different airports. Flying the redeye into a city's secondary airport, for instance, could cost you hundreds of dollars less than taking a noon flight into the main airport. If you're able to be flexible with the specifics, you might find a really great bargain.

• Extra help. Finally, if all the flights seem to be full and you find yourself in a jam, it might be time to call your travel agent. A well-connected agent might be able to work a deal with an airline and find you a seat, even if the plane is officially sold out. You'll likely pay a fee of 25 or 50 bucks, but if you absolutely have to get somewhere, it may be well worth it.

Conde Nast Traveler
www.concierge.com/cntraveler/index.ssf

Orbitz
www.orbitz.com

Travelocity
www.travelocity.com

Expedia
www.expedia.com

Priceline
www.priceline.com

Hotwire
www.hotwire.com