Back in the day, you couldn’t get last minute deals at a cheap price. You would have to pay as much as twice the regular price because you were buying on convenience. Usually, when you get things on convenience, it costs more.
Things have changed. Now, in order to get flights and rooms sold, companies have implemented strategies where people will readily purchase flights and rooms at a cheap or discounted price. The companies would prefer to make some kind of profit than to lose money on empty seats and rooms.
The biggest catch – You need to snatch up last minute deals very quickly. Cheap prices on flights and hotel rooms usually don’t last.
Tips for Last Minute Travel
There are things that you should think about before you look for last minute deals:
- Are the package deals for places that are very popular?
- Where can you go with the money that you have at the last minute?
- Are the deals really a deal?
Some things to keep in mind prior to looking for and/or booking your last minute travel deal at the last minute:
You must have money saved. The more money you save, the better chance you have of having a nice surplus. When you make reservations for hotels, car rentals, airfare and other related items, make sure to look for the best discounts. That way, you will have more money to spend on other things.
Avoid mistakes that cost you money. Spend your money wisely. Get travel insurance in the event of an emergency. Read every part of any document that you have to provide your John Hancock for. Also, read the fine print. That is where you will find the stipulations and any fees. It is your responsibility to read everything before you sign.
Confirm all details. In regard to your trip, go over every detail to make sure it is correct. This includes the costs of the trip, additional fees, travel insurance and medical insurance. Again, read the fine print and ask questions if you don’t understand something.
Make sure that you are empowered and informed. There’s nothing worse than not knowing everything you need to know before you embark on this trip. With last minute travel, you need to make wise choices. It’s important that if you’re looking to save money, you must be frugal. Make sure that you are getting the best deal for your money.
Keep in mind though, since these deals need to be sold, that they are usually non-refundable, so you have to make sure that it’s what you want.
One place that you can start looking for discount or last minute travel is on the internet. You would want to use certain keywords in order to find what you’re looking for.
Conducting a search on the internet for last minute travel is easy. Just put in the right keywords and you’ll get so much information, you won’t know where to start. You can do a lot of the work yourself, that is if you have the patience.
Here are some keywords that you can use to find last minute travel deals:
- Discount Airfare
- Discount Flight
- Last Minute Flights
- Last Minute Airfares
- Bargain Tickets
- Bargain Flights
- Cheap International Airline Tickets
- Last Minute Travel
- Last Minute Travel Deals
- Low Priced Plane Fares Discount Plane Fares
- Discount Tickets To ? (NY, FL, Caribbean)
- Cheap Travel Deal
- Cheap Travel Deals
- Discount Cruises
- Discount Cruises To The Caribbean
- Discount Cruises
- Cheap Airfare
- Cheapest Airfares to Chicago
- Cheapest Airfares To Miami
- Cheap Cruises
- Cheapest Cruises
- Last Minute Cruise Fare
- Low Priced Cruises
- Student Air Fares
- Cheap Student Air Fares
- Discount Airline Ticket(s)
- Lowest Airfare Available
- Spontaneous Travel
- Cheap Travel
Other Ways to Find Information
- Magazines, especially those specifically geared toward budget travel and travel newsletters. One of the well known magazines for this would be Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel Magazine and Bestfares magazine. You can also find Bestfares on the web.
- Online travel webpages that have bargains and low prices on vacation packages, discount vacation packages and travel deals still waiting to be sold.
- Brokerages and airline carriers that have websites that offers some of the cheapest fares available at the last minute.
- Specialized books that focus on last minute travel and travel deals. You can get ideas on what to bargain for and how to bargain for deals at such a short notice.
- Ask a booking agent that you are looking for a specially priced last minute travel deal. They should be able to honor your request by getting the best prices for you.
- Ask around to see if anyone knows of any good travel deals. You may have some relatives, friends or co-workers that can hook you up on some good ones.
- Seek out experts that deal with time shares, resorts, cruises or other types of vacations. They will be able to help you get the deals that you’re looking for. Of course, it all comes with their sales pitches, so be ready.
How And Where to Find Cheap Rates at the Last Minute
Airline Tickets
No longer do you have to pay an arm and a leg to get an airline ticket at the last minute. In fact, getting an airline ticket at the last minute can be cheaper than if you would have paid if you had made plans ahead of time.
If you are flexible, you can be the person that can make arrangements for last minute travel and still get your money’s worth. There are cheap flights available, but you have to be able to take whatever is left. That’s why you have to be flexible. You are not guaranteed anything. If you are able to roll with the punches, you will benefit by getting some of the cheapest airfare prices available.
For flights that are barely half full, you can get last minute travel at a discount. The airlines need money for some of the empty seats that are still available. It costs the airlines money if they cannot fill up their seats. If the airline lowers the fares, they have a chance to get more people in the seats. In order to take advantage of it, you will have to take the particular flight that is available at the time.
One of the best places to look for discounted or bargain airline fares is the internet. The internet has changed the way that people conduct research. You can find your own deals by plugging in some information, including keywords that can help you to narrow your search. You can even go so far as to name your pricing and last minute travel deals.
While researching online, you must comparison shop with other sites in order to find the best price for you. One thing that will make a difference in doing this is that you should be flexible in your dates. Not only will you have a better chance of getting what you want at the last minute, but you will be able to save more money.
Check the airlines’ websites. You may be able to find discounts and specials on flights that were not advertised to the public.
Hotel Rooms
Make sure that you are flexible when it comes to your itinerary. You want to be able to have a secondary set of dates in the event you can’t get your first choice.
You may want to bundle hotel and car rentals because a lot of times that is a way of getting a cheaper rate for last minute travel.
For bargain hotel rooms that are available at the last minute, you don’t have to get anything that is substandard. There are plenty of hotels that are not always reserved to the maximum capacity. A lot of times, there will usually be some rooms available.
You can stay in a nice hotel and pay a bargain price for it. The only way for you to get that price is to ask for it. You will not get anyone that will offer you lower rates. All they can do is tell you yes or no. At least you would have made an attempt to ask.
You can ask when you are getting ready to reserve your room, and confirm those rates when you’re about to check into your room.
Check for family discounts and frequent guest plan packages. You will have to ask what is available. The bargains are out there; however, if you don’t ask, you won’t know. Since hotels are not always booked to capacity, you should inquire about cancellations. Also ask the hotel about last-minute check-in specials.
If you don’t have to stay in a pricey hotel, there are always other options. Try bread and breakfast lodging, motels and self-sufficient apartments. You can also inquire about guesthouses.
Car Rentals
In order to get a low cost for your car rental, you should get a compact vehicle (unless you’re too tall to drive one). In the process of reserving a vehicle, inquire about discounts and other package deals that may be available.
You should also check on insurance coverage. You can also save money by using your personal insurance. Most if not all insurance will cover any damages with car rentals, provided it’s in your policy.
Ask about weekend deals, daily deals and weekly deals. You just might be surprised at what you will find. One of the best places to check is on the internet. Car rental companies are always posting internet specials. You just may find one that suits you. Make sure to compare rates with different car rental companies. You don’t want your rental to be the highest cost of your travel.
Travel Insurance
You must be prepared for the unexpected. Even though you look to have a nice time during your trip, things can and will happen. You could get ill or the weather may play against you. You must have an alternate plan in the event this happens to you. A lot of people don’t think about that.
You should seriously consider getting travel insurance. Even though this insurance is nonrefundable, it’s better to pay money for it and have it than not to pay and then something should happen.
Find out what is covered with travel insurance. You need to read all of the information and know what you are buying. You must be proactive in all aspects of your travel, including this.
Last Minute Holiday Travel
You may have procrastinated and decided to wait until the very end to get a travel deal for the holidays. Even with that you can still find great travel deals during this time. You just need to know where to look. You can either contact the airlines, travel agencies or search on the internet. If traveling to Arizona, you can find apartments for rent in Gilbert that are in-par with five star hotels.
If you plan to travel during the holidays at the last minute, you may run into a snag if you choose dates that are considered “peak” periods. For major holidays, spring break and peak business hours, you may pay more because the demand may be higher.
Keep in mind that when you do travel, make sure to include a Saturday night stay. You can get some of the best airfare rates when you include a Saturday night stay.
ReCap
For people that like to look for last minute deals, the best way to ensure you get consistent information is through e-mails and subscription lists. These e-mails and lists provide daily and weekly updates with information that can help you get deals on last minute travel. You can be e-mailed information on airfare, hotels, car rentals and other things related to traveling. You can even get discounts online for tourist attractions.
It doesn’t matter where you want to go, you can always find travel deals at the last minute. Whatever you decide to do, make sure that you are ready and available to go at a moment’s notice. It can help you if you are able to change your itinerary at any time. Then you would have more choices available to you.
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