Tips for Traveling Cheaply at the Last Minute
Conventional travel wisdom has it that you should do plenty of homework before traveling, and you need to book your trip well in advance. There are times when you just don’t have this luxury. In addition, maybe you are a spur of the moment type of person. You prefer to decide and go. Whatever, your reasons, you do not have to give up on cheap travel deals just because you are traveling at the last minute. Here are some tips for cheap travel on short notice.
All of the major travel websites offer last minute deals. In addition, there are sites that specialize in cheap last minute bookings. Be careful though, as some last minute sites specialize in finding availability, not in offering low prices. As you wander through a few of these sites, look for what they think constitutes last minute. For example, each may have a different attitude toward which days of the week are considered off-peak and therefore are cheaper. The criterion varies between websites.
The number one way to find last minute deals is to be flexible. This applies not only to the selection of your travel dates, but also to the level of service you desire, and even to the destination. If you plan to go skiing in the American west for example, and you are willing to go to just about anywhere in the American west, you dramatically increase your odds of finding a cheap deal. If the best hotel in town is the only one at which you will stay, then you are stuck hoping that their discount plan matches your timetable.
Use some common sense. Business travel destinations tend to be crowded on weekdays and conversely, tourist designations are busier on weekends. Try to book around these facts.
In many cases, your best bet for cheap travel is to choose a package deal. Tour operators assemble entire all-inclusive packages. If they do not sell out, they will offer the whole package as a cheap deal but will rarely go to the trouble of selling the individual components separately. Sometimes the package is cheaper even if you do not use some its parts.
You also need to be decisive. If you are a procrastinator, you will be better off with advance planning. You need to be able to jump at the deal when it is right. Deep discounts don’t stay around for long.
Having said that, don’t jump without all the facts. In particular, know the details before you commit. Packages that only vaguely describe their offering, without specific reference to brand names and locations should be avoided.
Many last minute deals don’t allow for mileage points. If the price is good enough, this may not be a problem. You just need to know so you are making an informed decision. In some cases, when miles are not mentioned, you will not get them unless you ask at the time of booking.
Last minute travel can still be cheap travel. You need to be flexible and decisive but it can be done.