Last Minute Discount Travel - How to Save Bundles on Your Next Trip
Last minute discount travel is one of those travel legends that ends up burning more people than it helps.
As a travel agent, I've spend countless hours persuading my clients that the best time to buy their flights is now, only to watch them procrastinate and wind up paying hundreds of dollars more next week.
However, it is possible to secure great discounts on last minute travel, provided you are flexible on your dates and destinations.
Here is some hard-won advice on how to secure the best last minute travel specials: Check with the specialists.
The aptly named lastminutetravel.
com provides up to date information on where the best deals are.
You can also locate bargains at Travelocity's last minute section (though it isn't as robust as the rest of the stie).
Make sure that you price out each option (i.
e.
select the flights and add them to your shopping cart); prices fluctuate constantly, and you want to make sure you aren't offered a great deal that is sold out.
Once you've found a few options and priced them out, contact a travel agent, and see if they can beat those fares.
Sometimes they will have those flights reserved for someone else that cancelled, and are more than happy to slide you into the cheaper, previous fare.
Broaden your horizons (and your options).
It is a well known fact in the travel industry that the more flexible you are, the better deals you can find.
Last minute discount travel depends on two factors: time and location.
If you can free up both of these, you are guaranteed a great deal.
If you have to choose one over the other, I recommend freeing up your destination.
One of my more adventurous clients routinely deposits money into what he refers to as his "travel fund.
" When he finds a deal that is too good to turn down (such as SFO to Hungary for 199, round trip) he has a reserve to pay for it.
Granted, he is self employed, and not everyone can manage to leave the country at the drop of a hat; however, you can use this strategy for any vacation you may have.
What's more exciting than having no idea where you're going until a few days beforehand?.
Even if you are committed to a single destination, it's always best to price out the trip a few days in either direction (a few weeks is even better).
Airlines price their fares according to supply and demand: during the high season you can easily pay five hundred dollars more on an international flight than you would during the low season.
No real shock there.
However, you should consider the shoulder season (the season in between high and low seasons) of the route you are looking at.
Sometimes, just by changing your departure date a week later, you can escape the high season and pay shoulder season fares.
Check out FareCompare.
com to determine what the prices are during a given time period; they also have a section that shows the best deals from your home airport, which helps you secure the best last minute discount travel deals.
As a travel agent, I've spend countless hours persuading my clients that the best time to buy their flights is now, only to watch them procrastinate and wind up paying hundreds of dollars more next week.
However, it is possible to secure great discounts on last minute travel, provided you are flexible on your dates and destinations.
Here is some hard-won advice on how to secure the best last minute travel specials: Check with the specialists.
The aptly named lastminutetravel.
com provides up to date information on where the best deals are.
You can also locate bargains at Travelocity's last minute section (though it isn't as robust as the rest of the stie).
Make sure that you price out each option (i.
e.
select the flights and add them to your shopping cart); prices fluctuate constantly, and you want to make sure you aren't offered a great deal that is sold out.
Once you've found a few options and priced them out, contact a travel agent, and see if they can beat those fares.
Sometimes they will have those flights reserved for someone else that cancelled, and are more than happy to slide you into the cheaper, previous fare.
Broaden your horizons (and your options).
It is a well known fact in the travel industry that the more flexible you are, the better deals you can find.
Last minute discount travel depends on two factors: time and location.
If you can free up both of these, you are guaranteed a great deal.
If you have to choose one over the other, I recommend freeing up your destination.
One of my more adventurous clients routinely deposits money into what he refers to as his "travel fund.
" When he finds a deal that is too good to turn down (such as SFO to Hungary for 199, round trip) he has a reserve to pay for it.
Granted, he is self employed, and not everyone can manage to leave the country at the drop of a hat; however, you can use this strategy for any vacation you may have.
What's more exciting than having no idea where you're going until a few days beforehand?.
Even if you are committed to a single destination, it's always best to price out the trip a few days in either direction (a few weeks is even better).
Airlines price their fares according to supply and demand: during the high season you can easily pay five hundred dollars more on an international flight than you would during the low season.
No real shock there.
However, you should consider the shoulder season (the season in between high and low seasons) of the route you are looking at.
Sometimes, just by changing your departure date a week later, you can escape the high season and pay shoulder season fares.
Check out FareCompare.
com to determine what the prices are during a given time period; they also have a section that shows the best deals from your home airport, which helps you secure the best last minute discount travel deals.
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