Last Minute Vacations

Last Minute Vacations

Many savvy travelers take advantage of last minute deals by scheduling their vacation time as normal, and within a two week period of their travel date start looking for their perfect budget vacation. All of the most popular destinations have hotel rooms that have not been filled, and many air flights are not fully booked. These deals come when hotels realize they still have inventory, and airline seats are still available within two weeks of any travel date, or less. At this point, both hotels and airlines are willing to offer deep discounts for those who can take advantage.

Let’s say you have your vacation time scheduled, are on a tight budget, but want a fabulous beach vacation somewhere in the sunny Caribbean. Your vacation is just two weeks away, and when you start looking through the last minute vacation offerings, your main dilemma may be choosing from the vast array of vacation choices.

If you have your heart set on a particular destination, last minute vacations may not deliver what you desire. However, occasionally you can hit the jackpot and get your desired vacation, along with a great savings. Last minute deals offer at least 60 or more vacations from any major departure city for deals in the Caribbean, U.S. along with many international destinations. Most deals come packaged with roundtrip airfare, hotel and include all taxes - so the price you see is the price you will pay. Many travelers have found great destinations at the final hour they would not have chosen otherwise.

Scheduling your vacation time, and waiting to within two weeks of travel to find the best deal is not for the faint of heart, or the hard core vacation planners. If you are the type that has to know exactly where you are going, and which particular hotel you will be staying, last minute trips are obviously not for you. However for the more adventuresome and budget minded, just viewing all the available trips you can take can be quite exciting.

A young couple recently had tentative plans of a vacation in Toronto, Canada, and ended up in Paris, France for the same amount of money they had originally planned to spend. Another group of friends thought Mexico would be the perfect destination, but ended up saving over $350 per person on a great vacation in Aruba. Two longtime friends had their limited budgets set on Jamaica, and one week before they were scheduled to go on vacation, the lucked out and found the perfect Jamaican hideaway.

Another target group for last minute vacations are the people that love last minute vacations. Many of the vacation time frames fit perfectly into a long weekend, and getting away at the spur of the moment with a great savings is quite an attractive proposal. It’s refreshing to take Thursday and Friday off from work, and spend three or four days on a mini vacation, and come back to work completely refreshed the following Monday. Other vacationers save all year long, and take three or four mini last minute vacations within a year. These travelers know the value of a dollar, and they stretch what some travelers pay for a typical one week vacation into three or four mini vacations, all in exciting destinations.

Other great excuses for last minute trips are job stress, just plain boredom, or Spring has not arrived soon enough for those who have endured the snow and ice. Others take off right before the holidays with extra days off from work, providing the perfect opportunity for a mini vacation.

So while there are many reasons last minute trips are popular with travelers, they all share one common goal - savings up to 70% on their vacations.

Linda Thompkins is a Caribbean travel consultant, and owner of Travel 2 the Caribbean online agency. Linda has traveled extensively throughout the Caribbean, and has been in business for over eight years. Travel 2 the Caribbean offers last minute vacations, custom vacations, resorts, cruises, along with being an information site about the islands of the Caribbean.

Visit the site at: http://www.travel2thecaribbean.com

Last Minute Vacations

Really Cheap Plane Tickets

Really Cheap Plane Tickets

To begin with, the best place to buy really cheap plane tickets is online. Travel agencies can't compete with discount ticket sites. Search Google ("cheap airfare south america", for example), or try the well-known sites, like Expedia, Travelocity, Cheap Tickets, Hotwire or Priceline.

Just now I checked fares from Tucson, Arizona to Traverse City, Michigan on the five sites mentioned above. The cheapest quotes ranged from $704 to $432. Nevermind which was cheapest (oh, okay, it was Expedia), because you never know from day to day which sites will find the cheapest flights.

Check at least three places. In this case, it would mean a savings of $272. The flight durations are within minutes of each other, by the way, and the food is probably equally bad on all the flights.

Flexibility For Even Cheaper Airfare

The more flexible you are, the better your chance of getting a really cheap plane tickets. Try different departure and return dates if you can. Check the box "2 or more connecting flights".

Mark the "anytime" departure, even if you don't want to leave at midnight - the savings might change your mind. Try all the options. If the savings aren't enough, you can always book first class, direct flights, or whatever you prefer.

Really Cheap Plane Tickets - More Ways

You can buy two tickets. The cheapest airfare from Grand Rapids, Michigan to Tucson, Arizona costs $451 roundtrip right now. Las Vegas to Tucson is only $161, however, and there are regular $199 specials to Vegas from Grand Rapids. It's up to you whether saving $91 is worth booking two flights. (It saved us over $1000 when we went to South America.) There is the problem of whether you'll get a refund if your timing is off on the connections (you probably won't).

Check for package deals, where you pay for plane tickets and your hotel room. I haven't had much luck with these deals, but it can't hurt to look at them.

Buying ahead of time gets you cheaper plane tickets. Any thing less than a week away tends to be expensive, although you never can tell in the mysterious realm of airfare pricing. Sometimes the "last minute specials" are the best thing going.

Priceline still has their "Name Your Own Price" feature. Make your bid, and the airlines say yes or no, depending on whether they have empty seats to fill. First search for the cheapest tickets you can find, then bid lower than that. If your bid is rejected, you can return to the website where you found the best deal and book it.

If You're Really Cheap

My wife and I once took a bus from Michigan to Miami, and flew from there to Ecuador. For us at that time, saving a couple hundred dollars was worth 38 hours on a bus. This won't save you much on domestic flights. Right now, for example, taking a bus from Traverse City to Detroit, then flying to Los Angeles, would only save about $70 (allowing for cab fare to the airport) over flying directly.

There are other options beyond the scope of this article. Courier flights, for example, can be a great deal if you don't mind letting a company use your baggage allowance (you get carry-on only). There are also stand-by deals and last minute deals and other ways to get really cheap plane tickets. Good luck!

Steve Gillman hit the road at sixteen, and traveled the U.S. and Mexico alone at 17. Now 40, he travels with his wife Ana, whom he met in Ecuador. For more on cheap plane tickets, and to read their stories, tips and travel information, visit: http://www.EverythingAboutTravel.com

Really Cheap Plane Tickets

Travel Industry Secrets

Travel Industry Secrets

Become a travel agent and save 50-75% on flights and hotels. Becoming a travel agent is quick and easy if you know how. In fact, with Travel Industry Secrets, you'll actually become a licensed Travel Agent in about twenty minutes…it's that quick and it's that easy! Click here to learn how.

Last Minute Travel Deal Tip #5

Last Minute Travel Deal Tip #5

Put it on paper. Get the details of your vacation in writing. Get a copy of the company’s cancellation and refund policies, and ask “What if...?” Consider whether some form of travel cancellation insurance may be appropriate.

Last Minute Travel Deal Tip #4

Last Minute Travel Deal Tip #4

Verify and clarify. Call to verify your reservations and arrangements. Get the details behind vague promises that you’ll be staying at a “five-star” resort or sailing on a “luxury” cruise ship. When you have the names, addresses and telephone numbers of the airlines, car rental companies, and hotels you’ll be using, confirm all arrangements for yourself.

Last Minute Travel Deal Tip #3

Last Minute Travel Deal Tip #3

Be on the alert for the telltale signs of a travel scam. Unsolicited faxes or emails for deeply discounted travel packages promise the world. But the fraudsters behind these offers will leave you at the gate.

Last Minute Travel Deal Tip #2

Last Minute Travel Deal Tip #2

Buy your vacation package from a business you have confidence in. Ask family and friends to recommend a company with a good track record. Think twice if you can’t get a person on the phone to answer your questions or if the ad doesn’t give the company’s street address.

Contact the state Attorney General, consumer protection agency and Better Business Bureau where you live and where the company is based to see if there is a history of complaints on file.

Last Minute Travel Deal Tip #1

Last Minute Travel Deal Tip #1

Compare low-cost carriers with major carriers that fly to your destination. Remember, the best fares may not be out of the airport closest to you.

You may save by including a Saturday evening stay-over or by purchasing the ticket at least 14 days in advance. Ask which days of the week and times of the day have the lowest fare.

Even if you are using a travel agent, check airline and Internet travel sites, and look for special deals. If you call, always ask for the lowest fare to your destination.