Many people are dreaming about flying to an international destination on their next holiday, and in this article I’ll show you how to take advantage of last minute travel offers
Planning that getaway easily turns into a stressful task especially when they start checking out the travel costs. Plane tickets on their own are a turn-off. And once people take a closer look at accommodation, food, and visiting costs, lots of them decide to give up and look somewhere closer to home. But if travelers decide to leave planning aside and live on the spur of the moment, last minute travel tickets offer great opportunities!
Please keep in mind that last minute flights are not only for cutting vacation costs. Sometimes, this is a necessary choice, when tragedy strikes and people have to visit a sick relative or friend, or even attend a funeral. In the latter situation, one should also try to contact the airline company, to see if they qualify for a special discount on their plane tickets. Some form of proof will be required, so one should find out what documentation is needed to receive this type of lower fare.
How does last minute travel work?
Airline companies have been losing money and shutting down at an incredible rate recently. Each empty seat means lost income, so it’s only natural that they will do their best to fill up their planes before take-off. To convince travelers to book flights on short notice, they offer discounted seats as an incentive.
Most last minute flight deals are published 3-14 days prior to the departure date. As the remaining seats are few, last minute tickets can disappear within minutes, so you really need to check fares frequently or set up price alerts.
Of course, you can’t always count on getting those discounted last seats. Be careful, because waiting for last minute deals can mean losing your flight and paying more to book the next available one if the rest of your travel plans aren’t flexible. Last minute travel is always a lottery.
Book last minute travel through an agency
To avoid the scary planning part of your vacation, it’s probably best to contact a travel agency. They have worldwide partnerships, so they are better equipped than you to obtain better rates and extra holiday deals. You can check with big and small travel agencies. Size doesn’t really matter, because small travel agencies can have great partnerships, too.
What you should keep an eye out for is the feedback the agency received from dealers and clients. The clients are travelers like yourself who enlisted the agency’s services for their past trips. Dealers are those individuals with whom the travel agency deals when purchasing items like affordable hotel rooms or cheap plane tickets. Take a look at the reviews available online to get an idea about how the travel agency operates. You’ll soon learn if they can deliver on their advertised promises. If they truly are professional, contact them about last minute tickets!
Look for last minute tickets on the internet
If you prefer to be more independent when it comes to booking your vacation, you can always look for last minute travel deals on the internet. Last minute tickets are always available on the travel websites and flight aggregators at pretty good prices. You just need to know where to look for those plane tickets online.
Though finding last minute tickets is easy, it’s more difficult to find cheap flights that get you to your destination when and where you want. However, if you’re flexible with your travel plans, last minute deals are amazing! For example, if there aren’t any last minute travel deals in your area, you could consider switching airports. Sure, you may have to spend more time getting to that airport, but you could save tens or even hundreds of dollars.
Last minute deals right from the airline companies
You can always call the airlines one by one in search of last minute tickets, right before you leave. An alternative is to check availability on their official websites. Low cost airlines are more lenient with their last minute tickets than the larger air carriers. So naturally, they’re a good place to look for low cost flights. A bit of shopping around the internet will help with price comparison among airlines. Keep in mind to also review their terms and conditions, as some may offer fewer perks than others for last minute travel (e.g. no refund policy).
Sometimes, last minute travel is necessary. Most times, however, travelers prefer to take advantage of discounted last minute tickets to see another city or country. The latter tend to be more spontaneous and love the freedom of traveling on a whim. For some, money may not even be an issue. For most, though, last minute travel is the opportunity to take advantage of special deals and travel perks offered by travel companies.
Mirela Letailleur is a Romanian travel blogger living in the South of France. She writes on The Travel Bunny travel blog about affordable travel in Europe, creator of unique free travel guides, local travel expert. Problem solver. Wannabe coffee guru.
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