Last Minute Vacations
Last Minute Vacations are perfect for grabbing an advertised deal on airfares or hotels. Of course you have to be flexible and maybe a little bit adventurous as you won’t have a lot of time to plan.
But, think what fun it is to just jet off to some destination on an impulse.
For some folks, it is a delight to be able to take Thursday and Friday off from work and spend three or four days on a mini vacation — a great way to recharge your batteries.
If last minute getaways appeal to you, start planning a little ahead. Start a “fun money” account so that when an opportunity shows itself you have funds ready and available to use.
The best rates on airfare and hotels are generally found for midweek travel so you may need to be able to add another day or two. Adding hotel and even a rental car to your flight can add up to an even better deal especially with the airline booking agencies.
Additionally, mid morining or early afternoon flights may be less expensive . Plus, you will have avoided the long lines at checkin and security as the busiest times are between 5:30 and 8:30 am thanks to all the business travelers and the early overseas flights.
Check-in lines are longer if you’re checking luggage and more so if you’re travelling internationally, so try to limit your packing to one carryon and a tote or a computer case doubling as a tote. (See the tips on “packing light” in the archives).
Security lines will be unbearably slow even if you have a “preferred check-in” pass– gold or platinum level elite airline cards.
So plan your departure time for mid-morning or early afternoon and give yourself plenty of time to check in — here’s where those airline lounge passes come in handy.
Alternatively, if you’d love a mini vacation and want to plan ahead, here are a few tips to make your search easier:
1) After deciding on a location, search the online travel booking agencies for hotel and flight combinations, add a rental car if you’ll need one.
2) Not sure where you want to go but desperate to get away? Check the vacation deals they offer.
3) Compare prices by going to the airline websites.
4) If there are great deals on flights, search for hotel deals in the area.
Check out the hotel locations carefully even though they seem to offer a great deal — you don’t want to be stuck near the airport, several miles from the town center or the beach.
5) Save research time by using one of those “meta-search” sites like Kayak or Momondo which will compare several online booking agencies at the same time.
6) Or, join the online booking agencies –Expedia, Orbitz, Travelocity (to name a few) and you’ll get frequent alerts on travel deals of the day, the month, and even the country.
So, start dreaming of those places that would be perfect for rejuvenating your spirits, or just simply great for having a relaxing few days, do your research, pack your bags and have fun when you get there.
