Travel Tips: How to find the best last-minute flight & hotel deals
Planned a holiday at the last hour and looking for last-minute deals on flights and hotels? Last-minute deals can be tricky – there is no textbook rule about how to snag the cheapest flight ticket and hotel. Most experts would tell you that planning a month – ideally, two weeks or more – is the best both in terms of availability and price. However, you can still get last-minute deals depending on various factors – season, dates, and destination. Flexible travel dates and off-peak seasons can lead to significant savings on flights and accommodation.
Will last-minute deals be cheaper? Possibly. It’s all down to supply and demand. If you’re booking a hotel in a quiet destination at a quiet time of year, there’ll likely be a steady stream of rooms available, so a last-minute booking will be cheaper. If you’re booking somewhere in a busy destination at a busy time of year, booking in advance will likely save you money, according to Skyscanner.
Here are some tips to get the best last-minute deals, including flights, hotels and holiday packages:
• Be flexible: If you are planning a trip just days in advance, the more flexible you are on dates, times and even destinations, the more likely you are to get a good deal.
• Try ‘anyhwere’ on search engines: Search engines like Google Travel and KAYAK let you search for flights to “anywhere”, a bonus when looking for cheap last-minute deals.
• Skyscanner’s ‘Everywhere’: Try Skyscanner’s ‘Everywhere’ search that lets you find some of the cheapest fares out there for your chosen dates. To find last-minute tickets, just pop your chosen dates in and hit ‘search’ to see a list of the cheapest last-minute flights to anywhere in the world.
• Skyscanner’s ‘Whole Month’: Skyscanner offers a “Whole Month” search feature that allows travellers to find the most affordable dates to fly within a specific month, along with additional deals.
• Keep checking: If you do need a very last-minute flight, don’t give up! Keep checking back on fares – they could suddenly drop in the days before the flight departs.
• Low-traffic days: Travelling on low-traffic days (Wednesday or Thursday) might be easier on your wallet.
• High-frequency routes: Look for high-frequency routes, for example, New York, Bangkok, for last-minute deals, as they usually have more flight availability at a moment’s notice.
• Nearby airports: To find cheap last-minute flights, try expanding your search to include nearby airports. The nearby airport might be a few miles away, but that distance can turn into great savings. The nearby airport options are now offered on most online search sites.
• 21-day rule: Heard of the 21-day rule? Best prices tend to drop off once the flight is less than three weeks out, which is usually referred to as the 21-Day Rule.
• Frequent flyer miles: Burn your frequent flyer miles for last-minute flights because airlines sometimes release unsold seats as cheaper-than-normal mileage tickets. Don’t just check online for these deals; talk to the airlines’ customer care or initiate a chat with a representative online.
• Booking hotels: Booking hotels is different from booking flights. Hotels generally offer last-minute discounts on rooms, especially in big cities or during off-peak seasons.
• Price drop websites: For the best last-minute hotel deals, try HotelTonight, which specialises in discounted last-minute stays; or Hopper, which predicts when hotel rates are about to drop.
• Call the hotel directly: Another very good option for getting last-minute hotel deals is to call the hotel directly – front desk staff might have access to exclusive last-minute discounts.
• Travelpricedrops.com: For last-minute hotel deals, go to travelpricedrops.com, which searches hotel and travel booking sites across the web to find the world’s lowest prices.
• Bundle deals: Packages that include both a hotel room and a flight can offer amazing last-minute travel deals. Check ‘vacations’ or ‘package deals’ option on airline websites, as well as with online travel agencies.
• Check fares before Cancellation slot: Most airlines allow you to cancel a flight within 24 hours after you have booked the flight. Check fares one more time 23 hours after you book, just in case you find a better deal.
• Expedia: When you’re searching for last-minute hotel deals, you’ll be able to see the discounts on the thumbnail for each hotel. Look above the price, and you’ll see a green section that states the percentage you’ll be saving by booking last-minute with the hotel in question. For example, you may find a hotel in Delhi with a green section saying ‘Save 20% now’.
• Check blackout dates: Most luxury hotels have blackout dates; check that before booking.
• Can you cancel last-minute deals?: If you need to cancel your holiday rental or hotel for any reason, you’ll find several cancellation options available. In fact, some of the hotels come with free cancellation. When you’re searching for hotels, ones with free cancellation will say the words in green text just above the review rating, according to Expedia.
• Bank deals: Check whether the airline or OTA is offering deals on the bank through which you intend to pay. For example, on the Deals tab on MakeMyTrip.com, you will find a Bank Deals sidebar that mentions how much discount you can get on payment through a particular bank.
