Last Minute Bargains for a Spontaneous Trip
There are some exceptions to the “do not wait until the last minute to book “rule. Airlines often release last-minute sale fares at rock-bottom prices for flights they haven't filled to entice customers to take a spontaneous weekend trip. If you're just looking to get away, this might be an option for you.
The major airlines (American, Continental, Delta, Northwest, United and US Airways) and smaller airlines (Alaska, America West, Frontier, Spirit and many others) all release last-minute sale fares on Mondays, Tuesdays or Wednesdays for travel in the days and weeks ahead. Last-minute airfares usually depart on Fridays, Saturdays, or Sundays, and return on Sundays through Wednesdays.
Most of the airlines mentioned will send e-mail newsletters with each week's last-minute airfares to flyers who have signed up on their websites. A good way to monitor all of the airlines' last-minute fare sales is to sign up for SmarterTravel.com’s free last-minute airfare newsletters.
Most last-minute airfares don't have an advance booking requirement, allowing you to book right before you fly. Even so, if you see a fare you like, you should book as soon as possible, as the last-minute specials are very limited and sell out quickly. A fare you see in the morning will often be sold out by the afternoon. Even if you're interested in a fare for next weekend, book it right away, because it most likely won't be available for long.
Keep an eye on the last-minute airfares that are released every week for your city, and you'll begin to notice patterns. Competing airlines will generally offer last-minute fares on similar routes. For example, America West almost always matches Southwest's last-minute fares on every route. Watch for patterns and know which airlines serve your city, and which cities are airline hubs. That way, you'll know which airlines are likely to offer low prices on your route.
If you can't find a last-minute airfare that suits your needs, bundling air and hotel is another way to save money. An increasing number of websites are now devoted to offering last-minute vacation packages at low prices. Packages vary widely: weekend or weeklong; air-and-hotel, air-and-car or hotel-and-extras; domestic or international. There are dozens of websites offering last-minute packages, but two that are especially user-friendly are 11th Hour Vacations and Site59.