Even though we are knee-deep in summer and you haven’t firmed up your vacation plans, fear not, you can still save money with these last-minute vacation planning tips from Nerdwallet.com.
Search lots of booking sites.
Those multi-search booking engines that promise to check rates every place under the sun all at once — they do. Yet their best rates can differ substantially. Try multiple multi-search engines including Trivago, Expedia, goSeek, Kayak, Hotels.com and any others you’ve had success with in the past.
But don’t stop there. Compare their rates with prices offered directly by the airline, hotel or car rental company. This late in the game, you just can’t know who’s most eager to earn your business. The only way to find out is to check.
Check different hotel dates before booking a flight (and vice versa).
If that big, beautiful beach resort you’ve been drooling over seems unusually expensive, search for slightly different travel dates. If your dates are flexible, you’re in a better position to save money
Check bundle deals.
If you’re lucky, packages that include both a hotel room and a flight can offer amazing last-minute travel deals. That’s because of wholesaling, in which large blocks of hotel rooms are purchased or reserved by a company that tries to resell them to you at a profit. If they buy too many, they may start slashing rates at the last minute.
Check the “vacations” or “package deals” option on airline websites, as well as with online travel agencies like Pleasant Holidays, Costco, Travelocity or Orbitz.
Don’t forget about vacation rentals.
Sites like VRBO.com and HomeAway.com offer a comprehensive, searchable database of privately owned vacation rentals that might be booked up by the time you’re planning a last-minute trip. But you won’t know until you look. And if they still have openings, private owners may be willing to cut their rates to fill rooms.
Know your airline’s 24-hour cancellation policy.
Unless you’re willing to pay a premium, most airfare is nonrefundable. But did you know that “nonrefundable” often doesn’t kick in until 24 hours after you’ve made your purchase? All major U.S. airlines will let you cancel for a full refund within 24 hours (they’re subject to rules from the Department of Transportation, which other booking sites may or may not follow).
Since last-minute travelers are navigating a landscape of wildly fluctuating prices, you might as well check fares one more time 23 hours after you book, just in case you find a better deal.
