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Got the travel bug? The start of summer is here and you may be itching for an impromptu weekend getaway. But airfares on last-minute bookings are sky-high, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find competitively priced hotels — or so you think.
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Here are some great ways to save big on last-minute travel.
Although booking through travel sites may seem like a good idea, you may be missing out on some benefits that could save you money later. For example, many hotels offer loyalty points, which can earn you free room upgrades and even free stays. With travel sites, you can’t always count on these types of rewards.
Another reason to book direct is that comparison sites make at least some of their revenue from bookings. Therefore, you may be paying more for the convenience of using those sites. Some hotels actively encourage direct bookings. For example, the Portola Hotel & Spa in Monterey, California offers a best rate guarantee to guests who book through its website.
Meanwhile, airlines can help you book vacation packages. United Vacations offers an online portal for vacationers and bookings over the phone. The service helps you book flight tickets, accommodation and car rental. It offers a great value guarantee to ensure your holiday is the cheapest.
1. Look for last minute deals
Certain travel sites offer special and last-minute deals for a limited time for casual travelers. You can get discounts for low cost vacation travel.
Travelocity, for example, dedicates a portion of its site to last-minute getaways. The site recently offered a one-way plane ticket from New York’s JFK Airport to the Bahamas on June 9 for $302. That’s much cheaper than booking direct with American Airlines, where a round-trip ticket on the same weekend costs $646.
TravelZoo offers last minute deals that offer low prices on cruises. For example, the offer was an all-inclusive trip to Punta Cana with airfare starting at $519 per person.
Start your search for vacation packages on Expedia and Travelocity. Even if you don’t find the perfect travel deal, you can find inspiration for a weekend getaway, such as Las Vegas or Boston. An all-inclusive Expedia package to Cancun costs $487 per person.
For car rentals Alamo has a section for last minute specials. Simply enter your pick-up location and travel date and you’ll see rates on different vehicle categories. These specials are available at one hour’s notice.
2. Check out Groupon and Costco travel
Costco is known for its discounts on bulk items, and Groupon is famous for its deals on tourist attractions and local services, such as massages and fitness classes. However, don’t ignore these offline and online resources to book cheap travel.
While Groupon offers vacation deals across the US, its international vacation packages are top-notch. A deal with Tuscany costs $699 per person and includes hotels and airfare.
Although Sam’s Club discontinued its travel services as of 2017, Costco still offers cruises and vacations. A three-night cruise from Sydney starts at $204 per person.
Even the Costco site has a section for last-minute shipping deals. Travelers who receive Costco Cash cards following their vacation can access Carnival, Celebrity, Disney and Royal Caribbean cruises.
3. Use mobile applications
You may be used to planning travel on your home computer, but if you neglect to use mobile apps, you may be paying extra on your reservations.
Although research from Skyscanner debunks the travel myth that sites inflate prices based on your browser cookies, mobile apps and email newsletters offer exclusive deals to subscribers — and these resources give you even more access to deals on your dream vacation destination.
Mahesh Chadha, founder of hotel booking website Reservations.com, agrees. He recommends using apps, as “many hotels offer limited discounts only to mobile users.” After all, these brands want to incentivize you to use their apps whenever you check pricing—and good deals are one way to keep them active.
Not sure which apps to download? Travelocity and Orbitz are good options. Each of them offers mobile exclusive offers through their apps.
4. Compare store dates and airports
The best way to plan a trip is to allow some flexibility in your schedule. Not considering exact dates will help you get the best deal.
A roundtrip Spirit Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Seattle on Friday, June 2 and a return trip on Monday, June 5 costs $226, but you’ll save $28 if you leave on Saturday instead.
Similarly, if you are flying to or from a major city, you can find cheap plane tickets to nearby airports. A weekend trip from Dallas to Miami costs $728 on American Airlines for the same dates listed above. However, if you leave Fort Lauderdale (a 30-minute drive from Miami), the price is only $238.
5. Traveling to less known destinations
If it’s Monday and you can’t wait until the weekend to scratch that travel itch, there’s no reason why you can’t be a little flexible with where you travel.
A flight to Las Vegas can be hard to beat. From Los Angeles to Reno, Nev. And you’ll find prices as far away as Atlantic City, NJ, which cost hundreds of thousands on the last weekend in February. But who says you have to fly to Vegas to gamble? The picturesque town is great for photo ops, but if you’re looking for a wild weekend of gambling, drinking and dancing the night away, there’s nothing stopping you from booking a room at the local casino and downtown club.
But if you want to get out of the city, look for lesser-known destinations. Going from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles to hit the beach will cost you about $150 from June 9-12. It will only cost you $115 to go from Salt Lake City to San Diego, and you can still visit the beach.
No matter when and where you plan to travel, you can find many ways to save on bookings. Use online comparison sites to find the best deals, and then call hotels and airlines directly for the best rates. Check out lesser-known travel destinations and use mobile apps to find special deals. That way, you can rest easy knowing you got the best deal.
More rates from GOBANking
Saba Karimi and Sam DiSalvo contributed to this article’s reporting.
This article originally appeared on GObankingRates.com: How to book last minute travel plans on the cheap
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