These days, going on a nice vacation is even affordable to people who are working with a tight budget thanks to the increased popularity of last minute holiday packages. Of course you have to do some homework and make sure that the package you are booking is indeed a last minute deal. I find that some of the travel agents now slap a “last minute” label on a package and try to promote it as such. But don’t worry, there really are last minute deals out there as long as you keep your eyes out for them. Stick with the reputable agents and airlines, and you will snag that last minute deal.
My first real vacation was a last minute deal and it was only booked two days prior to our flight. I was happy because it was under $1,000, it was at a 5-star resort (that’s Mexican 5 stars, not Dubai 5 stars), and it was an all-inclusive resort. But the only downside was that the travel agent only gave us a few options for that price range and in that region of Mexico that we wanted to visit. So t hat’s the thing with last minute deals, you have to compromise.
Pros and Cons of Last Minute Vacations
The first and best advantage of a last-minute deal of course is the financial benefits which allow even broke college students to take some time off from their partying studies and go on a little getaway. A lot of these hotels and airlines don’t have a problem with lowering the prices of the seats and rooms in order to fill them up. Better to have smaller income from these vacancies then no income.
Earlier, I complained that there weren’t many options available to my friend and I when we booked our tickets. There are great last minute vacations to be found during off-season and during high season but it is definitely more challenging during the high-season. When I went to Mexico, it was January (high-season) so that’s why options were limited. But with that being said, I still got a great location at a great price. I was happy at the end of the day.
I don’t know whether you would consider unexpected adventure a pro or a con but sometimes you may face unexpected adventure when dealing with last minute vacation deals. Because you want to take your vacation ASAP and have a limited budget to work with, you may end up booking a vacation to a place you would not expect. You had your heart set on Mexico but you end up in Jamaica. It’s not what you wanted (con) but you ended up having a fantastic time (pro). Or if things go really bad, not only did you not go to your destination of choice but you also had a terrible time (big con). That likely won’t happen but anything is possible. Tackle your last-minute vacation adventure with a positive attitude and you’ll have a fantastic time.
If you see something advertised as “last-minute” a few weeks or months before booking date, it likely is not a real deal. The only way to find out if you’re getting a last-minute deal is if you keep an eye on the price a couple of months in advance (if you have the time for that) and compare a few days before you actually book something and look for the price difference. There are good deals out there and if you are having trouble finding some, visit your local travel agent and see if they can get you something.
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