Last Minute Travel Deals

According to conventional wisdom, the only way to save money on travel is to book your trip far in advance. But
procrastinators can take heart. The Internet is a mecca
for bargains on last-minute travel. And while not ideal for
everyone, consider the fact that every week millions of
airline seats, hotel rooms and vacation packages go unsold.
This means that there are lots of last-minute discounts
to be found. So if you — and your family — can hang in
until the last minute to make your travel plans, the savings could be plentiful. Going once, going twice.

Jumping in on a travel auction can be a bit intimidating
at first. But if you stick to what you think the vacation
your bidding on is really worth, and don't get caught up
in the heat of the auction, then you can do really well.
One of the best-run travel auction sites is SkyAuction.com,
which offers everything from last-minute deals on airline
fares to packaged trips like African safaris and island
jaunts. SkyAuction.com lets you view a synopsis of each
vacation package before you start bidding. All bids
start at $1, but quickly escalate. You can see what
others have bid and then raise the bar or beg out.
To avoid rebidding every time you're outbid, use the
AutoBid feature. Type in the highest amount you want to
pay per ticket and, when necessary, AutoBid enters a
new bid for you until you reach your pre-designated
limit. If you've won the auction, your travel plans
come to you via e-mail. But watch out. AutoBid includes
tax and service charges, which can run as high as $195
per person.

If auctions make you nervous, there are other Web
sites that can help. LastMinuteTravel.com acts as
the middleman between you and a variety of travel
providers. You can view last-minute offerings from
multiple sources and, once you've made your decision,
LastMinuteTravel turns you over to the airline or hotel
to do the actual booking. The offerings are constantly
updated, so if you don't find your ideal vacation,
check back or put yourself on an alert list. Fill out
a form indicating what type of travel interests you,
then when the site offers a matching package, you'll
be alerted by e-mail.
Since everyone has his or her own definition of
last-minute travel, there's 11thHourVacations.com. Here,
you'll find vacations, cruises, special airfares and
hotels organized in three ways: for the early planner
(more than 30 days in advance), the last-minute traveler
(15 to 30 days), and the spontaneous journeyman. The
"My 11th Hour" form is similar to the one at
LastMinuteTravel.com, but much easier to use. This
site also has auctions, but they can be pricey. Unlike
SkyAuction.com, where all bids start at $1, the
bidding here can start at a whopping $500.
Once you get more experienced with online travel sites,
go visit Site59.com. This site is not as
straightforward as the others (and only had travel
available from 11 departing cities when we checked)
and has a lot more text on every page. Still, you'll
find some definite bargains at Site59.com, whether
you're looking for a spontaneous getaway, specific
events in major cities, or more indulgent
(read: expensive) travel escapes. A nice touch
is that the packages usually include offbeat
sightseeing suggestions.

What to know before you buy with an auction:

1. Read the newspapers and travel ads to find out
what tickets cost if purchased the old-fashioned way.

2. Travel agents often have good deals — consult one.

3. Remember that each discounted and auction package
has an extra tax and service charge, which is usually per person and over $100.

4. Remember that if an auction package is for two people, when you bid $300, you're really bidding $600.

5. Read the fine print regarding travel dates and refunds.

6. Always pay with a credit card — never with cash,
check, or money order.

7. Keep printed copies of all your correspondence — just in case there's a problem. Many people have heard of Priceline.com, which is sort of a reverse auction. You name a price you're willing to pay for a flight or hotel and they'll try to make it happen — but once you commit toPriceline.com you are left to their choice of airline carrier, number of stops and departure times.