Last-Minute Family Vacation Deals

Timika Lane wanted to take a last-minute trip with her 10-year-old daughter, Tori, “for some much-needed one-on-one time together.” But she found herself in a situation not unusual to professionals in need of a break. “I waited until the last minute because work was hectic and I didn’t have a lot of time to research trips,” says the 38-year-old Philadelphia attorney. Luckily, a friend suggested she carve out a couple of hours to sit down at the computer with a list of discount websites.

The suggestion paid off when Lane found a relatively inexpensive four-day trip to St. Thomas. The first price she came across was $1,700 for an all-inclusive package for two. After shopping around, however, “I ended up paying $600 less for the exact same package,” Lane says.

In an ideal world, we’d all devote months of planning and comparison shopping to find that dream vacation at just the right price. It is possible, however, to snag a last-minute travel deal if you know where to look. “When it’s the last minute, you have to be really flexible,” says Tawanna Browne Smith, a travel writer who pens the blog Mom’s Guide to Travel (http://momsguidetotravel.com). While you may need to look beyond your favorite hotel chain, or be ready to book at a moment’s notice, here are the keys to getting deals on airfare, hotels, cruises, and theme parks so you can get the rest and relaxation you need whenever the inspiration strikes.

Saving on airfare and hotels
With the rising costs of

fuel sending airfares higher in recent months, it may take a little extra searching to snag a great price. But if you have a few destinations in mind, sites such as Airfarewatchdog.com, will e-mail you alerts when prices reach certain parameters.

Others, like Cheapoair.com and Cheaptickets.com, provide information on last-minute trips and will e-mail new deals regularly. The key to taking advantage of such deals is to act quickly to lock in the deal, because prices can sometimes go back up in a matter of hours, says Smith. “Your cell phone would be the best device for you to use to get those price alert messages, but you have to act fast and be flexible on where you want to go.”

When it comes to finding deals on hotels, a number of sites provide discounts, including Hotels.com, SniqueAway.com, and Quikbook.com. Travel auction sites such as SkyAuction.com and LuxuryLink.com give you even more price control by letting you compete with other travelers to bid on trips and lodging. Hotels often discount rooms at the last minute when they have a lot of vacancies. So, checking in with a hotel chain’s website directly, or following its Twitter feed, can also alert you to deals.

Sites such as Travelzoo.com, Orbitz.com, and Expedia.com can clue you in to all-inclusive deals, which cover airfare and hotel and are popular among those heading to Caribbean destinations, Smith says.

You may also be eligible for discounts on the basis of where you work or clubs you belong to. Government and military

employees can find discounts at Govvacationrewards.com, whereas, membership clubs such as AAA and Costco also offer members access to travel discounts.
You can find the best last-minute deals in the fall, before the holiday season. “In the summertime getting 20% to 40% off fares is a great deal, but in September or October, I’m expecting 60% off,” says Smith.

Other ways to keep your travel arrangements within budget:

Be open to travel dates. Be willing to travel any day of the week, suggests Kelly Merritt, culinary travel author of The Everything Family Guide to Budget Travel (Adams Media; $14.95). The least expensive flights are often on Mondays through Thursdays. “Sometimes just one or two days can mean a savings of hundreds of dollars,” Merritt says.

Know that frequent flier miles may not pay off. Unless you have racked up enough points to pay for your last-minute trip, sticking with the same airline doesn’t guarantee you the lowest price. In fact, check to see if two one-way fares on different airlines trump the cost of a round-trip price, Merritt suggests.

Know the best days to book. While you can find a deal any day of the week, the cheapest fares are typically posted on Tuesday and Wednesday, Smith says.

Sailing the seas on a dime
Since the recession hit, the number of cruise passengers has dipped, leaving many unfilled cruise ships and a glut of lower prices, says Roy Witman, vice president of marketing for Yonkers, New York-based Cruise Vacation Center. Cruises leaving from Europe will

see the greatest discounts at the end of the summer, with 80% discounts possible. “They’re also offering reduced airfare to Europe and other extras to try to get people from the U.S. and Canada to go on European cruises,” says Witman.

To make sure you book the right cruise at the best deal:
Prepare to move fast. If you can go with less than a week’s notice, you may be able to take advantage of the fact that empty cabins are lost money. “If the ship has a lot of capacity left, they’re going to discount it. They want to fill those cabins,” says Witman.

Be willing to split up. If you’re traveling with a large or extended family and need more than one cabin, you may have to stay in separate areas of the ship. “If you want to stay together on a ship then you have to book very early,” Witman says.

Consult more than one source. Checking with a cruise line directly may not yield the best results, says Witman. Travel agencies that specialize in cruises may offer a better deal because they receive commissions from cruise lines and “an agency can rebate some of that commission back to the consumer,” Witman says. Websites such as Vacationstogo.com and Cruise.com can also provide information on last-minute deals.

Theme park tickets without the pinch
When it comes to getting the best prices on theme parks, social media is the way to go, says Robert Niles, editor of the consumer guide Theme Park Insider (www.themeparkinsider.com).

“Theme parks are trying to build up their followers, and one of the ways they’re doing that is by offering a lot of last-minute deals to their Facebook fans and Twitter followers,” says Niles.

More ways to save on amusement parks:
Check your memberships. Auto and shopping clubs such as AAA and Costco often provide discounted theme park rates to members. Check with your human resources department since some companies offer employees access to discounted tickets as a benefit. Members of certain credit unions may also qualify for discounted tickets as well, Niles says. If you’ve booked a hotel, check to see if they can help. “Anyplace that has an activities desk may have some theme park discount tickets,” Niles says.

Think mid-season. If the summer’s halfway over, many regional theme parks will reduce prices by as much as half price. “They’re trying to get people to come back for a second visit,” says Niles.

Look for other incentives. Some of the biggest theme park companies such as Disney Parks or Universal are less likely to offer huge discounts on ticket prices up front. However, they may offer coupons, which can lower your costs for food or merchandise at the park.

Whichever type of last-minute vacation you’re planning, never stop at the first price you see. “It’s like buying a car,” says Witman. “You don’t go to one dealer, you go to five or six and see what the cheapest price is because they’re not all the same.”