Ah, the last-minute holiday.
Once upon a time you’d waltz into the travel agent with nothing more than your trusty two piece and a credit card, emerging 10 minutes later with a crackin’ deal to the Costa Del Sol for less than a night out.
Unfortunately, those days are gone, thanks to increased demand, rising fuel costs and a travel industry still licking its wounds from a pandemic. But all is not lost, the wonderful thing about the internet is that it opens up a whole world of deals and travel opportunities.
So how do you bag a bargain last minute holiday bargain?
Be flexible
Flexible with your dates, your destination and your duration
The key to last-minute success is ditching the rigidity and embracing a bit of spontaneity. And here’s exactly how to maximize your chances of booking a bargain.
Take advantage of low seasons
Look at travelling outside of peak times. The British Summer is unpredictable which is why so many Brits flock to the warmer shores of the continent, which then in turn, drives up the prices. Shoulder seasons… as they’re known in the biz… are the weeks just before or after peak season and often offer lower prices and smaller crowds… bonus!
If you’re stuck with school holidays, how about avoiding Europe in the high seasons? Have a think about going further and consider parts of the world in low season like Thailand, Dubai or the Indian Ocean.
Think beyond the beach towel
While visions of white sand and turquoise waters might tickle your fancy, consider alternative types of holidays. Think of it as a chance to experience city breaks, nature holidays or fly drive holidays – swap fighting over sun loungers for having new experiences.
Be open-minded when it comes to destinations
Tenerife might be spenny in summer, so why not explore destinations further afield, like Turkey, Morocco or how about Ras Al Khaimah, Thailand or even Los Angeles? Don’t dismiss long-haul, thinking it costs more to fly further – believe us you’ll be surprised. At Netflights we’ve found loads of deals where long-haul is cheaper than Europe and you get so much more for your money!
The thing is, long-haul scheduled flight prices rely more on demand than seasonality and as a result the prices can fluctuate wildly. Sometimes, due to lower demand or empty seats onboard, you can snag a tropical paradise for less than a trip to Cornwall.
Fly on weekdays not weekends
Traditional holiday periods are expensive for a reason. Be a trendsetter and swap the usual week-long getaway for a long weekend break. Many airlines offer cheaper fares for mid-week flights, so look at prices departing Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.
Top tip: We see a lot of prices for flights and holidays – trust us, travelling on a Tuesday is often the cheapest day of the week.
Pack light, travel smart
Lugging a big suitcase about isn’t fun, so pack and travel light – you really don’t need 12 pairs of shoes… Ditch the suitcase and save £££s with hand luggage only fares.
So, how do you get a cheap last minute holiday?
The answer to getting a cheap last minute holiday is to be flexible, open-minded to destinations,
explore different holiday types, pack light and try long haul. Simple!
Or you could just hop on to the Netflights website or call our team – we’ll get you a deal!
