Booking a last-minute holiday is a great way to escape the darkening autumn nights. If you can be flexible with your destination or travel days, you’ll have more options.
We listed the best way to find a great deal for different travel needs:
1. When you are willing to go anywhere, as long as the price is right
Can you be flexible on the destination? On Google Flights, Momondo and Kiwi.com, for example, you can see all your destination options with prices on a map.
Just set in your departure city and travelling days or the timeframe within which you’d like to travel, and the services will give you the best price option for each destination.
The price list links you to a site where you can book the tickets.
2. When you know the destination, and want to find the best deal
For finding the best flight prices, search engines like Momondo and Skyscanner are useful options, listing flights from various operators and booking sites. You can filter the options based on travelling times and the number of stops, for example.
If you are flexible with dates, it is easy to compare the deals by changing your travel days. Often the cheapest options come with a connecting flight or a super early wake up time.
3. The one-click method: travel agency deals
If you are looking for an easy option, travel agencies offer packages with flights, accommodation, meals and even activities on location. You can also find options with flights only, so you need to book the accommodation separately.
Most of the last-minute deals are one- or two-week beach holidays, but you can also find shorter stays in cities. In Finland, popular sites include Rantapallo, Napsu and Lentodiilit.
4. When the hotel really matters
Maybe it is a very special hotel that actually is the starting point of the whole vacation! On hotel booking sites such as Booking.com you can browse for the best hotel deals and also book the flights while you’re at it.
If you are travelling off-season, the deals can be significant. Helsinki Airport has new winter destinations to Alanya in Turkey and Lisbon in Portugal, for example, where the weather stays warm until late in the fall.
5. Look for super deals through sites listing error fares
Flight prices consist of many components, and sometimes there can be human errors or technical errors in the process. Sites such as Secret Flying list these errors and link to various booking sites where certain flights go for especially low prices.
Often the error fares are for flights in the coming months, so they may not be a solution for urgent travel needs. Also be careful when you check the actual price on the booking site – the error fare might already have been fixed!
Source: Google Flights, Kiwi, Momondo, Skyscanner, Secret Flying
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