7 Last-Minute Travel Booking Hacks for Procrastinators

HotelTonight

Need a hotel room on the fly? HotelTonight has you covered. The last-minute hotel booking app was made for spontaneous travelers who thrive on waiting until they land to find a place to stay. The app passes along cut-rate deals at hotels around the world and now even lets travelers upgrade to suites, many times for less than $50. Reserve a room for tonight or book one up to seven nights in the future.

HomeAway

For those who prefer to stay in a rental apartment or home when they travel, download the HomeAway app. Simply input your dates and destination to see what’s available. For last-minute travel, filter results to see only those that enable you to “Instant Book.” No need to spend time writing back and forth with the owner or property manager. You can book your rental on the spot with just a few clicks. The popular Airbnb mobile app has an Instant Book feature as well.

Skyscanner

Not sure where you want to go on a last-minute escape from town? Skyscanner can help. Enter your travel dates and type “Everywhere” into the departure box. Instantly, you’ll receive serious travel inspiration by way of the best fares to cities around the world. If you can be flexible, click “Best Deals by Month” within the app for a look at both when and where to travel in a given month, including how much you’ll pay for tickets.

Fareness

With Fareness, start by entering your home airport online or on your cell phone to see seriously low fares on flights departing within the next two months. Fareness tells you when, where and how long you should stay, taking some of the guesswork out of uncovering low airfares. The resource also offers a range of timing options, from “this weekend only” to “all of July.”

AutoSlash

Need to rent a car? Book your car rental through AutoSlash and not only will the website scour the web for coupons and discounts to ensure you’re getting the very best rate on your rental car, but the site will monitor prices up until the moment you pick up your car rental. If the rate drops, AutoSlash will re-book you automatically. Just enter your confirmation number after you book.

Last Minute Travel

As you may be able to glean from the name, the Last Minute Travel app and website is for those who want to do it all at the last minute, including hunt down cheap flights, hotel rooms, activities, and vacation packages. Anyone can book through the app or website, but deeper savings go to members of the Last Minute Travel Club, which costs $50 per year.

Hopper

The Hopper app is best for those who know where they want to go but are flexible as to when. A calendar lets travelers see at-a-glance which dates are cheapest to fly, ranging from green (lowest fares) to red (most expensive). Not yet ready to buy? Use Hopper’s “Watch This Trip” feature to be notified when fares drop. A new Secret Fare feature lets users find and book international fares at prices up to 35 percent less than what can be found on alternative booking sites.