Last minute offers do not necessarily have to be cheaper than other trips. In addition, a little flexibility in travel destinations and accommodation is an advantage at the last minute. But no matter whether it's last minute or with more lead time: you should only pay once you have received the travel insurance certificate!

The term “last minute” from the tourism industry primarily refers to travel offers where there are no more than 14 days between booking and departure. These trips are offered at short notice and at reduced prices. This applies to package tours that are not fully booked.

Last-minute vacations have long become an integral part of the travel industry. Many organizers offer certain flights and trips at special conditions and at short notice. These inexpensive offers come about because a certain number of hotel rooms and airline seats are less or not at all occupied during the season. However, since the tour operators would like to find buyers for this, they offer these quotas at reduced prices as package tours. For those who make a last-minute decision, this can be an opportunity to go on a cheaper vacation.

Is last minute always a bargain?

You can't rely on it blindly - last-minute offers are not necessarily cheaper than others, so you can't avoid price comparisons! It's like this: Since last-minute offers involve remaining spaces that are available at very short notice, the tour operators want to arrange them as quickly as possible before they expire. The timing and scope of the price reduction depends on the market situation and the pricing policy of the respective organizer. Some providers offer discounts of between 10 and 20 percent on the normal travel price for certain trips more than 14 days before departure and sell this trip as a last minute.

Cheap doesn’t always have to mean comfortable. For example, some hotels are less popular because they are older or have some disadvantages in terms of their location. Such offers appear again and again as a cheap bargain, but are actually something of a slow seller. There may also be differences in quality compared to the offers in the catalog when it comes to hotel categories. If you want to book a specific hotel at a specific time, you cannot be sure that you will get your desired hotel at the desired time, even as a last-minute trip. A little flexibility in travel destinations and accommodation is an advantage at the last minute. You should always make a comparison with the catalog offer in terms of price, performance and quality so that the holiday is a success, and not just financially.

What do I have to consider when booking?

Last minute trips, like trips, are booked with longer lead times. However, if you book at very short notice, your travel documents may be deposited directly at the airport and no longer sent home. This is to avoid that the ticket does not reach you on time due to time constraints. You can also get cheap offers directly at the airport, but you should always compare the offer there with the catalog offer. You can also book many online offers through a travel agency. Unlike on the Internet, personal service, advice and the opportunity to answer questions are available here. But no matter where you book, the most important thing is: you should only pay for the trip when you receive the travel insurance certificate and not before!

The most convenient way is to book online. However, you should definitely make sure that you receive a travel confirmation. It is also advisable to confirm your booking by telephone to ensure that your booking has not been lost in the data jungle. But make sure that it is not an expensive 01805 (14 cents/min.) or even an 0900 number.

Despite all the spontaneity, health protection when traveling should of course not be forgotten. Find out about possible precautionary measures that you need in the individual countries and take out international travel health insurance.

This might also be of interest : “Died suddenly” – died suddenly. An international fact check.
Content via Checked4you


If you enjoyed this post and value the importance of well-founded information, become part of the exclusive Mimikama Club! Support our work and help us promote awareness and combat misinformation. As a club member you receive:

📬 Special Weekly Newsletter: Get exclusive content straight to your inbox.
🎥 Exclusive video* “Fact Checker Basic Course”: Learn from Andre Wolf how to recognize and combat misinformation.
📅 Early access to in-depth articles and fact checks: always be one step ahead.
📄 Bonus articles, just for you: Discover content you won't find anywhere else.
📝 Participation in webinars and workshops : Join us live or watch the recordings.
✔️ Quality exchange: Discuss safely in our comment function without trolls and bots.

Join us and become part of a community that stands for truth and clarity. Together we can make the world a little better!

* In this special course, Andre Wolf will teach you how to recognize and effectively combat misinformation. After completing the video, you have the opportunity to join our research team and actively participate in the education - an opportunity that is exclusively reserved for our club members!


Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )