Time Sensitive Material

Travel bargains are like finding the last coveted toy on the shelf at Christmas time. You're thrilled when you find it! You can barely believe it's within reach and yet, if you don't grab it immediately.... it's gone.

Air fares are a moving target. It's always about supply and demand. There is an average price, a sale price and "what other choice do you have" price. I'm after the sale price!  I still kick myself after having to commit to a last minute flight to Phoenix on specific dates. I paid way more than I should have! To have booked that flight two weeks earlier would have saved me $300.  Anyways, I digress.

When I talk about bargain prices, they could last a few days or a few hours. The thing though, is you should be able to book them at any number of websites or local travel desks. A deal is a deal, is a deal. There are, of course, added incentives provided my the website or agency themselves that can sometimes sweeten the deal for you. Like booking with Expedia.ca, but clicking through to it from Airmilesshops.ca will net you a pile of Airmiles PLUS the Expedia bargain price.

It's like buying a brand new GM car. You could buy it from Murrays, or Mainline and get the same vehicle but one might offer you a round of golf and a coffee mug, neither of which are "factory incentives." But if GM corporate is offering 0% financing AND a set of snow tires then you can get that incentive at either dealer. Travel is the same. A Westjet flight is a Westjet flight is a Westjet flight, regardless of how or where you pay for it.

A day can make a HUGE difference in travel. You might take a flight on a Monday that costs $500 but to fly the next day (when businesses aren't in a rush to move their people in a work week) you might pay only $340 for the flight. That's why you will typically find that Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays are the cheapest days to fly. So when you are searching sites for flight prices, make sure you click on the "flexible days" search option. It will generally alert you to the bargain.  I've charted it here in the blog many times. A day difference can save you hundreds!

An older chart, as example only. Would you rather travel on the 6th or 9th?

This chart is from redtag.ca which I often cite as I do love their search features. Plus, at this point they are one of the only sites including YBR or Brandon in their search list. Now, granted it is limited in your searchable destinations from YBR, but it's a start.

Travel bargains are not something you can find on short notice, unless you are flexible about your destination. You could certainly choose a date range and a price range and almost always find somewhere suitable to go, but know that the more specific your travel requests and dates, the less of a bargain you are likely to find. The more flexible equals more savings.

Heck, I watched and waited for 4 years for the Turks and Caicos islands to come into my price range. It was always on my must see list, but it was just financially out of range. Then, post Air Canada strike, there were some pretty amazing "come back to us" specials and indeed the Turks became affordable.  But affordable within summer (we went in July) but certainly not in January. But once you know that the Caribbean is 28C and absolutely gorgeous year round, it becomes much more acceptable to go in the summer. It NEVER gets Arizona hot.

Actually... there's a great deal on the Turks and Caicos right now. Truthfully, it falls into the "really great" category. In my experience, this is about 40% off.

The Grace Bay Suites are not the most luxurious accommodations on the beach, but they ARE on one of the top 10 beaches in the world. And Grace Bay Beach is about as long as First Street in Brandon. You could walk it in an hour. All the hotels are within metres of each other. So, it really is a safe and happy, unbelievably gorgeous location for certain. I just haven't been in their suites. (We stayed at Ocean Club)

This is also a perfect example of travel prices in constant flux. When I noted this bargain on August 24th, it was $79 more expensive. So, sometimes prices will go up a bit, sometimes they will fall a little more closer to the date. Other times that bargain will sell out and disappear completely.

The bargain is only right for you if it meets your OWN travel needs. It has to be the right place, the right times and offer the right style of get away you need. But when those things come together it's pretty amazing. Just like being that kid, getting THAT toy at Christmas.