| Have you heard the one about how you can get | | | | holiday, family gathering or a special event; you |
| great deals on airfare, hotel rooms or cruise | | | | are far better off booking months in advance.The |
| vacations at the last minute?Well not so fast.It is | | | | key to getting great last-minute deals is flexibility. |
| true that many last minute travel bargains can be | | | | Flexibility in when you can travel and how long |
| found on the web, but it is not as easy as waiting | | | | you can stay.Let me give you an example. My |
| until the day before an important trip to try to | | | | parents are retired and, because my mother is |
| make your reservations.First the bad news: if you | | | | disabled, they prefer to take their vacations on |
| want to travel on or around an exact date, trying | | | | cruises.Last year, they got an email alert from a |
| to book your travel a week or two before that | | | | cruise agency, announcing a seven day cruise of |
| date will almost certainly result in exorbitant fares | | | | the Hawaiian Islands for about 20% of its usual |
| rather than reduced costs. If you have a specific | | | | rate. |
| time you need to travel, due to a vacation, | | | | |