Smart Buying
Last-Minute Connections
Five ways to save hundreds of dollars on airfare, top-notch hotels and luxury cruises.
By Sean O'Neill
From Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine, November 2005
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Low-cost cars
Rental-car companies put unreserved cars on fire sale at the last minute, but they prefer not to advertise these low rates. Their solution is to offer discounts via blind-booking Web sites, such as Hotwire.com and Priceline.com.
For example, in August, Cindy wanted to book a car for a spur-of-the-moment trip to Chicago. On three days' notice, Alamo's Web site was offering a three-day rental for $112, after taxes and fees. But Priceline.com accepted her bid of $14 a day, for a total of only $57. The entire process took her about 15 minutes.
Priceline.com brokers cars from five companies: Alamo, Avis, Budget, Hertz and National. The auction service lets you specify dates, type of car, pick-up location and the price you're willing to pay. If a car-rental company accepts your bid, Priceline will reserve the car.
Priceline also lets you pick a rental-car provider and pay the listed rate, but its name-your-own-price deals usually save you more money. Choosing the rental-car company, however, could save you time during your trip. For example, Avis and Hertz usually own the lots closest to airport terminals so that the companies can cater to their business clientele.
At Hotwire.com, you can specify dates, car type and pick-up location. The site then fetches rates. Select the rate you're willing to pay, and Hotwire will book you with the company of their choice. Hotwire rents cars from Avis, Budget and Hertz, but you won't know which company is offering your nonrefundable rate until you've paid.
For example, on two days' notice, Hotwire offered a rate of $60 (not including taxes and fees) for a two-day weekend rental of a midsize car. At the same time, the lowest rate offered directly from one of Hotwire's partners was $83.
Quickie Cruises
Sometimes, early birds -- people who book a year in advance -- cancel at the last minute, making bargain-priced cruise cabins available. To find these deals, stop at discount travel site SkyAuction.com.
For example, SkyAuction recently put up for bid an inside cabin for a seven-day cruise on the Queen Mary 2 from New York to London, sailing September 2. The winning bid for the cabin (and a return flight) was $966 per person, double occupancy, and was announced nine days before the voyage. Taxes and service charges added $323 per person. Early-bird prices for a comparable deal were 46% higher.
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