Sign up for Deal Alerts

• There are several sites that allow you to sign up for great deal alerts---many of which happen to be last minute. Some of the best vacation deals, particularly travel packages deals, can be found last minute, as the travel provider is desperate to unload any still-available packages. Travelzoo and Booking Buddy are two good e-newsletter for last-minute travel deals, but you can also sign up for these alerts from your favorite airlines. Almost all major airlines now have e-newsletter alerts and widgets that focus on deals, including those for flights at the last minute.
  
  

Name Your Own Price

• If you don't come across a deal that works for you, and you're getting down to the wire, you can try bidding on your travel on Priceline. Priceline's Name Your Own Price allows you to submit bids on airfare, hotels and cars. When bidding, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, you will want to check the price of the ticket you want, using Priceline's airfare search engine on the homepage--try bidding 15-50 percent below that fare. The higher the ticket price, the deeper discount you may want to try. Your bid will be immediately accepted or rejected, but keep in mind that you will have to wait 24 hours before bidding again on the same flight, so be conservative with your bid if you absolutely need to fly within the next couple of days. Also keep in mind that with this service you have no control over the time of day you will fly or the airline.
  
  

Know When to Travel and Buy

• If you have a choice in the matter, you should fly Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. These are the cheapest days to fly and the days you will likely find the cheapest possible spot on a last-minute flight. Knowing when to take the plunge and buy your ticket is important as well. If you have a few days or even weeks before your flight, you can get a prediction on whether the price will drop during that time from Bing.com/travel. Its 7-Day Price Predictor will tell you how much, and with how much certainty ticket prices will be rising or falling in the next seven days. This could save you significant money on a last-minute flight.