Spontaneity is great.
In fact, some of the most memorable moments are created from a spontaneous decision. You can imagine the adrenaline rush I had when I decided, booked, packed, and got to the airport all under two hours for a little Easter weekend getaway.
…but I didn’t stop there. Just a few days ago I found a cheap ticket to Hawaii. I only had so much time until the sale closed, so I booked it because I couldn’t dare lose an awesome deal like that.
Last minute trips and booking flights on a whim can be stressful for some, but they don’t have to be. You also don’t have to spend a fortune! I’ve put together some of my best tips for you.
For last-minute getaways:
- Check your dates. Being spontaneous is fun, but the fun will quickly go away if you’ve forgotten about something important. You should make sure there’s nothing in the way. Appointments? Interviews? Deadlines to meet? The last thing you want is to be scrambling to rearrange dates.
- Shower! Though this may seem odd, if you’re rushing out the door you want to feel good. Minimise anything that could get you down… like something as simple as just ‘feeling gross’. Spontaneity and adventure is the theme here, remember. Opportunity presents itself everywhere – you could hop off the plane and immediately want to go somewhere or do something – you’ll want to feel fresh and ready to go.
- Charge your phone before leaving! Book your trip, plug-in your phone and get packing.
- Speaking of packing… grab the essentials first. Passport, ID, money, medications etc. While bringing your toothbrush would be important, if you do happen to forget it, it’s something you can buy for cheap.
For spontaneous flights:
- Checking your dates is just as important here!
- If you find a great deal on a hotel, you could grab it… but that’s probably only if you’ve already had an idea of where you want to go. Example, for my Hawaii trip – I’ve never been, and I’ve never really looked into it – I didn’t want to book a hotel and be stuck in one place. Like the flight, I’m going to wing the accommodation part too, but I’ll most likely be in hostels to save some money.
- Make sure your passport isn’t going to expire!
- Put some money aside – you have a little more time with a trip like this to set a little budget for yourself. The difference between a last-minute getaway is that you can look in your bank account and see if you can afford it right then and there. For this one, you could easily drop a lot of money before you leave – so just be smart.
I think my most important tip here applies to both last-minute getaways and for booking spontaneous flights:
Think and act minimally!
The less you spend on getting there, the more you can afford. The more you can do things on a whim, and the more you can relax and enjoy yourself without worrying that you already blew your budget just on your way there.
I’ve been using Jetstar for my travels. They tend to have some awesome deals and I totally recommend them. I spend a lot of time procrastinating on their site, but you could also just sign up to get updates on their sales. I saved a few hundred dollars just by doing a couple of things:
- I didn’t select my own seat
- I didn’t make a donation
- I didn’t pre-order any food or drinks
- I didn’t bring any extra luggage – just carry-on
- I didn’t pay in a way that had extra fees – I paid with a direct deposit
Nothing extra, just the advertised sale price. You’ll save on some serious cash.
Lastly, just go with the flow. Have an open-mind and always try to have a positive attitude! On adventures like these, things can go any direction – good or bad. It all depends on how you look at it.
Though my tips are mainly for flying, a lot of these can apply to road trips. Who knows what I’ll do next – maybe stay tuned for another list tips!
-Emily
