Hot tours. Last minute deals: what is it When there are last minute deals

How to buy a last-minute tour online cheaply, profitably and quickly? We have collected in one article all the most necessary and important savings rules that will help you find your dream tour.
No need to save money or save for years, everything is much simpler. Today, you can organize the perfect trip for yourself in just a few minutes.

We talk about how to buy a cheap last-minute tour online at the best price without overpaying a single extra penny.

How to find a last minute tour cheaply?

Let's assume that you have no experience of traveling abroad on your own.

And if the organization of independent travel requires a lot of work and waste of time (find air tickets, dock, get a visa, book accommodation, buy insurance, transfer, etc.). Then buying a ready-made tour ticket online is as easy as shelling pears, you will only have one thing left - to relax and enjoy life.

The most important question arises - Who is not afraid to entrust your journey?

The most reliable sites that collect offers from trusted tour operators online are also There you will find the best deals on ready-made tours, last-minute trips and other nice discount bonuses.

Your age, the number of trips is not important, there is no secret knowledge, everything is very, very simple.
In this article, I have collected our experience of online booking last-minute tours, which will help you find the best tour package at the lowest price.

It's amazing how hard it is to introduce some novelties into people's lives that make life easier and cheaper.
I'm just talking about online booking. In the minds of the majority, buying a vacation ticket is necessarily associated with a trip to the office, where an employee selects a tour for a long and dreary time, trying to sell what he needs to sell first and get his commission along the way.

As a result, most often you get not what you wanted, with many reservations, agreeing to a higher price, because “What to do? You need to go on vacation! Leave has already been taken."
Did you know that you no longer need to go anywhere, pay from your own pocket the rent of travel agency premises, the salaries of their employees, taxes and other expenses?
What can and should be spent 15-20 minutes of time at the computer and now, a burning tour at the best price in your pocket. Or rather, by email.

Here are some tips that will help you save a lot of money, effort, time.

Hot Tour Online - When to look for a last minute tour

If possible, start looking for a last-minute online tour in advance. A few months before the trip is ideal.

On the online tour search site, you can see the gradation of the cost of tours, compare and select the dates when tours are the cheapest.

Did you find what you were looking for? Satisfied with the price? Book and pay, prices for last-minute tours mostly only grow, rarely fall.

Didn't find or the price doesn't fit? Then subscribe to the newsletter in your direction and wait.

Hot tour online - Seasonality of destinations

Surely you understand that there is a season and not a season for the country. But this is a conditional unit.

For example, why are trips to Thailand cheaper in summer than in winter? Why is the peak season for Thailand tours from November to April?
The explanation for this is simple, and has nothing to do with the weather. Tour operators have priority destinations, and in the summer it's definitely not Thailand. In the summer, if you go to buy a tour in the office, they will try to sell you Turkey, Crimea, Cyprus, Greece, at worst, the resorts of the Krasnodar Territory. Because the prices for tours there are peak at this time.

Who benefits from selling Thailand in the summer?

The same goes for all other countries. Do you know that you can go to Turkey in autumn for a penny?!

The cost of a last-minute trip to Turkey for this time (!!!), and if you choose the all-inclusive system, is only from 11,500 rubles per person per week!
This price already includes direct flights, accommodation, meals and insurance. Incredible!
(Keep in mind that photo prices are current at the time of writing and may change, vary dates, search and find!)

Here is the price for online tours in October-November:

Only no one will offer you such an option in the office, moreover, they will dissuade you, talk about the weather and other inconveniences.
You know, we flew to Turkey in the fall, my mother flew to Turkey in February, and how did we rest? Great!

Türkiye is not Crimea. It is quite comfortable there in autumn and winter. In February, in Turkey, my mother walked in a T-shirt, enjoyed the excellent all inclusive, excursions, the fact that there were minimal people in the hotel, in general, she was very pleased!

And we flew to Turkey for the May holidays and flew terribly. The hotel was full, we paid the maximum for tours (at that time we were not yet aware of booking and buying tours online), we were extremely disappointed and dissatisfied.

That is, do not be afraid to relax in different countries in the so-called "off season".

Why is a hot tour cheaper?

I will say more, you can buy a last-minute tour cheaply only online!
Why? Because all tour operators post prices for last-minute trips in real time. The statistics of redeeming hot tours at a good price is 20-40 minutes. To have time to get to the office during this time is simply unrealistic.

But, you can track tours online and book the tour you need in real time.

Tour operator competition

Hot tours - Departure from Moscow

If you want to buy a really cheap and good last-minute ticket to any country in the world, then get ready for the fact that the flight will be from Moscow.
Yes, perhaps this is unfair, but it is from Moscow that the lion's share of flights, charters in different directions flies and, naturally, the minimum price for tours will be from here.

How to save on insurance?

You need insurance abroad. Any admission is very expensive and the only way not to pay out of pocket is to choose an insurance policy in advance. For many years we have been making out on the site, which give the best prices for insurance and selection, along with registration, takes only a couple of minutes.

Happy and budget travel! Comments and questions are welcome!

Probably everyone has heard about the existence of some kind of "burning tours / vouchers", although, as statistics show, not everyone knows what they really are. This article will try to shed some light on last minute deals. What is it, what are their benefits and differences from other types of tours - all this and all sorts of nuances will be discussed in this article.

Those who have already set out to purchase a tour in one direction or another have probably come across last-minute tours (a ticket and a tour are interchangeable and equivalent concepts), and were able to notice that they are much cheaper than usual ones. Many had the feeling that there might be some kind of catch here.

Is it possible to have a normal rest on a burning ticket

This is really possible, provided that, under the guise of a last-minute tour, the travel agency did not sell just a low-quality one. If there was no catch, then you can relax relatively cheaply even in a not very prestigious resort.

The hindrance here is most often our mentality. Most tourists bypass cheap offers simply because, in our understanding, cheap must necessarily be bad “and in general I don’t go to resorts every day.” As a result, people miss out on great deals.

True, recently the situation has begun to change for the better, and some now travel exclusively on last-minute tours.

Why a burning tour is profitable

Many reasons can be listed. But it's better to start with evidence. As such, you can bring tourists from Europe, the USA and some other regions where they know what quality service is. Natives of these countries have been going on vacation for a long time on last-minute trips and do not complain about their “second-class” status.

Thanks to this, they can invest more money in recreation and entertainment when they arrive at the place. So, having decided to buy a last-minute tour, a tourist can visit restaurants more often, order more excursions, and much more for the same money.

To understand how this is possible, it is necessary to understand where last-minute trips come from, and why they are suddenly both good and cheap. To do this, you will have to delve a little into the very work of the tour operator.

Even before the start of the tourist season, the tour operator is taken to make ready-made tours in any direction. Naturally, he wants to get the maximum amount of profit, so everything that can be booked is booked as early as possible. Thus, the cost of the tour is reduced to a possible minimum, and even with a minimum margin, the tour operator will remain in the black.

Naturally, the tour operator cannot predict ahead of time what will be the demand for tours in the direction he has chosen. If the company is small, then it may prepare an insufficient number of vouchers, but large tour operators usually prefer to prepare more than necessary, since it is more profitable.

In addition, when a company does not just book tickets, hotel rooms and everything that comes with it, but does it in large volume, it receives additional discounts, which makes it possible to further reduce the cost of the tour. After that, it remains only to sell all the vouchers and make a profit. But, if everything were so simple, then there would be no burning tours in nature.

However, many factors influence how tours are purchased. It can be:

weather changes;

financial fluctuations;

political incidents, etc.

In addition, it often happens that a client of a travel company bought a tour, but then for some reason (for example, due to illness or family reasons) was forced to abandon it. In this case, most of the cost is returned to him, and the tour itself is put up for resale, already at a reduced price.

However, this example refers rather to the kind of last-minute tours that are commonly called "rejected". Actually, a burning ticket is just a tour that was not sold before the end of the reservation.

The fact is that any reservation is valid only until a certain period, and if the tour remains unclaimed for it, the reservation will burn out, and the hotel, the air carrier company, and all other organizations with which the travel agency cooperated, will consider that the travel agency used the reservation. As a result, the latter will be at a loss.

To prevent this from happening, the company begins to drop the price of a ticket to a minimum, when a day begins to loom on the horizon when the entire reservation can “burn out”. Hence the tradition to call such tours burning. That is, in fact, this is the most common tour, which differs only in that its expiration date will soon be released.

Simply put, last-minute deals are a side effect of the inability to accurately predict the demand for a particular tourist destination. In addition, vouchers may have a different level of service and maintenance. In one year, 5-star hotels will be in demand, and in another, 3-star hotels.

Accordingly, in the second case, a large number of last-minute tours may appear on the market offering 5-star accommodation at a price that will be even lower than in the case of a 3-star service, but for a regular (non-burning) tour. Now it becomes clear why Europeans focus on burning products.

When the tour gets hot

Since the hope of tour operators also dies last, the price drop and the transfer of the voucher to the burning status occurs only at the very last date. If the tour involves a trip to a country for which a visa is not required, it will be burning 1-5 days before departure.

In the case of countries that are only allowed to enter with a visa, the ticket can become last-minute a little earlier, sometimes even 10 days in advance.

How much can you save on a hot tour

Here much depends on what was the extra charge for the ticket. The time left before departure also plays a big role. Since the travel company does not immediately reset the cost to cost, the closer the day of departure, the lower the price of the last-minute tour. If the tour is purchased a couple of days before departure, its cost may drop by more than half.

Dangers and disadvantages of last minute trips

Actually, such tours do not have dangers. Fears can inspire young, inexperienced and small travel agencies that do not have an established reputation in this market. Since they have nothing to lose, and the desire to “rise” is usually over the top, some of them (we’ll say right away that not all of them) simply collect packages of very low quality, the cost of which is simply minimal.

Then they add a markup to them and sell them under the guise of a burning tour. If the tourist does not delve into the details, he may pay an inappropriately high price for a frankly third-rate vacation.

To prevent this from happening, it is advisable to use the services of those companies that have been on the market for a long time and have a good reputation. In this case, the probability of such a scam is almost zero.

Alternatively, you can simply check all the components of the tour. Now there are enough services on the Web where real tourists leave real reviews about a particular hotel, tour operator, carrier company, and everything related.

It will also be useful to compare the cost of the tour with the price of a similar tour from other tour operators. This can bring good results even in the case when there is no deception, simply due to the fact that another company can have the same ticket cheaper.

As for the minuses that are not related to fraud, the only tangible drawback of last-minute trips is haste. The tourist will have to collect everything necessary in the shortest possible time in order to be in time for departure. True, this is far from being a problem for everyone - there are those who see this as a kind of romance, and are generally easy-going.

The difficulty lies in the fact that it is almost impossible to plan such a trip. You can only choose a certain period of time in which a ticket will be searched for, but no more.

Experienced travelers say that it’s not even worth planning a direction, because a very profitable ticket to a country that you never even thought of can always come across. For this reason, last minute deals are not well suited for people with busy schedules, parents with small children, the very elderly, etc.

In addition, when planning to travel on a last minute trip, you need to realistically assess the situation. For example, during the holiday season, and even on holidays, the probability that you will be able to find such a tour is almost zero.

You need to be realistic and quickly collect everything you need regarding your capabilities. Particular attention should be paid not to things, but to documents. In the case of countries where entry is possible only with a visa, it is advisable to take care of opening it in advance, otherwise the tourist may simply not have time to issue it before the day of departure.

It is worth noting that such tours on credit are not sold. This is because speed is important here, and it is not possible to spend time on obtaining a loan. So you need to take care of a sufficient amount of cash.

What is important to know:

Always check the weather and epidemiological conditions in the country where the last minute tour is being sold. Perhaps there was a hurricane, or a malaria epidemic. Both can cause a sharp decrease in demand, and, accordingly, an increase in the number of last-minute tours.

When and where

As mentioned above, it is unlikely to go to Egypt or Turkey at the height of the beach season, since the demand for such destinations at such a time is very high. Quite another thing is the low season, when the probability of finding a last-minute tour increases dramatically.

The situation is somewhat different with European countries, which require a Schengen visa to visit. Here, in order to save money, you just need to book a ticket right away, which can “remove” about a third of its cost (provided that it is booked a couple of months in advance).

The exception is perhaps the Mediterranean countries, such as Italy, Greece, Spain or Cyprus, where last-minute tours are sold quite often, although not as intensively as to Turkey or Thailand.

In most cases, last-minute trips involve a beach holiday at popular resorts. Simply put, such a tour to Norway or Iceland is not to be expected in the foreseeable future.

Most often, such vouchers appear in the off-season. For each country, this period will be different. For example, for Egypt, the off-season falls on February, and for Turkey - on April and the second half of May. Therefore, such questions need to be clarified in advance.

It should also be taken into account that certain regions of the country can be practically inaccessible. For example, there are almost no last-minute trips to Koh Samui, while there are more than enough of them in Phuket.

Last minute trip or booking: which is more profitable

Here much depends on when and for what period the reservation will be made. If you book in advance, then the cost of the tour can be reduced by 1/5. If a summer tour is booked six months before departure, its price can drop by about 40%. This is where the travel agency comes into play.

Last-minute trips provide an opportunity to save a large amount, but they have their drawbacks, which were mentioned above. The advantage of booking is the ability to accurately select the time, date, duration of rest, and so on.

In addition, you don’t have to rush, and the choice of directions will be much wider. And the tourist will not be limited to the low season or off-season. The disadvantage of booking is the inability to accurately predict the future six months in advance. The tourist does not know how things will be in his homeland, and what will be the situation in the country where he intends to go. Although the latter can be partially compensated by an insurance policy against travel restrictions.

Again, it is worth considering your own requests: if you just want to visit some country, you can buy a last-minute tour. If the plans include a beach holiday or humpback whale watching, then here you need to make a choice in favor of booking.

About what are hot tours and when to look for them. And most importantly - how not to get burned on them. Practical articles on the "Subtleties of tourism".

Hot tours - a phrase that is mandatory on the website of any travel agency. A kind of password-lure for a tourist who “googles” and “Yandexizes” the expanses of the domestic net in search of a cheap trip to the south. You can work with this or that direction or not, but last-minute tours are an obligatory must-have, without which business is not business, but so-so, a frivolous occupation for your own pleasure.

What is there to hide, the human consciousness is so arranged that when identifying an opportunity to save money, it immediately gives a signal: stop! You can pay less and still get what others paid big money for. The arguments of logic about a possibly low-quality product and a reminder of the mind that a miser pays twice, alas, often recede into the background - and we skipping rush to give our hard-earned money for all sorts of "only today" and "don't miss it."

Well, then, as a rule, the hour of reckoning for greed comes: products and services turn out to be second-rate, and what we so willingly took for profit turns out to be only brilliant tinsel on the filthy essence of the object.

So with last-minute tours, everything does not always turn out as beautifully as advertising slogans promise. And the accommodation on the spot will turn out to be far from ideal, and it will take half a kilometer to go to the beach in the heat, and the beach itself will not differ too much in cleanliness from the shore of the capital's reservoir ... However, we will not deny if your goal is an inexpensive vacation without special requirements for a hotel and other amenities, and in addition, you are ready to break away overnight and rush to the "foreign countries", last-minute trips - this is what you need. In a word, as in any enterprise, there are pluses and minuses, undercurrents and sharp stones, strategy and tactics of behavior. But first things first.

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What it is

Generally speaking, a last-minute tour is a tourist trip that, due to approaching departure dates, runs the risk of remaining unsold and thereby causing a loss to the tour operator. Like most market goods, tour packages have their own “best before ...” index, and they are good only before the start date of the trip. Accordingly, by reducing the price as much as possible in anticipation of the “burnout”, you can attract customers who are looking for opportunities to save money, and thus not lose the funds invested in the tour (buying out a hotel room, chairs on a charter, etc.)

In this case, it is unlikely that it will be necessary to talk about profit, but at least it is quite possible to “recapture” the costs or, in extreme cases, go into a small minus.

As you know, the main price components of a tour package are the cost of living plus the cost of the flight. Little things, such as the cost of transfer and wages of accompanying personnel, will not be considered here. Therefore, one of two things is almost guaranteed to fall under the “burning” factor: either there are a lot of unsold seats on the charter, or there are not sold seats in the hotel. The first can happen if the forecasts for the tourist flow in this direction were too optimistic, there were too many charters, after which the harsh reality put everything in its place. “Well, they don’t love you, they don’t believe you,” as the classic wrote. As a result, Boeings and Airbuses fly empty, while, as we understand it, consuming the same amount of fuel - and therefore costing the flight consolidator at the same price - be at least 300, at least 80 people on board.

The second also falls into the realm of unfulfilled dreams, consistent with unsupported optimism about charters. If a charter "Boeing" throws half as many tourists to the southern lands, it means that this same half will be settled in the hotel. The rest of the rooms will be empty, or rather - bought out by the tour operator, only now they are not inhabited by "live goods".

There is only one way out of both situations: to lure a potential buyer walking on the Internet or running past a showcase of a travel agency with capital letters: BURNING TOUR, departure tomorrow / the day after tomorrow / Saturday, etc. As they say, give what you want, just buy.

Another reason for the "burnout" of the tour, this time depending not on the domestic clientele, but on overseas hoteliers, is a large number of free rooms in the hotel. Since the hotel is designed not only for tourists from Russia, the degree of occupancy is subject to fluctuations in the tourist market of other countries. And here, as you know, you can’t predict anything in advance: where the next crisis will break out in Europe, and where the volcano will start spitting. In a word, the Spanish or English tourist community is sitting at home, the rooms intended for it are not filled, and hoteliers are trying to fill the empty rooms with tourists from more successful countries: they set attractive prices and “ask” to send at least someone. Usually these are mid-range hotels and hotels designed for mass tourism - luxury establishments are less hysterical in terms of occupancy, as their customers are more unsinkable in worldly storms.

When they are

Contrary to the fact that many raspberry-travel agencies all year round convince us of the availability of last-minute tours in almost all directions, these birds of the tourist market have their own migration season, after which everything that is offered under the “burning” tag is nothing more than the desire of the travel agent to attract a buyer who is greedy for tempting benefits. In other words, there is no need to look for a really hot tour in the high-demand segment at this time of the year. For example, in the midst of the "winter heat" season, you should not count on a burning "super special offer" to Thailand or the UAE - these countries already do not know the end of tourists who want to have a good rest on an exotic beach in the middle of the Russian winter. It is quite another thing - the same Emirates at the end of September: the start of the season, the summer heat has not yet completely lost its positions, hotel rooms have already been bought out, and the supply may turn out to be more than demand ...

Another example: April (and often June) Tunisia. The flight program begins at the end of March, while several airlines take off into the air at once - at least four flights a week are provided. Resort hotels are also far from full: the sea has not yet warmed up, and only lovers of Epiphany bathing and hefty men dare to go there. There are all the prerequisites for "burning" - and in April, a week-long burning vacation in Sousse or Hammamet can cost as little as 200 USD per person. In addition, many hoteliers issue special offers such as “thalassotherapy included in accommodation” or “children under 2 years old free of charge” - thus, a last-minute trip can be doubly beneficial: it will cost less and you don’t need to pay for additional services.

Another, so to say, symmetrical, period of distribution of last-minute tours is the end of the season in this direction. The number of boards per week is not decreasing as rapidly as demand, and hotels are no longer packed to capacity due to the “whisper of the weather”: the cooling of the sea or the approach of the rainy season. The result is a reduction in prices for the next flights and a great opportunity to pay less for a vacation (unless, of course, other factors scare you).

The sea is affordable

When they never happen

In addition to high and low seasons in tourist destinations, there are periods in the year when the very concept of a last-minute tour is absurd. We are talking about national holidays (of which we have a lot, but New Year and May holidays are especially popular in terms of tourism) and the traditional holiday season in July-August. It is clear that at this time, almost the entire population, if not of our vast, then of its large cities, definitely storms the offices of travel agencies and “puts down” the servers of Internet sites in search of trips “to the south”. In this blessed period from the point of view of the players in the tourism industry, everything is sold: both expensive "five" with their own helipads, and penny "kopeck piece" with a view of the wasteland. The question in this case is “how to fly away?”, and not “how to fly cheaply?”. Accordingly, 99% of special offers with the “burning” tag will be another piece of cheese in a mousetrap: a tourist will either be relocated to another hotel, or under the guise of “crazy discounts”, a tour will be sold at a general market price, no lower than that of competitors, or, in the worst case , will appropriate the money for themselves in a one-day company and generally will not be sent anywhere. In isolated cases, tours can burn out in the high season, if, say, a trip is canceled - a single or an entire conference - then they will try to sell such a tour package through word of mouth - partner agencies, social networks, online stores of last minute trips.

Pros...

What is good about last-minute tours is clear without explanation - the opportunity to relax for less (and sometimes just ridiculous) money with the same amenities and the same set of services as compatriots living in your hotel, but who purchased a ticket in advance. The difference between the initial and "burning out" cost of the tour is from 30 to 50%, sometimes discounts reach 70%. Of course, the principle “who does not take risks does not drink champagne” has not yet been canceled: purposefully catching a burning ticket, you can not wait for one - everything will be sorted out before you.

Another, less obvious, but for many the most “juicy” plus is the adventurism of the enterprise. Agree, there is something enticingly free and spy-pirate in this: like this, not preparing and not even having time to tell your friends, leave things in a suitcase and lie down on the beach somewhere in the banana republic tomorrow.

... and cons

The disadvantages of burning tours are a wagon and a small cart. First: lack of confidence in the success of the enterprise. If, contrary to your forecasts, tours to, say, Antalya in April will be in high demand, there is a risk, expecting a price reduction, to stay “on the beans”, not to fly anywhere at all and thoroughly ruin your vacation. Secondly, there is no guarantee that you will get to the right hotel for you: if the hotel is popular among tourists, it is likely that there will be no places in it. In addition, there is a risk that you will have to check into an unknown hotel at all: the tour operator may not have time to confirm the one declared on the tour for such a short time before departure, and in some cases unscrupulous travel agencies even settle in a deliberately different hotel. “And what did you want - a burning tour, and they moved you to a hotel of the same category!” - there will be a standard answer, which is legally impossible to find fault with. Another nuance is connected with last-minute tours to visa countries. It makes sense to focus on them if you have a valid visa to a given country - otherwise you may not have time to settle visa formalities before the date of departure. Finally, let's mention travel cancellation insurance, which can be issued no later than 10 days before the start of the trip. In the absence of such, and if the tour for one reason or another does not take place, the tourist can lose almost the entire cost of the trip - so in this case it is easy to get lost in the wilds of benefits and risks and outwit yourself.

Behavior strategy

Finally, a few tips for those daredevils who, defying risk and danger, want to go on vacation without fail on a last-minute trip. First of all, if you are in any way dependent on the work schedule and not every one of the 365 days of the year is ideal for starting a trip, do not wait until the last day. Yes, it is possible that prices will really fall incredibly and the rest will cost mere pennies, but it is still wiser to strike a balance between the cheapness of the enterprise and the reality of its implementation.

In other words, it is better to overpay 200 USD and leave than not overpay and not leave.

Secondly, you should not scrupulously look for a tour at a mega-low price among a dozen similar offers, and even the “Cheap Vacation” offered by an unknown office - there is a high probability of fraud. They will take money from you, this is indisputable, only they will not issue documents for the trip, and during a personal visit to the office of a travel agency there is a risk of stumbling upon a “closed” sign. Thirdly, when going on vacation on a last-minute tour, keep your packed suitcase ready - it is quite possible that you will have to fly out tomorrow, and being late to the airport because of a swimsuit that did not want to be in any way is a sad ending for such an advantageous offer.

And finally, the last thing - stock up on optimism and aim for a good mood, no matter what. Whether you have to enjoy the hiss of Jacuzzi bubbles in a five-star hotel room for the price of a three-ruble note or fight the air conditioning system in a more than modest hotel in a 40-degree heat - one fortune knows. And if so, then boldly look into her face, fate loves the brave! And "but pasaran"!

In Soviet times, good workers received vouchers to sanatoriums from trade unions. And when a hard worker for some reason refused a ticket, and even at the last moment, they said that it was “burning”. The expression "burning ticket" has taken root and migrated to the modern tourism industry.

Now burning tickets are called, which are sold a few days before departure and at very low prices. Especially a lot of such offers during the low season. For beach tours - this is early spring and late autumn, and for ski tours - summer.

Due to the reduction in the volume of charter flights, there are not so many last-minute tours now. Tour operators try to make commitments in line with projected demand. The hottest offers are at the beginning of the season, when demand is lower and charter flights have already begun.

Veniamin Bondarev

Where do hot tickets come from?

Tour operators before the start of the tourist season redeem or book tickets and hotel rooms in advance. Formed tours are implemented by travel agencies. But it is impossible to predict exactly how many tickets will be sold.

When they talk about a last-minute ticket, they usually mean the ticket that has a very close departure date. In this regard, it needs to be sold urgently. The price goes down because you have to fill the remaining space on the plane and the hotel and at least earn something.

In order not to lose the money spent on the reservation, tour operators and travel agencies have to sell tours almost at cost. Yes, they will not receive the planned dividends, but they will not remain in the red.

For a tourist, this option is beneficial if he is willing to take risks and wait until the last minute for the sake of a low price, or, for example, if free time for a trip appeared suddenly.

Ilya Otkalo

According to Ilya Otkalo, the law does not contain the concept of a “last minute tour”, so by and large, a “last minute tour” is just a marketing ploy so that a tourist can highlight offers that are lower than the market price. At the same time, by selling cheap tours, travel agencies get grateful loyal customers.

Another reason why a ticket becomes a burning one is the rejection of already purchased tours. For example, a person planned a vacation, booked a ticket in advance, but just a week before departure he fell ill and canceled the trip. So that the place on the plane and the hotel room are not empty, travel agencies reduce the cost of the ticket and try to quickly resell it.

Finally, sometimes last-minute tours appear on the market due to force majeure events in the host country. If the political situation escalates in the state or a natural disaster occurs, the demand for tours to this country drops sharply. Tourists can only be lured by a significant reduction in prices so that the desire to save money prevails over security considerations.

Features of burning tickets

• A ticket to visa-free countries usually becomes last-minute 2-5 days before departure, and to countries for which a visa is required - 7-10 days. This means that time is running out for everything. In just a couple of days, you need to have time to pay for the tour, complete all the necessary documents and pack your things.
• You need to be prepared for the "low season" service. On the one hand, there will be few tourists around, which is a plus for many. But on the other hand, there is also less entertainment and attention from the staff. Do not be surprised if many shops and restaurants are closed and the hotel guide offers only a couple of excursions.
• Travel agencies do not book last-minute trips without the full payment of the client. If, when buying a regular tour, you first pay a part of the amount, and give the rest of the money later, receiving tickets and a voucher, then in the case of a last-minute tour, you will have to pay it immediately and in full. This money is non-refundable.

Thus, a last-minute trip is an excellent solution for a person who is easy-going, but limited in funds. Such a tour is suitable for you if you are unprincipled (if only there was a sea, mountains ...), and you can adjust your vacation to the trip (and not vice versa).

But you should not agree to the first “hot” offer that comes across. Not every voucher, called burning, is such.

How to find a real last minute ticket

When the soul and heart require rest, it is difficult to remain cool at the sight of proposals that begin with the words "Super promotion!" or "The lowest prices of the season."

But the seductive price tag does not guarantee that you really have a burning ticket in front of you. Perhaps the price did not fall, but simply became normal. Travel agencies sometimes deliberately inflate the cost of tours in order to later attract customers with discounts. In order not to fall victim to the "attraction of unprecedented generosity", study the prices on the market and find out how much the package of services offered to you in other companies costs without any discounts.

Many travel agencies, in order to stimulate sales, may pass off ordinary tours as last-minute ones. They just take the tours with the lowest price and present them as burning ones.

Ilya Otkalo

Also, the most ordinary tours with very, very cheap hotels are sometimes disguised as last-minute trips. For example, it can only be a hotel that has just opened and has not yet earned a reputation, or a hotel located far from the sea.

Be sure to check out TopHotels.ru or TripAdvisor.ru and find out what kind of hotel you are offered.

You may not be satisfied with the level of comfort, even if the ticket is generally free.

You can also recognize pseudo-burning tours by other indirect signs.

• Prices for accommodation in expensive hotels belonging to some large chain are usually stable and do not decrease depending on the tourist season. If you are offered an inexpensive ticket with accommodation in such a hotel, there is a high probability that the travel agency has cut the package of services somewhere and disguises the tour as a burning one.
• During national holidays, during holidays and vacations, there are very few last-minute offers. If you manage to catch a ticket that was turned down, you're in luck. If the travel agency offers a wide range of last-minute tours during the peak season, be careful.
• It is almost impossible to visit some large-scale foreign event, for example, a cool music festival or a sports tournament, with a last-minute ticket. Flights and hotels for these dates are booked many months in advance. And you should be very careful if the travel agency suddenly makes a "delicious" offer.

You are really offered a burning tour if:
- less than two weeks left before departure (the closer the departure, the lower the price);
- this is a charter flight;
- accommodation is offered not in a city hotel, but in a popular beach hotel, where tour operators reserve blocks of places.

Veniamin Bondarev

What you need to pay attention to when buying a burning ticket

Package of services

In this, a burning ticket should not differ in any way from a booked one in advance. Flight, transfer, meals, accommodation, insurance, excursions - everything is like in a regular tour to a given country at a given time. If you are offered a reduced package of services, then most likely they are trying to disguise the ticket as a burning one.

It must be understood that a burning offer may be burning because no one bought it in advance. The hotel may be useless, the flight inconvenient, the food unsatisfactory. Therefore, carefully study the contract and the composition of the proposal and, of course, look at the reviews of the proposed hotel.

Ilya Otkalo

Be sure to ask about the reason for the reduced cost of the tour. And in general, do not hesitate to ask the travel agent questions - time is short, and it is better to immediately clarify all incomprehensible points.

Advice: read the contract carefully. Pay attention to the legal details of the tour operator and travel agency, information about the license to carry out tourism activities, dates of flights, check-in and check-out. Examine the conditions for changing and terminating the agreement, as well as the procedure for filing claims.

Reputation of the travel agency

Almost all travel companies offer last minute tours. After all, they all conclude agreements with major tour operators and use their databases. But not all travel agencies conscientiously fulfill their duties, and some sometimes frankly cheat.

In order to find out if the price is really reduced, you can compare tours for the next dates using online tour search engines.

Veniamin Bondarev

To buy a cheap last-minute tour, and not just a cheap tour with disgusting conditions, contact trusted companies that have been operating on the market for a long time. It is best to choose an agency whose services you yourself or your friends have already used. It is also worth looking for reviews on travel forums.

Advice: if in doubt, check the tour operator according to the Unified Federal Register of Tour Operators, and the travel agency according to the register of travel agencies.

Visa

Last minute tours are usually tours to popular tourist destinations. This is because the status of a burning ticket gets 7-10 days before departure. It is difficult to get a visa during this time.

Yes, travel agencies work with consulates is usually already debugged. But difficulties with documents can always arise: the wrong certificate, the questionnaire is incorrectly filled out, and so on. And then the client will be denied a visa, he will not fly anywhere and his money will simply burn out.

Advice: to fly to Europe on a last-minute ticket, apply for a Schengen visa in advance on your own.

Some consider them a great opportunity to relax cheaply, while others are sure that this is a complete scam and exploitation of a sonorous phrase. It would not hurt for both of them to find out what a burning tour is and where to look for it.

A last minute trip is a special offer for a trip, the cost of which is reduced by 5% -50% a few days before departure. You can find last-minute tours in absolutely any direction, from the most affordable offers for a beach holiday in Egypt and weekend bus tours to Europe, and ending with tours to the Maldives and to.

The decrease in cost is due to a completely logical reason - the start of the voucher is approaching, and it is better to sell cheaper than not to sell at all. As a rule, the tour begins to lose in price a week before departure. But there are situations when, for example, there are 3 weeks left, but very few vouchers to a particular hotel have been sold, there are more than enough free rooms. In this case, they can start dropping the price much earlier.

Of course, a large "residue" of unsold tours may be due to the "off season", unpopular type of rooms, not the best location of the hotel and other, quite objective circumstances. In that case, it's really just a loud name. However, if you wish, you can find a last-minute tour to an excellent 5-star hotel for the price of 3 stars.

Advantages of last minute tours

• Price. The key "plus" of the burning offer is a significant discount on the ticket.
• Choice. Regardless of the season and other factors, it is quite possible to find last-minute tours. So, even if you cannot plan your vacation in advance, come to a travel agency a few days before it starts, and you can be sure that you will be picked up a last-minute tour with a departure on the dates you need. Problems with vouchers can only arise during the peak season - July and August.
• Bonuses. Some tour operators, in addition to the last-minute tour found, provide an additional bonus, for example, a free tour.

Disadvantages of last minute tours

1. Close departure date. Please note that having bought a last-minute ticket, you will have to leave as soon as possible. Perhaps even the next day. Therefore, agree in advance and settle all matters at work in order to go on a trip without any problems. And if a country needs a visa, especially a Schengen one, resolve this issue in advance.
2. No money back. Having paid for the last-minute voucher found, you will not be able to return the money back. Regardless of whether you change your mind or decide to refuse for good reasons.
3. Competition. While you are thinking whether it is worth buying the ticket you like, it may well be “taken away from under the nose” by the same searchers for last-minute tours. Demand here is usually higher than supply;
4. Quality. In theory, good tours / hotels can also “burn”, but in practice, the best offers (especially during the season) are taken apart at full cost, and less attractive offers get into the “burning” ones. Either the hotel may be great, but the tour dates are "out of season" at the resort.

Where and how to look for last minute tours

There are several ways to find and choose a last minute ticket:

• • Contact one or more travel agencies. Employees will acquaint you with the current offers and help you make a choice.
  • In the Internet. You can search for last-minute tours on the websites of the same travel agencies or specialized pages that contain various last-minute offers, but it is better to do this without intermediaries, directly on the websites of tour operators, this is where the most up-to-date information is located. Among the proven and reliable

• In social networks. Many agencies or private travel agents publish the most “tasty” offers on their pages / groups in social networks. Subscribe to them and catch the ticket you need.

Pick up a tour

If you find a last-minute tour on the tour operator's website, then do not rush to rejoice. You still need to pay for it. You can do this on the same site (if you're lucky and the company accepts payment by card) or you will have to rush at full speed to the nearest travel agency that works with this tour operator. In this case, you need to make sure that the payment will reach the tour operator on time, because the reservation is not yet a 100% guarantee of obtaining the desired tour.

Even if you are going to go on a last minute vacation, start choosing a tour in advance. Study the pricing policy, tour conditions, read about choosing a hotel in order to quickly find the best offer at the right time.

Be sure to check whether travel, accommodation, meals are included in the tour price. In bus tours of European cities, for example, they often "save" on excursions. An attractive price subsequently turns into the need to additionally pay for almost all excursions within the tour. Make sure that the low price is due to the quick departure, and not the lack of certain services.

Read reviews about hotels on forums and specialized sites. Check the number of stars - often tourists on the spot miss one or even two stars at the hotel they paid for. So you can avoid pitfalls and protect yourself from unpleasant surprises on vacation.

A chocolate or other gift to a travel agency employee will most likely stimulate him to “pull out of his sleeve” the most interesting offers.