What's the most last-minute you've ever booked?

[Forgottenmyphone]

And... where and when was it?

My parents booked and flew to Cuba on the same day, back in the 1990s. It was incredibly cheap!

I rocked up at the airport and booked the next flight out which was, I think two and a bit hours later!

That was way back in the mid nineties. I assume that post 9/11 security has made that impossible now,

Did it last year, ended up in Amsterdam. Booked 5 days before. I just went on skyscanner and put direct flights from my airport to "Anywhere" and picked one of the cheapest destinations at the time. Had much more to spend on hotels which is needed in Amsterdam if you want something naice 😆

2-3 hours (I wasn't far from the airport). Laos. In the 2010s.

I used to travel to Paris regularly for work, usually booked at 11pm for a 9-10am Eurostar the next day! Similarly for Italy and Madrid.

Booked on the Saturday morning to fly out the Sunday morning. So about 18 hours before. 2013 i think.

Went to Krakow. Had a few days off work and wanted a trip. Flight was right price, cheap accomdation, so went. I plan holidays for fun, and my brian absorbs information about places. So when i saw a cheap flight and i could go i would and it was sort of already planned. Even if that plan was a few years old. More difficult these days with children.

May 2023 - Canaries. Booked Monday evening for a Wednesday flight out (to coincide with school strikes).

August 2024 - Italy. Booked Wednesday evening for a Sunday departure.

Teletext next day, Crete. Textbook booked it, packed it, fucked off.
Other than that before ds we lived in Essex so short distance to Stansted, Southend and city airports, and we both worked full time Monday to Thursday, so would see a cheap flight for the following weekend or a few days time and just go, short city breaks Amsterdam (a few times it was less than an hour flight and it's so quick to get through Southend airport), Berlin, Krakow, Madrid, Barcelona, Gdansk. Since DS I have to be a lot more organised.

Last November I booked a family holiday (2 adults, 2 under 3's) to Lanzarote on the day. Baby woke for a feed at 4am, DH had the week booked off, I was on maternity. By 6am I had a hotel, flights and car booked and we left for the airport at 11am!

About 5 years ago DH and I were both having a rough time at work. Booked a holiday to Bulgaria on the Thursday, flew on Monday. It was one of my favourite holidays and so cheap

We are currently in the Canary Islands as it’s our Scottish half term this week. We flew out on Saturday having booked on the Thursday.

When they briefly relaxed restrictions in August 2020, I booked for three weeks later. Klosters in Switzerland. It was beautiful, and worth isolating for two weeks on return when they changed the rules halfway though :)

In normal times I book at least six months ahead :)

Majorca 2 days before --earlier this year when my patience snapped after what seemed like weeks of rain in late May / early June

Early this summer we were booked to spend a week in Cornwall. The forecast was torrential rain for at least 4 days.

Spent 2 hours looking for and booking flights and accommodation and decided on Portugal. Packed the case, went to bed at midnight and got up to drive to airport at 3.30am.

Last minute 2 week holiday booked to Australia in 2020. Ended up being a 4 year stay.

We do live (back) in NZ though so it was only a 3 hour flight.

Not like booking a last minute holiday to Australia when you live in the UK.

The shortest time for me was when I met my boyfriend during our lunch break from work and we spontaneously came up with this idea to go to Paris for the weekend and literally five hours later we left the UK and went to Paris!

I've booked flights and accommodation in the morning and gone that afternoon a few times. Did it in July in fact.

For anyonenwhonhas done this recently, is it still a good way to get a bargainacious holiday or is it more of a fly by the seat of the pants thing?

Labuan Island (little Singapore) off the coast of Brunei....using Air Asia.A few hours before boarding and it cost a pittance.Used to nice to flit around obscure Borneo airports without a care.

Oh, another Covid one. Our planned trip to Cornwall was derailed three days before when all the hotel staff got Covid and the hotel shut, and we had plans on the way down and back so were tied in to the West Country, with no vacancies anywhere. That was some last minute scrabbling round.

Laker Standby
walk up, get on

Majorca the night before - from Teletext holidays in the late 90s. Think it was £80 for flights, transfer and self catered apartment for a week in Magaluf. My friend and I finished our finals a week before everyone else so thought we'd make the most of it.

Booked Thursday, departed Friday.

I've also moved countries with a few weeks notice... and cities with 2 days notice.

Last year. Booked a flight to Italy at 10pm on the way home from a late night food shop, flight was taking of at 3am..we had 1hr to pack , 2hr travel to airport, 2hr check in and board. Was a great trip

Prague for the weekend. Booked at 3pm and flew 4 hours later. Exciting but a rush to pack and get to the airport! Felt surreal but in a good way!