If you’re like the majority, you spend a good amount of time at your desk, daydreaming of your next vacation. When you get stressed out, your knee-jerk reaction is to look for flights out of town. Sunshine or snowstorm, you’re gear is always packed and ready to roll – just in case. Whether it’s zip lining in Costa Rica or that last-ditch attempt to get one more day of powder on the mountain, you’re always scouring for a last-minute weekend away. While that may seem cost prohibitive, there are a number of easy, price scanning travel apps that can help you find that last-minute deal to get you on a flight to your next great adventure.
Hitlist
Hitlist is a flight-finding tool that allows you to scan various destinations over a variety of time periods in order to find the cheapest airfare available. It allows you to browse by flights, weekend getaways, ultimate ski destinations as well as other criteria. You can enter in desired destinations and receive notifications when flight deals are available. For example, if you’re interested in some heli-skiing in Japan, Hitlist will let you know when flight prices to Tokyo take a dip. Or, if you want to catch some sun in Cancun, browse under the Tropical Getaways section to see what type of deals you can land. Hitlist allows you to note places you want to go (or don’t want to go) and keeps you abreast on deals so you can globe trot for less.
Hopper
Just like the name, Hopper helps you jump from place to place without the strain on your pocketbook. You’ve heard the rumors: don’t buy flights on this day; or buy them at this time of night because that’s when airfare goes down. Hopper takes the guesswork out of booking flights. You simply put in the dates you want to go and it then predicts when your flight will be the cheapest. It will either tell you to wait to purchase that ticket to Indonesia and will alert you if the price goes down, or it will tell you to buy because the price is right. Their recommendations are based on tons of past flight price data and you can purchase flights right through the app. So get searching and get going to the closest piece of paradise you can find!
Kayak
Kayak is probably one of the more recognized names for travel deal apps, but it’s still a great option. Kayak combines its own deals along with scanning other travel sites to offer up the best fare available. It also lets you know how many seats are left, so you know how quickly you need to book. Kayak is a little more comprehensive in that it also finds hotel, car and package deals for your next trip. If you want to book that snow vacation in the Austrian Alps, but aren’t quite sure where to start, Kayak will help you find the best deals for all components of your trip. All you need is your passport, your gear and enough coffee to ward off jet lag.
Travel apps offer you some great ways to find your next little slice of heaven in a way that matches both your schedule and your pocketbook. They’re easy, quick and reliable ways to get the most bang for your buck in the never-ending quest for an adventure. Just when you think it might be too cost prohibitive, don’t lose heart – and most definitely do not pack away your gear. You never know what deal may be around the corner, so keep your skis waxed, your bag packed and your smartphone handy because you never know what the travel apps may bring.
