Last-minute vacation advice

April 22, 2012 7:35 PM

Last-minute vacation advice

I plan to take a vacation with my wife and kids the first week of June,but due to a dying relative,it's quite possible that we'll have to cancel at the lat minute.

What's the best way to arrange domestic US air travel with the least financial risk should we not be able to go? I'm totally okay with not booking anything until the last minute, but if that's the best option, how do I make economical arrangements at the last minute.

posted by tippiedog to Travel & Transportation (5 answers total)

If Southwest serves your airport and you fly on them with any regularity, they have an excellent cancellation policy. You can reuse the full fare any time for a year (although they recently made it slightly less flexible, requiring now that the ticket be issued to the same name as the original)
posted by spbmp at 7:48 PM on April 22, 2012

I would look into travel insurance.
posted by katemcd at 8:24 PM on April 22, 2012

spbmp: What does '...and you fly on them with any regularity...' have to do with it?
posted by tippiedog at 8:27 PM on April 22, 2012

"and you fly on them with any regularity..." refers to the fact that the value of the nonrefundable ("Wanna Get Away") ticket is good for only one year, and the clock starts ticking when you buy the ticket, not when your flight is scheduled. If you're not planning to travel with Southwest within that period, it really doesn't matter that there's no change fee.
posted by wnissen at 8:51 PM on April 22, 2012

Ah, thanks.
posted by tippiedog at 9:15 AM on April 23, 2012