Why Last-minute Flights Are So Expensve

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We’ve all been there—a flight you keep meaning to book and keep putting off. All of a sudden it’s two weeks away and you still don’t have tickets. You keep hoping for a last-minute miracle, and the universe keeps responding with higher and higher fares. What gives?  Last-minute flights = expensive flights It’s logical to assume that last-minute fares should go down in price. After all, an empty seat generates nothing for an airline, so why wouldn’t they want to keep cutting the price as takeoff nears? Even $50 > $0, right? That was the conventional wisdom for decades. But beginning in the early 1970s, airlines began realizing that people booking last-minute flights generally weren’t vacationers. Instead, it was businesspeople who didn’t schedule meetings months in advance the way leisure travelers schedule vacations. And while us leisure travelers care a lot about airfare—any dollar we spend on a flight is a dollar we can’t spend on something else—business travelers just don’t care. Why should they? It’s their company paying. So if last-minute bookings are made by businesspeople who don’t care what it costs, the optimal strategy from the airlines' perspective isn’t to slash fares; it’s to jack up fares and gouge business travelers. That makes them the most money, even if it means leaving some seats empty. The takeaway for us leisure travelers: don’t count on cheap last-minute or standby flights popping up. Instead, expect that last-minute fares will skyrocket.  Not all last-minute flights are equal We're a broken record about booking during Goldilocks Windows because that’s when cheap flights are most likely to pop up. (For domestic flights it’s 1-3 months in advance, 2-8 months for international, and add a couple months for peak season dates.) Don’t book too late because fares go up. But not all last-minute flights are the same. A flight booked one month in advance is almost certainly going to be cheaper than a flight booked one week in advance. And a flight booked one week in advance is almost always cheaper than a flight booked one day in advance. So if there’s a flight you need and you still haven’t booked a month out, your best bet is almost certainly to purchase ASAP. Holding out hope for a late price drop is a sure way to wind up overpaying.  Budget airlines are most likely to have reasonable last-minute fares Even if you basically never fly on budget airlines like Spirit, the one time to consider making an exception is if you need a last-minute flight. Think back to why last-minute fares tend to be so pricey: it’s because airlines want to gouge business travelers. But business travelers rarely fly on Spirit. Ditto with Frontier, Allegiant, and other ultra-low-cost carriers. As a result, last-minute flights tend to be much more affordable on budget airlines that primarily cater to leisure travelers.  The big pandemic-era exception Despite a surging interest in travel as countries drop restrictions, the number of people traveling internationally is still down from pre-pandemic levels, and that rate at which airlines are adding more seats and flights is still outpacing demand. This means that—for now—it’s still possible to find good deals relatively last minute for international trips, especially to Europe. So if you haven’t yet booked an international trip for this summer you could still find a great fare (so long as you’re flexible on exactly where and when you go). Here are some examples of deals we found just this month for summer travel: Iceland for $493 nonstop roundtrip all summer Myrtle Beach for $138 roundtrip in June and August Mexico City for $224 roundtrip all summer Hawaii for $381 roundtrip in August Chile for $554 roundtrip in August Malta for $2,518 roundtrip in business class in July and August Amsterdam from $2,390 roundtrip in business class all summer

Hurricane Agatha update

 

10m This is what #Zipolite looks like this afternoon / evening, obey the prevention measures established by the authorities.

Visita Zipolite

@Visita_Zipolite

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10m

Así luce #Zipolite esta tarde/noche, obedezca las medidas de prevención establecidas por las autoridades.

BULLETIN Hurricane Agatha Warning Number 8 NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL EP012022 400p m. CDT Sun May 29, 2022

BULLETIN

Hurricane Agatha Warning Number 8

NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL EP012022

400p m. CDT Sun May 29, 2022

...AGATHA ALMOST A GREAT HURRICANE...

...WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BEGIN TO DETERIORATE IN THE SOUTH

MEXICO TONIGHT...

SUMMARY OF 400 PM CDT...2100 UTC...INFORMATION

----------------------------------------------

LOCATION...14.1N 98.7W

ABOUT 185 MI...295 KM SW OF PUERTO ANGEL MEXICO

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...110 MPH...175 KM/H. CAT, 2

CURRENT MOTION...NE (NORTHEAST) OR 45 DEGREES AT 1 MPH...2 KM/H

MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...964 MB...28.47 INCHES

WATCHES AND WARNINGS

--------------------

CHANGES WITH THIS NOTICE:

None

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:

There is a hurricane warning for...

* Salina Cruz to Lagunas de Chacahua

A Hurricane Watch is in effect for...

* Salina Cruz to the east to Barra De Tonalá

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for...

* Salina Cruz to the east to Boca de Pijijiapan

* Lagunas de Chacahua to the west to Punta Maldonado

A hurricane warning means that hurricane conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area within 36 hours. preparations for

protect life and property must be rushed to completion.

A Hurricane Watch means that hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area.

A tropical storm warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area.

Interests in other parts of southern Mexico should closely monitor the

Agatha's progress.

For specific storm information in your area, check the products issued by your national weather service.

DISCUSSION AND PERSPECTIVE

-------------------------------------

at 400 p.m. m. CDT (2100 UTC), the center of Hurricane Agatha was located near latitude 14.1 North, longitude 98.7 West. Agatha is drifting northeast near 1 mph (2 km/h), and a faster northeast. The movement is expected to start tonight. On the forecast track, the center of Agatha will make landfall in southern Mexico Monday afternoon or evening.

Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 110 mph (175 km/h) with higher gusts. Additional strengthening is expected during the next 12 to 24 hours and Agatha is forecast to become a major hurricane when it reaches the coast of southern Mexico on Monday.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 15 miles (30 km) and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 115 miles (185 km).

The minimum central pressure based on data from the Spanish Air Force

The Hurricane Hunter plane is 964mb (28.47 inches).

THREATS AFFECTING THE EARTH

-------------------------------------

WIND: Hurricane conditions expected on hurricane watch

area and possible in the watch area Monday, with tropical storm conditions beginning tonight or early Monday.

STORM SURGE: Storm surge is expected to produce coastal flooding in areas of onshore winds near and to the east of where the center of Agatha makes landfall. Near the coast, the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves.

RAINFALL: Agatha to produce heavy rain in parts of the south

Mexico until Tuesday night. The following rainfall amounts are currently expected:

Mexican state of Oaxaca: 10 to 16 inches, with maximum isolated

quantities of 20 inches possible. Life-threatening flash floods and

landslides can occur.

Mexican state of Chiapas: 5 to 10 inches, with maximum isolated

15-inch quantities possible. Life-threatening flash flooding and landslides can occur.

Eastern portions of the Mexican state of Guerrero: 2 to 6 inches, with isolated maximum amounts of 10 inches possible. Life-threatening flash floods and landslides can occur.

Mexican states of Veracruz and Tabasco: 2 to 4 inches, with insulation

maximum quantities of 6 inches possible.

SURF: Large swells generated by Agatha will affect the southern coast of Mexico during the next few days. These waves are

likely to cause life-threatening surf conditions and rip currents.

Check the products of your local weather office.

NEXT NOTICE

-------------

Next interim notice at 700 p.m. m. CDT.

Next full notice at 1000 p.m. m. CDT.

Cangialosi Tipster

The combination of the fried tortilla, bathed in mole results in some delicious black mole chilaqules. 🫓🌶🍽

Orégano

La combinación de la torrilla frita, bañada en mole da por resultado unos ricos chilaqules de mole negro.

#oreganozipolite #chilaquilesdemole #gastronomiaoaxaqueña #cocinatradicional #sabormexicano #pachuparselosdedos #cocinaoaxaqueña #zipolite #mexicanfood

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Primer: as a US citizen living in Mexico, do I need to file with the IRS?

Primer: as a US citizen living in Mexico, do I need to file with the IRS?   Sarah DeVries interviewed tax specialist Michael Lindstrom, who explains who must file annual U.S. tax returns and who may not need to.