To this:
“I want to go somewhere fun in September.”
For some, this degree of flexibility is simply
impossible. Yet for those who can loosen their
preconceptions about how to plan travel, it can
lead to big savings — and maybe even more
fun — whether you’re paying with cash or
using points.
WHY RIGIDITY IS SO EXPENSIVE
The cost of travel depends on the interplay
between many factors, including:
— Demand.
— Supply.
— Randomness.
— Number of options.
When you make specific plans from the get-
go, you essentially constrain the last variable
— you give yourself fewer options. This
means that the cost of your trip will depend
entirely on the first three variables, which are
completely outside of your control.
This economic interplay will sometimes fall in
your favor, and you’ll score a good deal on the
exact destination and dates you wanted. But
more often than not, you’ll end up paying more
than average simply by starting with a severely
limited set of options.
HOW TO PLAN TRAVELS WITH FLEXIBILITY
You can still set some boundaries around your
search. Example parameters might include:
— I want to travel in the fall.
— I want to sit on the beach.
— I don’t want to spend more than $X.