Which website is the absolute BEST place to get great last minute travel deals/packages (from Dayton/Columbus/Cincinnati/Indianapolis)??

The absolute best in my opinion is Skyauction.com. My wife and I went from Cincinnati to Orlando on Delta, and then spent a full week in a 2 bedroom condo 2 years ago for $400, all inclusive. We've also gotten condo's in other places for entire weeks for anywhere from 250 - 350. And these places are way, way nicer than any hotel. Read the whole auction description and be aware of the fees that they charger- but I can guarantee, especially for last minute travel, that they will give you the best deal of anywhere that you're going to find.

Ever since the Holiday rush, air prices are continuing to rise, shouldn't the prices come down after the Holiday rush? Anyone know any good sites for last minute travel deals?

You ask a good question, one that I'm intrigued with as well (as I'm looking to book a flight to Europe for June, and prices have remained extraordinarily high).

I believe the answer is three-fold:

(1) the closer you get to your departure date, airlines generally raise prices. This is to discourage last-minute bookings. That said, there are exceptions where an airline might do a last-minute deal if it has seats still available... but generally the airlines don't want people to wait until the last minute to book, so they raise prices at generally 60, 21, and 7-days before departure.

(2) curiously, the price of oil and gasoline are going down, not up; however the airlines cannot be completely sure this trend will remain, so they may be raising prices on the chance that summer oil prices will be higher. That said, Saudi Arabia recently publicly announced its commitment to keep oil prices low this year, so airlines should in fact be lowering their fuel taxes. They haven't yet, and this is probably because they're hoping most people aren't picky about the price they pay, resulting in more profit for the airline.

(3) The cost of flights in general have been *very* high this year. I think the airlines are betting they can set a new level for prices if they work together. While this is not necessarily illegal or against anti-trust laws, other industries have tried similar tactics. Apple is famous for introducing new products (like their iPhone) at prices that may be much higher than similar products, however Apple hopes that demand will remain despite the high price, thus setting a new level for prices. Airlines may be trying the same thing, and if they don't succeed, then they'll lower their prices in Feb or March.

I've noticed on several summer flights to Europe (the peak travel period) that the plane is almost 90% empty at the moment. So demand really hasn't kept up with the high prices, so I'll be interested to see if prices drop later in February or March. Airlines are betting some people will book now, for piece of mind, even if prices are high.

I know so far that Travelocity is the cheapest to purchase last minute travel deals. I am leaving fron Toronto, and going to Miami. I would like to stay on the beach..the hotel I really like is Called Fontainbleu.
Does anyone know when there are really good deals (seasonal) and if there are any other websites that are better than traveloctiy.?

Hurricane season (mainly July, August, September) would be the best time to purchase tickets to Miami.

I am wanting to take a little 3 day vacation next week-end and am trying to find some last minute travel deals on hotel/activities. I am located in southern CA so I would like to travel to somewhere nearby such as L.A or San Francisco, or Palm Springs. I have lived in cali all my life and have never been to those places. So, please give me your suggestions on where I should look for last minute (cheap) travel deals. I have looked on www.lastminutetravel.com and orbitz and didn't find much. It would be helpful if you have boughten last minute travels deals....please tell me about it!

You could checkout travelzoo.com and hotwire for hotels.

i am retire at a young age and can travel anytime . Can go on a last min notice

If you are in Canada, check the sites below. By the way, my experience has been to check several, the rates can vary from site to site.

to clarify... not airfare but hotels/cruises

www.lastminute.com

http://www.lastminute.com/

depends on where you are from... but usually you can just google... "last minute vacations" and a bunch of websites will pop up... then you just have to sort through them.

I have had some luck with sidestep.com.

last minute deals are actually jacked up!
book your travel at least 2 weeks before the travel date to get a good deal.
=)

Can anyone recommend a really good website for last minute travel deals from Canada. Looking to go anywhere in the Carribean, 1 week (all-inclusive if possible) for under $650. Already tried Expedia, Itravel2000 and Exit.ca

Thanks

Travelocity

http://www.travelocity.ca

Bel Air Travel - last minute - been around at least 20 years or more.

http://www.belairtravel.com/lastminute.asp

Red Tag - last minute *I found this one usually brings up best price.

http://www.redtag.ca

FlightCentre

http://www.flightcentre.ca/

Tripcentral

http://www.tripcentral.ca/lastminute

Expedia and itravel2000 are usually overpriced.