Last-minute booking

Last-minute bookings are reservations that are made shortly before their intended use—days, hours, or even minutes before the scheduled activity, event, or service. These bookings occur due to sudden changes in plans, business needs, or spontaneous decisions. The practice is common in the travel, hospitality, and entertainment industries.

Businesses can offer incentives to encourage last-minute bookings. For example, a hotel has several vacant rooms for the upcoming weekend. To maximize occupancy, the property can provide a discount on room rates and a complimentary breakfast. 

However, when demand is high, businesses can capitalize on urgency by maintaining or quickly increasing prices rather than offering discounts. For example, an airline can implement a dynamic pricing strategy that gradually increases fares as the departure date approaches. 

Businesses can also use scarcity as a marketing tactic to create a sense of urgency. By highlighting limited availability, they encourage customers to act quickly and make last-minute bookings before the opportunity is lost.