Next Vacay is a search engine for flights. They cast a wide net to catch you little-known, customized deals. Unlike some sites that are motivated by commission, Next Vacay is member supported with a transparent annual fee of $25 a year. Flights are booked directly by you through Google Flights so you don’t waste time calling the airport or dealing with a middle man. Next Vacay saves you the time and hassle of trying to navigate complicated point systems to get cheaper flights.
If you already have free miles or points from a certain airline, don’t worry. You can still use them (and earn them) just like you would when booking on your own.
How Does It Work?
Next Vacay emails members a few deals every week for inspiration. Instead of last minute offers, their deal alerts are for trips 1-6 months out, giving you enough time to plan ahead. You enter your home location and they assume you’d be willing to drive up to three hours for a good flight deal. You can also widen the search area if you don’t mind leaving from further away. As long as tickets are available on the flight, there’s no limit to the number of tickets you can buy at the low rate listed.
Next Vacay Is Best For You If:
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You are a frequent flyer, looking to explore new places. You need to have some flexibility in your schedule and ability to take time off, since most of the deals are not local. Being open to different destinations with flexible travel dates helps you get the most use out of your membership.
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You want to travel more. Maybe you haven’t had a chance to go to a lot of places but you really want to. Flight alerts are a good reminder to take a trip every once in a while. With deals regularly sent to you, Next Vacay prompts you to make travel more a part of your life. It reminds you what’s out there and gives you offers that can be too good to pass up. It’s a great tool to help you stay accountable to increasing the number of trips you take, if that’s something you’re trying to do.
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You don’t mind traveling on different airlines in economy class. While they do take into consideration the full cost (including baggage fees on their deals) some of their lower prices might be for smaller airlines. Naturally, most cheaper flights are not going to be business class.
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You like small companies that provide a personal touch with each deal. Naveen and his wife are hands on with the deals that go out and will help with finding holiday deals or customizing the trips you are offered based on your feedback.
Next Vacay Is Not For You If:
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You don’t travel. If you don’t like long trips, don’t have any time off work or are required to stay local due to family or personal obligations, the flight alerts probably won’t do much for you. If you’re just looking for a local weekend getaway, you can probably find reasonable flights on your own. Next Vacay offers some seasonal domestic deals but most trips are intended to be for long distance travel.
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If you are looking for cruises or all-inclusive travel deals. Next Vacay is for flight deals only.
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If you want a last minute deal. This site is intended for people who are planning a trip in advance. The founders say that they don’t do last minute deals because they handpick offers that they would want to use themselves. They like to double check everything, so last minute isn’t really what they’re best at.
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The good news is if you want to try Next Vacay but aren’t sure if it will be right for you, there’s little risk to signing up. The low annual fee of $25 isn’t charged until after your first free month. If you don’t get any deals you can use in the first six months, you can still get your money back for the yearly subscription.
Suspicious of the cheap flights?
Don’t be! Flights can be priced below average for several reasons. The first is an error on the part of the airline...their loss, your gain. Sometimes they don’t honor the deal though if it was human error and they catch it on time. Deals can also happen if airlines are competing against each other and the market drives the price down. Sometimes airlines have a sale. Certain destinations are more popular during particular times of the year. Like anything else, airline prices fluctuate based on the demand for that trip at that time. If the airline has too many open seats on a flight, they’ll drop the price to fill the seats. This is a classic example of customers getting a deal when supply exceeds demand.
What people are saying:
Hippie in Heels, a popular travel blogger, calls Next Vacay her “Newest Travel Obsession.” She was impressed when they found her a flight from Columbus Ohio to Hong Kong over Thanksgiving for $900. Other bloggers seem equally happy with the service, although the company has only been around since 2016, so there isn't a ton of reviews available yet.
Most reviewers compare Next Vacay to similar sites like Travelocity, Scott’s Cheap Flights or Travel Cheaters. If you’re serious about traveling, you might want to sign up for multiple sites at the same time because the deals are often individual to each site. Be careful about membership fees adding up though.
According to Reddit reviewers, Next Vacay sent members unique deals than they weren’t finding elsewhere. The best deals were from major hubs, so if you live near or can get to a big airport, you’ll do better with Next Vacay than more remotely-based travelers will. Some reviewers questioned whether the low annual fee was worth it since you could just search for flights on your own. This may be true but a site like Next Vacay is helpful to find travel ideas and consolidate your search to simplify the process.
Conclusion
Next Vacay seems promising! With its affordable membership and easy cancellation policies, there’s no reason not to give it a try. If you’re shopping around for a travel subscription site, this is a low risk option to start with. The personalized service is definitely a nice touch. For those who have some flexibility in their schedules, want to see the world (beyond local trips) and explore new far away places, Next Vacay would be a good fit.
Be sure to read our recent review on Travel Pirates, another great site to find Cheap Vacation Packages.
