Another first-person story from an anonymous traveler, who paid too much. “I should have known better,” she admits – but, we’re all human, we all make errors. Learn from hers!

Yes, even before I saw Rick’s post on “Top 5 Tips to Get the Cheapest Airfare this Spring and Summer” – I knew that procrastinating was stupid. Really I did. Unfortunately, nobody put a gun to my head and said “get your ticket today”, and so I let it slide.

Big mistake.

Make that, two big mistakes. For some reason, I decided that this weekend event I had to attend in the Midwest required me to fly out on a Friday and return on Sunday. I could’ve gotten an extra day or two off, but nooooo. It didn’t occur to me to ask.

With the result that I made reservations on the two most expensive days to fly (well, they usually are) plus, I waited until just a couple of weeks before departure to book the tickets. Idiot. Somehow I forgot that there are fewer flights these days, and that other people might possibly want to travel when I want to travel.

Anyway, I’ve flown this route numerous times for $300 (and occasionally for a lot less). But I paid $500. On Southwest. You should have seen what the other airlines were asking.

I better have a real good time on this trip, that’s all I can say. Oh, I can also say, read Rick’s tips – and follow them. Seriously.