Here's how staff writer Paula Crouch Thrasher booked her last-minute trip, and learned that great deals don't always come to those who wait.

WENDELL BROCK/AJC (ENLARGE)
The cemetery in Old San Juan is known for its elaborate tombstones and its location overlooking the ocean.
EMAIL THIS PRINT THIS MOST POPULAR
LAST-MINUTE TRAVEL Last-minute travel: Flexibility is the key  Know where to click when vacation bug bites  Experts say: Register for e-mail alerts, try alternative destinations  She who hesitates is out an additional $400  Food fests, fun with marine life just a short hop away  Hit the road for music, mirth, mischief

What a difference a week makes. From one Monday to the next, the base price for airfare and a three-night stay at the Hotel El Convento in San Juan, Puerto Rico, went from $775 per person to $975.

To find out if proscrastination pays, I decided to wait until the Monday before the Thursday (June 9) I wanted to depart.

Ultimately, my package — which I booked through Atlanta-based LastMinute Travel.com — cost $1,098 per person, or $2,196 for my daughter and me, when taxes and fees were added.

When I began my search, my main criterion was to visit a destination where I'd never been and stay under $800 per person for the package. This narrowed my choices and I was gravitating toward Arizona.

And I was waiting for the right moment to whip out the credit card — although I wasn't sure when that would be.

A travel survey conducted by Site59 revealed that half the 95 percent who had not booked a summer vacation in the spring would likely book within one month of departure. When asked what would influence their decision, the most popular response was "waiting to be inspired," which even outranked "waiting for the best deal."

Inspiration came as I read an article on SmarterTravel.com that listed the "top five bargain destinations for summer 2005." The picks: Las Vegas, Puerto Rico, Canadian national parks, Turkey and Hawaii.

I'd been to Vegas, so that city was out. National parks didn't appeal to me for a short getaway. Turkey and Hawaii would be over budget.

That left Puerto Rico. According to the article by staff writer Christine Sarkis: "If the proposed law requiring passports for Caribbean travel goes into effect at the end of this year, there is some speculation that Puerto Rico — a commonwealth of the U.S. that won't require passports — will see a surge in popularity and a rise in price."

Sold.

San Juan it would be, and I determined that I wanted to stay in Old San Juan rather than at a beach resort.

Initially, a package on Site59 caught my fancy: "San Juan, Puerto Rico: A Hot Time in the Old Town." The only property Site59 features in Old Town is the art deco-style Normandie. The price was right: $613.14 per person (two weeks in advance). And the Delta flights were nonstop; however, the return flight left at 7:15 a.m. — no thanks.

Then I remembered reading about the Hotel El Convento, a converted Carmelite convent across the street from San Juan Cathedral in the heart of the walled city.

Site59 did not offer El Convento. I started looking at 11thHour.com, Expedia.com, Travelocity and LastMinute Travel.com. El Convento was pricier, but I decided to pay more to get exactly what I wanted.

LastMinute offered the most choices of nonstop flights on Delta as well as El Convento. At that time, more than a week before my departure, the price was $775 per person ($898.20 with taxes and fees). A bit over budget, but not excessively so.

I did not lock in the deal. Bad idea.

By the next Monday, the base price had risen by $200 per person. Having become enamored of the El Convento, I paid the premium.

Did I need a rental car? Another bad idea that seemed like a good one at the time. I thought we'd use it to get to and from the airport and in case we found time to drive to the beach or out to El Junque National Forest, a rain forest managed by the U.S. Forest Service an hour from San Juan.

We never left Old San Juan.

I found a good deal on the rental car at Travelocity — a "total price" guaranteed rate of $89.61 for a Toyota Echo. With mandatory third-party liability insurance, the total was $109, even though I waived most insurance options. Valet parking at the hotel was $10 a night. Gas was $6.83. Plus, we got lost leaving and returning to the airport, wasting valuable time.

A taxi would have been $16 each way for the both of us. Do the math: $32 vs. $145.83.

Probably the best lesson I learned: When you decide on your travel dates, start looking for a deal. If you find a bargain, go for it. The price could go lower as the clock ticks, but don't count on it.