3 last-minute Valentine's Day travel gifts that can cost less than flowers

— -- You want to make a grand romantic gesture but how do you do this without busting your budget? It can be tough.

I recently saw Valentine’s Day roses in a tall red vase for $102. So how about a plane ticket? They can be cheaper than flowers and I have some examples.

This is a short list of last-minute gifts for the one you love.

All fares shown were found Feb. 10 on my airfare comparison site.

1. Book a domestic flight

The way to find very cheap fares has not changed: Fly when no one wants to. To make that happen, be as flexible as possible, which could mean traveling during unpopular months or taking off on a weekday instead of the weekend. Whatever you do, do not present your loved one with an already-purchased ticket because it might have to be changed and those change fees (up to $200) can destroy any budget.

Here are a few examples for travel in March for under $100 (all prices are round-trip):

- Boston to Baltimore: $85
- Dallas to Denver: $75
- Chicago to Ft. Lauderdale: $87
- Los Angeles to Las Vegas: $77

2. Book a European flight

Offer to take on the job of finding deals to Europe. It’s not hard but your loved one doesn’t have to know that. Besides, you could save them hundreds of dollars. Check out this example of round-trip fares for July:

- Boston to Paris, $355
- Boston to Paris, $753

Both fares are for the same dates but had you only gone to the latter airline’s website to search and book, you would only have seen the $753 fare and missed out on nearly $400 in savings. Another way to put this is you could have gotten two tickets for the price of one! Always compare ticket prices on an airfare comparison site.

3. Give the gift of miles

If you’re an elite miles member and have them to spare, many airlines allow you to "gift" someone with miles. Then they can make their own travel plans and you’ve spent nothing dollar-wise.

Bonus gift idea

Offer to pick up the bag fees, then book flights on Southwest, the only U.S. airline that doesn’t charge for carry-ons or for the first two checked-bags. On second thought, maybe this is a gift best left for someone you’re not all that crazy about.