How to Get Cheap Flights and Hotel Deals on Travel Tuesday

August 24, 2024

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If you love to travel, you probably constantly scour the internet for affordable plane tickets and hotel deals. It's not all that fun, but there is a rush that comes from finding a flight to Europe for a few hundred dollars or a four-star hotel for the price you'd typically pay at a Hampton Inn. During the Thanksgiving season, it's easy to get distracted by Black Friday and Cyber Monday travel deals—and trust us, there are a ton. But the real savings are to be had just a few days later on Travel Tuesday, the sale holiday dedicated to price-dropped getaways. Here's everything you need to know to take advantage of the discounts.

Every year, Travel Tuesday takes place on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving and the collection of sales holidays that follow it, like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. While those holidays are typically focused on electronics, appliances, and giftable knickknacks, this one is dedicated exclusively to travel. The holiday started in 2017; this year, it falls on Nov. 28.

"This is literally the Black Friday for travel deals," says TikTok user Madison Rolley (@madisonrolley). "I'm personally going to be sharing with you guys the best deals that I'm finding, but you'll want to mark your calendar just to keep an eye out for other deals that you might come across."

According to Hopper, a travel website that tracks travel prices, in 2022, Travel Tuesday had 78 percent more deals than Cyber Monday and two times as many deals as Black Friday. There are 42 percent more deals on this day than the average, and travelers could get as much as 60 percent off trips to top destinations like London, Lisbon, and more.

The travel pros at Skyscanner shared some deals they found on Travel Tuesday in 2022, including one-way fares on Alaska Airlines for $29 and fares starting from $20.22 on Spirit Airlines. JetBlue offered up to $100 off flights when booked directly with the airline.

"Travel Deal Tuesday has consistently become one of the best days of the year to book travel," said Hayley Berg, lead economist at Hopper, in a press release. "Given the massive holiday shopping and consumer savings on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, travel providers are motivated to drop prices during the holiday sales week to take advantage of the consumer spending mindset and incentivize travelers at a time when travel demand is low."

The best way to snag major deals is to go into the day having done your prep work. According to Julie Ramhold, a consumer analyst with the shopping comparison site DealNews.com, you should sign up for emails from your favorite hotel groups and airlines.

"When these companies are getting ready to roll out sales, the odds are good that email subscribers will be the first to know," she writes. "In some cases, subscribers may even get early access to the sales, so they're able to jump on and take advantage before the deals all sell out."

You should also download the Hopper app. With it, you can set price alerts for trips you're interested in and create a watch list. The app will notify you if it finds a great deal for something on your list.

To ensure you can book quickly, keep your calendar nearby—and have any potential travel partners on speed dial. That's because many deals will have blackout dates. Often, these blackouts are for popular travel periods like three-day weekends and school breaks. With a few dates in mind, you can be flexible enough to book quickly because these deals go fast!

Travel is expensive, and you don't want to make any mistakes that might make it even pricier. Before clicking "buy," read the fine print thoroughly. Ensure there are no hidden fees and that the refund and cancellation policy aligns with your needs.

It also makes sense to stick to brands you trust. "Don't make the mistake of falling victim to a scam just because the price is too enticing," writes Going Places of Travel Tuesday. "

If you have never heard of a particular airline or hotel chain, be sure to do your research before booking. The Better Business Bureau is a good resource when researching the legitimacy of an unknown brand."

With that, we wish you safe travels and happy deal hunting.

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