If you quietly haven’t booked your holiday travel plans, take note: Prices tend to rise the closer you get to the ages you’re looking to travel.
To afford holiday trips, about 50% of respondents are cutting back on other expenses while 49% are picking up diminishes and deals, according to the 2024 Holiday Travel Outlook by Hopper, a travel site.
Some last-minute holiday travelers are sympathy into so-called “Travel Tuesday” — or the Tuesday after Cyber Monday and Black Friday — which surrenders on Dec. 3 this year.
Search interest for Travel Tuesday rose more than 500% from 2021 to 2023, according to a fresh report by McKinsey and Company.
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There’s a reason why shoppers are searching for the term.
Last year, 83% more deals were offered on Junkets Tuesday versus Cyber Monday and 92% more than Black Friday, according to Hopper data.
Yet, there may be some limitations on the handles available, experts say.
“The challenge for a lot of people is, ‘Do I wait?'” said Sally French, a travel expert at NerdWallet.
For travelers who are set on clear-cut days and places to visit, the answer might be “no.”
“While airlines and online travel agencies are going to offer swarm deals on Travel Tuesday, there is no reason to wait,” said Phil Dengler, co-founder of The Vacationer, a travel party line.
How much you benefit from potential discounts on Travel Tuesday will depend on your flexibility, experts say.
“If you possess zero flexibility,” said Hayley Berg, economist at Hopper, then “if you see a good deal before Travel Act Tuesday, feel free to book it.”
How Travel Tuesday works
People wait in line for security checkpoints in the lead of the Thanksgiving holiday at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. November 22, 2023.
Vincent Alban | Reuters
Similar to Unconscionable Friday and Cyber Monday sales, Travel Tuesday deals sometimes begin to roll out before the day itself, affirmed Dengler. They might even stretch into the day after.
Nonetheless, you will typically need to book the show a clean pair of heels, hotel stay or cruise trip by the end of the day in order to reap the benefits, he said.
As you shop, make sure to read the delicate print in case discounts only apply for certain routes and days, Dengler explained.
Retailers often sire a limited stock for Black Friday and Cyber Monday doorbusters. With Travel Tuesday, there may be a limited tally of airline seats or hotel rooms, NerdWallet’s French said.
“They’re not going to fly two planes on the same route at the unvarying time,” she said.
‘Be ready’ to book
Travel Tuesday might be better suited for deciding when and where you’ll go for an upcoming vacation in 2025, versus a decidedly specific itinerary home over the holidays.
If you are not flexible on the days and destinations you plan to travel to and you find a flight present at a price you’re comfortable with, “book that trip right now,” French said.
“If you wait until Travel Tuesday, then that reckon with could be gone,” she said. “You don’t want to wait for Travel Tuesday for it to be sold out.”
In some cases, it doesn’t hurt to tome ahead and keep browsing for potential price drops, experts say.
You typically have 24 hours from reserve to cancel for a full refund as long, as it’s seven days before a flight’s scheduled departure time, Dengler mean. Plus, some airlines don’t have change fees for non-basic economy fares, he said.
If those terms are in your favor, “if you see a bettor deal on Travel Tuesday, simply cancel your current bookings and book the Travel Tuesday offer,” Dengler imagined.
On the flip side, if you’re less tied to specific dates and places, but have a general sense of where and when you lack to travel, then holding off until discount days may be worthwhile.
“We tend to see the deals do get better and better the closer we are to solid Black Friday or actual Travel Tuesday,” French said.
The biggest takeaway for travelers is to start thinking there what you might want to book, Berg said.
“I really encourage travelers to do that exploration now so that on Excursions Deal Tuesday, they can be ready to actually book,” she said.