If you still have not reserved your vacation travel plansbe careful: prices tend to increase as we get closer to the desired days. journey.A
To afford vacation travel, around 50% of respondents cut other expenses while 49% take advantage of discounts and offers, according to at the 2024 Holiday Travel Outlook from Hopper, a travel site.
Some last-minute vacationers are turning to what's called “Tuesday trip” – or the Tuesday after Cyber Monday and Black Friday – which falls on December 3 this year.
Search interest on Travel Tuesday increased by over 500% between 2021 and 2023. according to to a recent report from McKinsey and Company.
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There's a reason buyers search for this term.
Last year, 83% more deals were offered on Travel Tuesday than on Cyber Monday and 92% more than on Black Friday, according to Hopper data.
Still, available deals may be limited, experts say.
“The challenge for a lot of people is, 'Do I wait?'” said Sally French, travel expert at NerdWallet.
For travelers who are set on specific days and locations to visit, the answer might be “no.”
“While airlines and online travel agencies will be offering flight deals on Travel Tuesday, there is no reason to wait,” said Phil Dengler, co-founder of The Vacationer, a platform of travel.
How much you'll receive from potential Travel Tuesday discounts will depend on your flexibility, experts say.
“If you don't have any flexibility,” said Hayley Berg, an economist at Hopper, then “if you see a good deal before Travel Deal Tuesday, don't hesitate to book it.”
How Travel Tuesday Works
People line up at security checkpoints ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois, the United States, November 22, 2023.
Vincent Alban | Reuters
Similar to Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, Travel Tuesday deals sometimes start rolling out before the day itself, Dengler said. They could even extend into the next day.
Still, you'll typically need to book the flight, hotel stay or cruise before the end of the day in order to reap the benefits, he said.
When shopping, be sure to read the fine print in case discounts only apply for certain routes and certain days, Dengler explained.
Retailers often have limited inventory for Black Friday and Cyber Monday door-to-door sales. With Travel Tuesday, there may be a limited number of airplane seats or hotel rooms, NerdWallet French said.
“They’re not going to fly two planes on the same route at the same time,” she said.
'Be ready' to book
Travel Tuesday might be better suited for deciding when and where you'll go on your next vacation in 2025, versus a very specific return itinerary during the vacation.
If you're not flexible about the days and destinations you plan to travel to and you find an available flight at a price that suits you, “book that trip now,” French said.
“If you wait until Travel Tuesday, then this deal could disappear,” she said. “You don’t want to wait for Travel Tuesday to get it sold out.”
In some cases, it doesn't hurt to book in advance and keep looking for possible price drops, experts say.
You generally have 24 hours after booking to cancel and get a full refund, as long as it's seven days before a flight's scheduled departure time, Dengler said. Additionally, some airlines don't charge change fees for non-basic economy fares, he said.
If these terms are in your favor, “if you see a better deal on Travel Tuesday, simply cancel your current reservations and book the Travel Tuesday deal,” Dengler said.
On the other hand, if you are less tied to specific dates and locations, but have a general idea of where and when you want to travel, it may be worth waiting for discount days.
“We tend to see deals get better as we get closer to real Black Friday or real Travel Tuesday,” French said.
The most important takeaway for travelers is to start thinking about what you might want to book, Berg said.
“I really encourage travelers to do this exploration now so that by Travel Deal Tuesday, they can be ready to book,” she said.
