If you haven’t made any reservations for your vacation yet, be aware that costs usually increase as the dates of your trip draw nearer.
According to the 2024 Holiday Travel Outlook by travel website Hopper, about half of respondents are reducing other spending and 49% are finding sales and discounts to pay for vacations.
This year, on December 3, some last-minute vacationers are taking advantage of what is known as “Travel Tuesday,” which is the Tuesday after Cyber Monday and Black Friday.
According to a recent McKinsey and Company analysis, search interest for Travel Tuesday increased by more than 500% between 2021 and 2023. Customers are looking for the keyword for a purpose.
Hopper research shows that last year, Travel Tuesday had 83% more offers than Cyber Monday and 92% more than Black Friday.
However, analysts warn that the available discounts may be limited. “For many people, the question is, ‘Should I wait?'” Sally French, a travel specialist at NerdWallet, stated. The answer may be “no” for tourists who have certain dates and destinations in mind.
“There is no reason to wait, even though airlines and online travel agencies will be offering flight deals on Travel Tuesday,” stated Phil Dengler, co-founder of the travel website The Vacationer.
Your flexibility will determine how much you gain from possible Travel Tuesday savings, according to experts.
According to Hopper economist Hayley Berg, “if you see a good deal before Travel Deal Tuesday, feel free to book it if you have zero flexibility.”
The operation of Travel Tuesday
Deals for Travel Tuesday occasionally start to appear before the day itself, much like Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions, according to Dengler. They may even continue into the following day.
However, in order to profit, you usually have to reserve the flight, hotel room, or cruise by the end of the day, he noted.
Read the fine print when you purchase since discounts can only be available on specific routes and days, Dengler said.
Retailers frequently have a limited supply of Cyber Monday and Black Friday bestsellers. According to French of NerdWallet, there could be a cap on the quantity of hotel rooms or plane tickets available on Travel Tuesday.
She declared, “They won’t operate two aircraft on the same route simultaneously.”
“Be prepared” to make a reservation
Choosing the date and location of your next 2025 trip may be a better use of Travel Tuesday than planning a highly particular holiday itinerary.
“Book that trip right now,” French said, if you are set on the dates and locations of your trip and you discover a flight that suits your budget.
“That deal might not be available if you wait until Travel Tuesday,” she stated. “You should avoid waiting for it to sell out on Travel Tuesday.”
According to experts, it sometimes doesn’t harm to make reservations in advance and keep looking for possible price reductions.
As long as it’s seven days before to the scheduled departure time of a flight, you normally have 24 hours from the time of booking to cancel for a complete refund, according to Dengler. He said that certain airlines do not charge change fees for prices that are not in basic economy.
“If you see a better deal on Travel Tuesday, simply cancel your current bookings and book the Travel Tuesday offer,” Dengler advised if those parameters were favorable to you.
Conversely, if you have a basic idea of where and when you want to travel but are less committed to certain dates and locations, it could be beneficial to wait until sale days.
French stated, “We tend to see the deals do get better and better the closer we are to actual Travel Tuesday or actual Black Friday.”
According to Berg, the most important advice for tourists is to begin considering what they might want to reserve.
“I really encourage travelers to do that exploration now so that they can be ready to actually book on Travel Deal Tuesday,” she stated.
