If you think the big sales weekend after Thanksgiving is only for electronics and holiday gifts, you are missing one of the strongest travel savings windows of the year. Black Friday through Travel Deal Tuesday has evolved into an industry-wide travel sale season, with discounts routinely landing between 15 and 50 percent across flights, hotels, tours, cruises and even rail.
This year’s calendar lines up with Thanksgiving on November 27, Black Friday on November 28 and Travel Deal Tuesday on December 2. Pricing data from the travel booking sites Hopper and Skyscanner show that Travel Deal Tuesday regularly beats both Black Friday and Cyber Monday for the number of flight and hotel deals. That means, travelers in the know (like you now) can expect deep percentage cuts, limited-time flash fares, and up to four-figure savings on packaged trips. It’s all about knowing when the deals drop.
So how much can you actually save?
Travel companies treat Black Friday through Travel Deal Tuesday as one of their biggest sales windows of the year. Across the industry, savings generally fall between 15 and 50 percent, but each category hits different levels within that range. Here is what that typically looks like.
Flights
Expect the broadest discounts in the 15–30 percent zone. That is what Skyscanner and Hopper have tracked in previous years. Travel Deal Tuesday often delivers deeper cuts, with select routes dropping 40–50 percent when airlines release limited flash fares.
Hotels and resorts
Large booking platforms and major resort brands usually offer 25–40 percent off during Black Friday week. Short-window flash promos can jump higher, with some properties offering up to 50 percent off while inventory lasts.
Tours, packages and adventure travel
This is where the biggest savings appear. Historically, many tour operators run sales of 20–35 percent, and international packages can be reduced by $600 to $2,000 per person, which often works out to 30–50 percent off depending on the trip.
Cruises
Cruise lines roll out Black Friday deals ahead of wave season, January through March, cutting fares 30–50 percent and adding extras like onboard credits or reduced deposits.
Rail
Amtrak and rail-tour companies typically offer up to 25 percent off fares or rail-inclusive packages during their one-day Travel Tuesday and Cyber Week sales.
What kinds of travel deals should you watch for?
The short answer is ALL OF THEM. Airlines, hotel brands, online travel agencies, tour companies, cruise lines, rail operators, theme parks and even airport lounge programs now time some of their biggest offers to the period from mid-November through Travel Tuesday.
Here is how it usually breaks down.
Flights and trains
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Percentage discounts on base fares, often around 15 to 30 percent, plus a limited number of very low teaser fares on select routes.
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Travel Deal Tuesday tends to be the strongest day for flight deals, with Hopper reporting more routes on sale and more trips booked that day than on Black Friday or Cyber Monday.
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Rail providers, especially Amtrak and rail-tour companies, have joined in with one-day flash sales at up to 25 percent off, or bundled discounts on rail vacations.
Hotels and resorts
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Chain-wide or brand-wide promos, like 25 to 40 percent off standard rates, sometimes with a bigger percentage for loyalty members.
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Black Friday 2025 deals include examples like 30 to 45 percent off at specific Caribbean and Hawaii resorts, and up to 65 percent off certain all-inclusive properties plus resort credits that can total $1,000 or more.
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Some hotels add perks instead of bigger discounts, like free fourth nights, daily breakfast or waived resort fees.
Vacation packages and guided tours
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Tour operators are heavy users of this season. This year’s promotions include up to $800 off per traveler on some guided tours, up to $2,000 off select international packages and buy-one-get-one-half-off on rotating itineraries.
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These offers often apply to departures well into 2026 or 2027, so you are booking ahead at a lower locked-in price.
Cruises
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Percentage discounts on cruise fares, often 30 to 50 percent off, plus limited-time onboard credits; promos where additional guests in the same cabin sail for a reduced flat nightly rate; and sales on expedition and polar itineraries with savings into the thousands.
Extras and travel “infrastructure”
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Booking platforms discounting rental cars, attraction tickets and airport transfers by 15 to 25 percent.
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Airport lounge memberships or travel-related subscriptions taking 25 to 40 percent off annual fees.
Black Friday vs. Travel Deal Tuesday: which is better?
They play different roles.
Black Friday through Cyber Monday
You can see a wide mix, from hotels, tours, cruises, vacation packages and some flight discounts. Many promos actually start a week or two earlier in November and run into early December.
Travel Deal Tuesday (sometimes called Travel Tuesday)
This is the focused travel-only moment. Hopper’s data shows that Travel Deal Tuesday has consistently produced more travel deals than Black Friday or Cyber Monday, with three times as many trips planned that day compared with the previous Tuesday and as much as 83 percent more deals than Cyber Monday in some years.
It is particularly strong for flights and hotel flash sales on apps such as Hopper and Tripadvisor, with discounts up to 40 or 50 percent on select routes and properties.
My advice is if you care most about airfare, Travel Deal Tuesday is often your best shot. If you are chasing a resort, cruise or tour, the broader Black Friday window may matter more.
Where to actually look for these deals
By the time Black Friday weekend hits, there will be hundreds of individual promos. You do not need to chase every one. You need a short list. Start with:
Your preferred booking platforms
Large sites like Booking.com, Expedia and Hotels.com run their own Black Friday and Travel Tuesday sales, often up to around 40 percent off hotels, plus smaller discounts on rental cars, flights and activities. If you want flexibility, filter for deals that still allow free cancellation.
Airline and hotel direct sites and apps
Major airlines join Travel Deal Tuesday with their own offers, particularly on domestic routes under $100 one way or discounted long-haul fares. Hotel chains sometimes give deeper discounts or extra points to loyalty members who book direct. The best way to handle these is to sign up for their email lists.
Tours and packages
If you are considering an escorted tour, small-group adventure or all-inclusive package, go directly to the tour company’s site. This year’s big Black Friday promos, including up to 30 percent off adventure tours and four-figure discounts on complex itineraries, are generally booked direct. It’s also a good opportunity to support small businesses.
Cruise lines and cruise-specialist agencies
Cruise offers are scattered across cruise line websites and specialist agencies. For big-ticket expedition trips or luxury lines, Black Friday discounts into the double digits and onboard credit bonuses can be meaningful. If a bucket-list cruise has been on your list, like to Alaska, Greenland or Antarctica, pay attention. You can really score some deals here.
Rail and rail-tour sites
Check Amtrak and any rail-vacation companies you are considering. One-day Travel Tuesday flash sales and seasonal promos with up to 25 percent off fares have become common.
Points and perks partners
Some of the best “hidden” deals are in points multipliers. For example, rewards programs sometimes give extra points per dollar on Black Friday hotel bookings, which can be used later for flights, train tickets or future hotel stays. Pay attention to your inbox for the newsletters to alert you on these!
Your pre-game checklist so you actually book something
If your plan is to just “see what is out there” on Black Friday, you will lose. It will be too overwhelming and you can spend all day aimlessly searching. The good travel deals are limited and time-sensitive. So here’s my checklist on how to plan for this travel deal season like a pro!
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Make a short wish list: Decide on two or three real trips you would happily take in 2026, and write down flexible date ranges and airports or regions. That keeps your search focused when sales go live.
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Set price alerts now: Use tools such as Hopper, Skyscanner or Google Flights to set price alerts on the routes you are watching. These apps monitor fares in the background and will show you if the Black Friday or Travel Tuesday sale price is actually good compared with the usual baseline.
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Join loyalty programs in advance: Many of the richest discounts, like extra percentages off or members-only rates, are gated behind free loyalty accounts for hotel brands, booking sites or tour companies. Sign up before the sales start so you are not creating logins while your hold timer is ticking.
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Bookmark the deal hubs: Do this for your favorite airline, hotel and cruise lines. They often have dedicated “Black Friday” or “Cyber Week” landing pages. Any tour operator or resort brands you already love. Also bookmark the Travel Deal Tuesday hub and partner lists on Hopper. And as I mentioned earlier, you can also sign up for their newsletters so the deals just flow into your inbox.
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Read the fine print: The biggest discounts usually come with stricter rules. Some deals are nonrefundable, require full payment at booking or have blackout dates and minimum-night stays. Tours and cruises may only apply to specific departure windows or come with change fees. Decide ahead of time how flexible you need to be. If you want wiggle room, look for refundable or flexible-rate options even if the savings are smaller. And always check whether taxes and resort fees are included before you book.
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Get travel insurance: If you are booking a nonrefundable or partially flexible deal, consider protecting it. Travel insurance can reimburse you for unexpected cancellations, medical issues or disruptions. This will give you peace of mind to book the deals that work for you today, even if they don’t work for you tomorrow because of some unexpected change.
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Have your payment method ready: High-value deals, especially limited hotel or flight promos, can sell out within hours. Make sure your payment card details, frequent-flyer numbers and traveler information are already saved in your main apps.