Key Takeaways
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Many airlines and hotels have begun offering deep discounts to those booking trips on the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving, now dubbed “Travel Tuesday”.
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Consumers can find good deals on winter getaways, but may not have as much luck on trips further out, said Clint Henderson, managing editor of The Points Guy, a travel site.
You may still be settling in from a Thanksgiving trip, but experts say it’s smart to start planning your next getaway.
Nearly all major airlines and several hotels will offer bargain rates tomorrow in what’s become known as “Travel Tuesday”. Travel companies now extend more deals on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving than on Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined, according to Hopper, a travel booking app.
The industrywide promotion grew out of an annual deal Hopper launched in 2017, and has become a bonafide opportunity for bargain-hunting, said Clint Henderson, managing editor of The Points Guy, a travel site.
“It’s probably the best time of the year to book cheap flights,” said Henderson, later explaining that he initially saw Travel Tuesday as a marketing move. “I used to tell people, ‘Don’t bother,’ but now I’m all in.”
Travel Tuesday airfare deals often promote winter travel, and only apply to flights departing in January or February. Warm destinations are widely touted. For instance, Delta Air Lines (DAL) is selling roundtrip tickets from New York City to the Dominican Republic, Cayman Islands and St. Thomas for less than $300.
But domestic airfare may be particularly inexpensive—Alaska Air Group (ALK) is promoting regional one-way tickets for as low as $29, and trips from California to Hawaii for $99, according to its website.
Several hotels are participating in travel Tuesday. People can get 40% to 50% of stays booked through Hopper in a number of warm locales. Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG), Marriott International (MAR) and Hilton Worldwide Holdings (HLT) are knocking up to 25% off bookings, though sometimes only for members of their loyalty programs.
Those who plan carefully may be able to snag inexpensive tickets and lodging for spring break, Henderson said. For instance, BermudAir is offering 40% off flights to Bermuda and Anguilla that depart from Dec. 7th to May 26th, The Points Guy reported.
The deals are drawing attention. Last year, consumers booked 3.5 times more trips on Travel Tuesday than on the prior Tuesday, Hopper said.
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