The bumper Black Friday weekend may have drawn to a close but there’s still time to grab a bargain – especially if you’re looking for your next travel fix.
Happy shoppers and bargain hunters have made the most of the sales to find their sought-after deals, with string of travel offers across Thanksgiving weekend, offering great value as package providers, airlines and hotel chains have lowered prices.
Many deals ended on Cyber Monday, 27 November, as companies from BA to Eurostar halted their busiest sale period for another year.
But for some companies, Black Friday was only the beginning. Across the board, several save amazing deals for a day dubbed “Travel Tuesday”, this year falling on 28 November. There will be even more discounts on flights, hotel stays and related travel deals from airlines and operators around the world, from Ryanair to Hawaiian Airlines.
And Simon Calder, travel correspondent for The Independent, says: “In the short term, the dying days of November and the first two weeks of December comprise the lowest of seasons when the airlines cut fares to whatever level they need to fill their planes.”
If you’ve been so far holding off on booking that holiday, wait no longer – we’ve got all the information you need to take advantage of the sales.
What is Travel Tuesday?
The day is big in the US, with booking site Hopper claiming that over 100 of its travel partners have confirmed they will take part— (Getty Images)
Falling the day after Cyber Monday every year, Travel Tuesday is to the travel industry what Cyber Monday is for tech and online deals. It’s a day of travel-only deals and savings, offered by hotel companies, airlines, travel agents and more.
Sometimes called “Travel Deals Tuesday”, it is a fairly recent phenomenon – less long-running than its Friday and Monday counterparts – and will fall on 28 November in 2023.
It’s a US phenomenon so we expect the best deals to be in the States or from US-based companies, but keep an eye out as there might be some surprises from other parts of the world.
What deals can we expect?
Ryanair have confirmed extra deals for Travel Tuesday. They are offering 10 per cent off on flights between Ireland and the UK, as well as discounted flights to several European destinations.
Virgin Holidays have extended their Cyber Monday sale, with customers able to save up to £200 per couple with the code HOLIDAY150. Virgin Hotels are offering 30 per cent off hotel bookings made between now and the end of the year.
The Hyatt hotel group is offering members 20 per cent off stays booked before December 5 for travel on or before 30 April, while Marriot Bonvoy will give members 20 per cent of hotel bookings made until the end of 28 November.
IHG Hotels are offering a saving of 20 per cent to members who book through the app, with Iberostar Beachfront Resorts offering up to 40 per cent.
Several airlines are joining in, with Spirit Airlines offering flights for just $20 to a variety of US cities, and Southwest running up to 30 per cent off base fares until 30 November.
Delta are currently offering SkyMiles scheme members up to $300 off hotel and flight bookings, while Frontier going a step further in selling an ‘all-you-can-fly’ pass for $500 to both domestic and international destinations.
Hawaiian Airlines have one-way fares available for just $91, while Alaska Airlines are offering fares from as little as $39.
More destination-specific airlines with deals include Aer Lingus, who offer savings of $100 on flights to Ireland, and French Bee, who have one-way tickets from LA to Paris from just $317. Play, a low-cost Icelandic carrier, has 35 per cent off lights to a variety of European cities including London and Copenhagen.
Further afield, Air New Zealand is offering discounts on round trips to several Oceanic destinations, with a return trip from LA to Auckland available for just $1,033. Singapore Airlines have reduced fares between the USA and Asia – one example being a $599 return trip from LA to Toyko – while Qatar Airways have fares from $810 across a range of cities in Asia.
Major cruise operators are getting in on the sales action too, with Royal Caribbean offering up to $750 off packages. Virgin Voyages will offer up to 30 per cent off all trips booked before the end of the month, while Oceania Cruises are offering $5,400 off bookings made until 5 December.
Destinations such as The Bahamas are included in the sales— (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Hopper, a popular flight booking website, recounts that last year’s savings included money off flights and stays in Paris, Tokyo, Bali, Miami, Las Vegas and the Bahamas.
Elsewhere, other companies have sales running until 29 November, although we don’t currently know if there will be any special Tuesday-only discounts. For example, on Booking.com, you can still save up to 30 per cent on hotel bookings before the end of 2024.
Tips for shopping on Travel Tuesday
Firstly, it can be a good idea to browse deals on Monday 27 November, both to compare prices on the two days but also because the deal you see on Tuesday may well have been on offer over the Black Friday weekend.
As ever, set a budget and try your best to stick to it, but also try and be flexible with dates and destinations if you want to save the most money.
Sign up to be notified by your favourites providers, airlines or hotels, and try and book directly with them if possible, as they usually offer the best savings.
