Some of the best travel deals of the year
By Eileen Ogintz
Tribune Content Agency
Taking the Kids
Ready? Just like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Travel Tuesday promises some of the best travel deals of the year.
According to Skyscanner, the Travel deals day became a post-Thanksgiving tradition as consumers shifted toward experiential spending rather than material gifts. Skyscanner notes that most airlines start to roll out their discounts on Monday night so that by Tuesday morning, you can find savings up to 25 percent.
There are thousands of deals on hotels and resorts to choose from, as well, according to Hopper.com. During Travel Deal Tuesday last year, Hopper saw more flights discounted than on Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined, including nearly 83 percent more deals than Cyber Monday and more than double the deals available on Black Friday ( more than 91 percent more), according to spokesman Lindsay Schwimer.
“On top of already lower prices on this day, Hopper will be running exclusive hotel discounts on the Hopper app and Hopper.com that will go live on Tuesday, Dec. 3,” she said. “On Travel Deal Tuesday last year, select Hopper users saved over 75 percent off domestic trips and as much as 55 percent off international trips. We saw travelers score deals over 40 percent off popular destinations such as Orlando, Dallas, Cancun, Puerto Rico and more.”
Download the hopper App. Set price alerts for the destinations or hotels you are interested in. Hopper will notify you right away so you can grab a deal.
Follow your favorite hotels, cruise lines, airlines, etc., on social media as they may announce their deals – or special ones – to followers first. (Follow hopper’s #traveldealtuesday.)
If you are planning to travel with family or friends, make sure everyone is on the same page and is willing to book as soon as you find the deal, as they can sell out quickly. See if there are bonus credit card or airline points for booking on Travel Tuesday or if your points can take you farther. According to AAA, nearly 80 million Americans expected to travel over Thanksgiving.
You can set price alerts on Skyscanner, which offers tips for navigating travel Tuesday flight deals. Typically, you will save more if you book round- trip flights, Skyscanner says.
Remember, it isn’t only about the price of the flight. Do you have to pay extra for bags? Seat assignments? Are there change fees? How long are the layovers?
Skyscanner also suggests being as flexible as possible. For example, fly to Rotterdam rather than Amsterdam, Lyon instead of Paris, Fort Lauderdale rather than Miami. Check to see if you shift your dates, if flights or hotels will be cheaper – that is often the case. Just make sure your travel companions can do that as well.
Look for deals on travel products. For example, Get 25 percent off your order at Ship & Play with the code CYBERPLAY. Enjoy traveling without the hassle of lugging around your suitcase, skis and golf clubs by having them shipped from your doorstep to your destination. Available Cyber Monday at https://www.shipplay.com/.
You may save more if you sign up for hotel loyalty programs.
Travelers who book a stay at Sonesta Resort Hilton Head Island by Dec. 3, 2024, for stays between Nov. 7, 2024 and March 31, 2025, can take advantage of exclusive Cyber Weekend savings. Sonesta Travel Pass Members can save up to 30 percent with the promo code CYBER.
Club Med is offering its Black Friday sale, offering travelers up to 50 percent off winter, spring and summer getaways across its all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean, Mexico, and Canada. The deal includes up to $500 instant savings and free stays for kids under four.
In the spirit of giving, for each booking made between Nov. 29 (Black Friday) and Dec. 3 (Travel Tuesday), Sandals and Beaches will donate $15 to their philanthropic arm, the Sandals Foundation, in celebration of 15 years of uplifting Caribbean communities. Book at www.sandals.com and www.beaches.com. Save up to 65 percent off and up to $1,500 in credit off with these deals. Some room categories are also eligible to receive a free night.
Starting from Oct. 28, 2024 through Jan. 5, 2025 save up to 40 percent on a two-night or more stay at many Hilton Hotels, from New York to Washington, DC, Las Vegas, Mexico and more . Each deal is slightly different, including when you can book and travel. No passports are needed for Caribe Hilton, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Conveniently located just minutes from Historic Old San Juan and a short 10-minute drive from the airport, you can save up to 25 percent on all room types as long as you book between Dec. 2-8 for travel between Jan 2 and June 30 2025.
Discovery Cove in Orlando is touting savings of up to 50 percent on reservations through 2025. At the all-day resort, guests can swim with dolphins, snorkel among tropical fish, hand feed exotic birds all the while enjoying complimentary food and drinks, including beer and wine for those 21 and older. Available Nov. 7 through midnight on Friday, Nov. 29, this exclusive offer is valid for visits through Dec. 31, 2025. DiscoveryCove.com.
Look for discounted rates from boutique and individual properties, as well as hotel chains.
For example, Topnotch Resort in Stowe, Vermont, and sister property High Peaks Resort in Lake Placid, New York, are running flash sales for Cyber Monday: A hundred nights for $100. The sales start at 8:15 a.m. ET on Mon., Dec. 2, 2024 (8:00 a.m. ET for email subscribers). Only one room priced at $100 (excluding taxes and resort fees) is available per night at each property for stays between Dec. 2, 2024 and March 31, 2025 on a first-come, first-served basis (total available rooms at each property: 100). The sale ends when the 100 nights of reservations have been found and booked.
At B Ocean Resort in Fort Lauderdale, Guests can save up to 50 percent on stays of two nights or more for travel through November 2025 by booking directly on boceanresort.com between Nov. 15 and Dec. 2, 2024, using code BCYBER. Travelers can also sign up on B Ocean Resort’s website through the link here to receive a notification when the sale begins.
In Denver, Take advantage of The Oxford Hotel’s Black Friday offer with exclusive rates starting at just $199. Book between Nov. 18 and Dec. 2, for stays through March 31, 2025. As an added bonus, the first 20 guests to book will receive a complimentary room upgrade, based on availability.
Celebrity Cruises is offering Black Friday savings all month long. From Friday, Nov. 8 through Monday, Dec. 9, guests can save up to 75 percent on the second guest in their stateroom applicable for sailings departing from Nov. 8, 2024 through May 10, 2027. Celebrity’s latest ship, Celebrity Xcel, launches in November 2025.
The Norwegian cruise company Hurtigruten, known for their Northern Lights and Coastal cruises, is touting up to half off on their fall 2025 Original Coastal Express voyages and up to 25 percent off other select trips. (Kids often are half off.) For more deals, check out my blog post.
Happy shopping – and happy travels!
(For more Taking the Kids, visit www.takingthekids.com and also follow TakingTheKids on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram where Eileen Ogintz welcomes your questions and comments. The fourth edition of The Kid’s Guide to New York City and the third edition of The Kid’s Guide to Washington D.C. are the latest in a series of 14 books for kid travelers published by Eileen.)
©2024 Eileen Ogintz. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.