Cyber Monday may be over, but the best deals when it comes to saving money on travel should still be found the next day.
Travel Tuesday, less known for the days after Thanksgiving deals, offers people planning a vacation or trip a chance to make big savings on the price of their plane ticket, hotel or cruise.
“You'll be surprised by the travel deals on Tuesday,” Lindsey Schwimmer, consumer travel expert at airfare tracking site Hopper, told CBS News' Chris Van Cleve. “We see more deals on this day than Black Friday and Cyber Monday.”
Hopper is credited with inventing the first Travel Tuesday in 2017. Since then, the popularity of discount days has increased among consumers. According to Hopper, online searches have seen a five-fold jump in the last two years.
The travel industry is also paying attention to this.
“We see Black Friday, Cyber Monday, now travel deal Tuesday,” Schwimmer said. “We are seeing travel brands across the industry offering deep discounts on this day.”
According to Hopper, there will be almost twice as many travel deals on Travel Tuesday compared to Cyber Monday or Black Friday in 2023. This year, travelers like Samantha Barker are hoping the online sales promotion lives up to its name.
Barker told Van Cleve, “If there's a deal that can get me somewhere I haven't been to before, I definitely want to take advantage of the deal and book it.”
Skeptics may dismiss Travel Tuesday as just another marketing ploy, but Schwimmer says the savings to be found are very real.
For example, American Airlines is offering domestic flights for under $100, while Spirit Airlines is taking 80% off its base fares. Priceline saves 30% on flight and hotel bundles. Cruise ship Royal Caribbean is offering 60% off the second guest, free rides for kids and up to $800 off base fare.
“Travel Deal Tuesday is really going to be the last day to get great deals on Christmas or New Year's flights,” Schwimmer said.
Check before booking
Like any sales promotion, consumers should read the fine print before pulling the trigger. Many Travel Tuesday discounts may have specific travel windows and will need to be booked by December 3rd.
According to Hopper, consumers who are flexible about when and where they want to travel will have the most success finding a good deal on Tuesday, a factor that bodes well for Barker.
“I want to log on, see what they look like and where it takes me,” Barker said. He also said that he likes a good deal. “Who doesn't?”