How to optimize your holiday travel budget with Travel Tuesday

If you haven’t yet booked your holiday itinerary, be aware that prices tend to increase the closer you get to your travel date.

According to travel site Hopper’s 2024 Holiday Travel Outlook, about 50% of respondents cut back on other expenses and 49% took advantage of discounts and offers to afford their holiday travel. That’s what it means.

Some last-minute vacation travelers are taking advantage of so-called “Travel Tuesday,” which falls on Dec. 3 this year, the Tuesday after Cyber ​​Monday and Black Friday.

According to a recent report from McKinsey & Company, search interest for Travel Tuesday increased by more than 500% from 2021 to 2023.

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There’s a reason shoppers search for this term.

Last year, Travel Tuesday offered 83% more deals compared to Cyber ​​Monday and 92% more deals compared to Black Friday, according to Hopper data.

However, experts say there may be some limitations to the available deals.

“The question for many people is, ‘Should I wait?'” said Sally French, travel expert at NerdWallet.

For travelers who have specific locations to visit on specific days, the answer may be no.

“Airlines and online travel agents will be offering cheap flights on Travel Tuesday, but there’s no reason to wait,” said Phil Dengler, co-founder of travel platform The Vacationer.

Experts say your flexibility will determine how much you benefit from Travel Tuesday’s potential discounts.

“If you have zero flexibility, feel free to book if you find a good deal before Tuesday’s travel deal,” said Haley Berg, an economist at Hopper.

Dengler said that, like Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday sales, Travel Tuesday sales can start rolling out even before the day itself. It may even extend into the next day.

Nevertheless, he said, you typically need to book your flight, hotel stay or cruise trip by the end of the day to enjoy the benefits.

Dengler explained that discounts may only apply on certain routes and days, so be sure to read the fine print when shopping.

Retailers often have limited stock of Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday doorbusters. Travel Tuesday could limit the number of airline seats and hotel rooms, NerdWallet’s French said.

“We’re not going to have two planes flying the same route at the same time,” she said.

To help you decide when and where to go on vacation in 2025, Travel Tuesday may be a better choice than deciding on a very specific itinerary for your vacation.

If you don’t have flexibility in your travel dates or destination and find a flight available at a price you’re happy with, “book that trip now,” says French.

“If you wait until Travel Tuesday, you might lose that deal,” she says. “You don’t want to wait until Travel Tuesday to sell out.”

In some cases, experts say, it doesn’t hurt to book in advance and keep looking for potential discounts.

Dengler said you can usually get a full refund up to seven days before your flight’s scheduled departure and within 24 hours of booking. Additionally, some airlines do not have change fees for non-basic economy fares.

If these conditions work in your favor, Dengler says, “If you find a better deal on Travel Tuesday, cancel your current reservation and book the Travel Tuesday offer.”

On the other hand, if you’re not too tied to specific dates or locations and have a general sense of where and when you’d like to travel, it may be worth holding off until a discount date.

“The closer we get to the actual Black Friday or the actual Travel Tuesday, the deals tend to get better and better,” French said.

Berg said the biggest tip for travelers is to start thinking about what they want to book.

“We highly encourage travelers to do that exploration now so they can actually book into Tuesday’s travel deals,” she says.