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Set alerts, think Europe or Hawaii

Set alerts, think Europe or Hawaii

The Tuesday after Thanksgiving is known as Travel Tuesday, and deals on flights, hotels, and cruises are common on this day.

This year it falls on December 3rd, and you can expect to see more travel deals than any other day of the year. The sale starts at midnight and lasts 24 hours.

According to personal finance company WalletHub’s 2024 Winter Travel Survey, more than half of Americans (58%) said they would rather spend their money on travel than shopping.

“I was a big skeptic about Travel Tuesday. It’s basically a marketing gimmick they came up with to increase sales, similar to Cyber ​​Monday and Black Friday. But sometimes there are actually some good deals,” said Clint Henderson, editor-in-chief of travel website The Points Guy.

Offers range from 10 to 15% off hotels, flights and cruises, but occasionally you can find even better deals.

“For example, 60% off base rates and things like that,” Henderson said. “The problem is that there are a lot of blackout dates. Typically it’s an airline you might not want to fly.”

But to take part in the deals, you need a strategy. Experts advise not waiting until Travel Tuesday to book Christmas flights, as these are generally blackout dates that are not included in sales.

Next, experts said to set up price alerts.

“Set a Google Flight alert. They will email you when airfares drop or rise spectacularly…,” Henderson said. “The other Google feature that no one knows about is Google Flights Explore. Google will show you the cheapest deals both near and far from home, no matter what time of year you plan to travel.”

Another strategy is to bundle your offers.

“Booking a hotel flight and rental car, even together, can save you up to 40% any time of year,” Henderson said.

Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays are the cheapest days to fly and there are fewer business travelers on these days. But travelers should also consider traveling in spring and fall, the so-called shoulder seasons, to get the best prices.

If you are unsure about a destination, you should avoid Asian countries at this time as prices there are high. Instead, Henderson said to consider Europe or Hawaii, where prices are easing a bit.

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