Booking now for 2024 trips is a ‘really good way to go’: Francesca Page
Expert Francesca Page explains how consumers can prepare to maximize savings over the post-Thanksgiving weekend and Travel Deal Tuesday to prioritize travel in 2024.
With Thanksgiving comes the full-blown countdown to Christmas and the onset of sales. The week after the holiday brings a wave of savings between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but have you heard of Travel Deal Tuesday?
An ideal day for travelers, Travel Deal Tuesday, which falls on November 28 this year, is expected to have some of the best deals on travel compared to any other day of the post-Thanksgiving sales period, according to Hopper, a travel deal site.
Last Travel Tuesday, Hopper says, three times more trips were planned compared to an average Tuesday. In addition, three times more trips were planned than on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Travelers also secured over 60% off trips to Los Angeles, Puerto Rico, London, Lisbon and more during last year's sale, according to information provided by a Hopper representative to Fox News Digital.
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In the past, Hopper found that Travel Tuesday granted the highest volume of deals than the entire holiday shopping week after Thanksgiving, known as Cyber Week, Hayley Berg, lead economist of Hopper, previously told FOX Business.
What Kind Of Savings Can People Expect This Travel Tuesday and Post-Holiday Week?
Last year, Hopper found Travel Deal Tuesday provided almost 78% more deals than Cyber Monday and twice the number of deals than Black Friday.
As 2023 caps off, a Hopper representative told FOX News Digital they are forecasting up to 80% off for several popular destinations such as Hawaii, Orlando, Phoenix, Las Vegas and more. The Hopper app will also host exclusive deals ranging from 35-50% in 80 destinations around the world, with over 10,000 hotel properties on sale in the Hopper app when you book on November 28.
"I think booking now before the end of the year for trips in 2024 is a really good way to go," Francesca Page, a travel expert, told Fox News Digital.
Apart from the flight and hotel savings, for more trepidatious travelers, Page recommends another little-known deal for travelers to look into this time of year.
EXUMAS, THE BAHAMAS - JUNE 15: Aerial view of the small atolls, lagoon islands and turqouis waters of the carribean sea of the Exumas seen from an airplane on June 15, 2012 in The Bahamas. (Photo by EyesWideOpen/Getty Images)
"You can also look at insurance deals, [which] a lot of people don't know about, because for those people who are a little extra nervous traveling these days, there are private membership programs out there like MedJetHorizon that provide security, evacuation and medical transport," she said.
Page added that this was "very important, particularly if you plan to travel abroad right now, which is more than what standard travel insurance covers. And see, companies like that have the biggest sale of the year this Cyber Monday."
In addition to the deals put forth by sites like Hopper and various others, Page also recommends utilizing credit card points to capture even more savings. She also recommends looking at shoulder season dates to score the best rates possible for your destination.
What Hotels And Airlines Are Participating This Year?
According to information provided by Hopper, 13 airlines have confirmed that they would be participating in Travel Deal Tuesday promotions, with more expected to announce deals as November 28 approaches. International airlines such as Aer Lingus, American Airlines, Fiji Airways and China Airlines are offering flight deals.
Hopper also included multiple hotels that are offering 20%, 30% and even 40% off for bookings on November 28, as well as similar savings from major tourism boards and car rental companies that have partnered with the platform.
American Airlines has signed off on a $4.8 billion lease with Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, which includes funding for a sixth terminal. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File)
"If you have a particular destination in mind or hotel group, be sure to check out their website and follow their social media to see what they're offering," explained Page, adding that if a traveler has a certain airline or hotel group in mind, their website is also a good resource for deals.
"Opal Hotels, for example, have gorgeous hotel locations, just as an example all over the country. If you go onto that website, you can find a whole page just dedicated to holiday deals and savings that they're going to be offering," she said.
Destination Ideas And Cruise Deals
For exploring more exotic locations, Hopper said that locations such as Bali, Madrid, Rome and more are expected to see up to 50% savings on accommodations exclusively through their partnerships.
Outside of flights and lodging, Page laid out how cruise travel is a great vacation idea for all groups, and many cruise lines will also be participating in post-holiday sales.
"Windstar Cruises, for example, I found have this Thankful For Travel Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale with a choice of iconic destinations like the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, Tahiti and South America. You've got to book by December 1st, and you get to pick your perk, so you have a choice of one free hotel night, which can be used pre or post-cruise, or up to a thousand dollars onboard credit," she explained.
Key West Florida USA cruise ship Carnival Conquest at dock Mallory Square. (Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Other massive cruise companies, like Virgin Voyages and Oceania Cruises, are also offering post-holiday deals, serving up to 30% off if booked before Nov. 26 and discounted cabins up to $5,400 if booked by Dec. 5, respectively.
What Are Additional Ways to Make the Most Out Of Travel Tuesday Deals?
"One of the things I think it's always worth doing, and particularly around this time, is to track your flights for alerts and notifications so you can track when they're going to go up and down and price around, between, you know, between Friday through Tuesday and when the best time to book them is," Page said.
Page suggested apps like Hopper are great for monitoring multiple flights and accommodation to signal when is the best time to book.
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"The whole point of those sorts of apps lis that it's going to tell you exactly what days to travel and what days you want to avoid," she said.
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