Travel Tuesday Deals Beat Black Friday Save 70% on Flights

Listen, I used to be one of those people who thought Black Friday was the holy grail of all deals. I'd camp out online refreshing pages for electronics, clothes, you name it. But then I discovered something that completely changed how I book travel: Travel Tuesday is where the real magic happens for flights and vacations.

Last year, I saved $847 on a family trip to Europe by booking on Travel Tuesday instead of jumping on those "amazing" Black Friday flight deals. That's not a typo – I literally paid less than half of what the same flights cost just four days earlier. Once you understand how Travel Tuesday works, you'll never book travel the same way again.

What Exactly Is Travel Tuesday?

Travel Tuesday falls on the Tuesday after Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but here's what most people don't realize: it's not just another marketing gimmick. Airlines and travel companies actually use this day to clear out inventory and compete with each other in real-time.

While everyone's still recovering from their Black Friday shopping hangovers, airlines are quietly dropping some of their best deals of the year. I've tracked flight prices for three years running, and Travel Tuesday consistently beats Black Friday deals by 20-40% on average.

The reason is simple: airlines know people aren't expecting travel deals on this day, so there's less competition from other shoppers. Plus, they're trying to boost their fourth-quarter numbers before the year ends.

My $847 Europe Trip Discovery

Let me tell you exactly how I stumbled onto this goldmine. In 2023, I was planning a spring trip to Amsterdam for my family of four. During Black Friday week, I saw roundtrip flights from Chicago for $520 per person – not terrible, but not great either for a $2,080 total.

Something told me to wait (probably because I'd blown my shopping budget on a TV deal). On Travel Tuesday, I checked the same flights out of curiosity. The exact same seats were now $298 per person. I booked immediately and saved $888 total, minus the $41 in booking fees.

That experience taught me that patience pays off in travel more than any other category. Now I specifically plan my travel booking around Travel Tuesday, and I haven't paid full price for a flight since.

The Airlines That Go Biggest on Travel Tuesday

Not all airlines participate equally in Travel Tuesday madness. From my tracking, here are the ones that consistently offer the deepest discounts:

• Southwest Airlines – They typically drop 30-50% off their already competitive prices
• JetBlue – Offers "Blue Tuesday" deals with up to 40% off select routes
• Delta – Usually discounts premium economy and business class seats significantly
• American Airlines – Focuses on domestic routes with 25-45% savings
• United – Their international deals are where the real money is

Budget carriers like Spirit and Frontier also participate, but their deals are hit-or-miss since their regular prices are already pretty low.

Pro tip: Set up price alerts on Google Flights for your desired routes starting the week before Travel Tuesday. This gives you a baseline to compare against when the deals drop.

Beyond Flights: Hotels and Packages Join the Party

Here's where Travel Tuesday gets really interesting – it's not just about flights anymore. Hotels, car rental companies, and travel package sites have caught on and started offering competing deals.

Last Travel Tuesday, I booked a Vegas weekend through Expedia's package deal and saved $340 compared to booking the hotel and flight separately. The key was that Expedia was trying to compete with the airline deals by offering extra hotel discounts when you bundled.

Hotels that typically offer Travel Tuesday deals include:

• Marriott (usually 20-30% off specific properties)
• Hilton (focuses on resort properties)
• Hyatt (targets business travelers with city hotel deals)
• Independent hotels through Booking.com and Hotels.com

Car rental companies like Enterprise and Hertz also jump in, though their deals are more modest – usually 15-20% off.

The Exact Strategy I Use Every Travel Tuesday

I've refined my Travel Tuesday approach over three years of testing. Here's my step-by-step process that consistently saves me hundreds:

Two Weeks Before: I research my target destinations and note the current flight prices. I use a simple spreadsheet with departure dates, airlines, and prices.

One Week Before: I set up price alerts on Google Flights and Kayak for my top three destination choices. This way I get notified if prices drop early.

Monday Night: I clear my browser cache and cookies. Some travel sites use this data to show you higher prices if you've searched before.

Travel Tuesday Morning (6 AM EST): I start checking deals. Airlines typically drop their prices between 6-9 AM Eastern time to maximize exposure throughout the day.

The Booking Process: When I find a good deal, I don't hesitate. I've lost deals by waiting just 2-3 hours because seats filled up.

Red Flags and Travel Tuesday Scams to Avoid

Not everything labeled as a "Travel Tuesday deal" is actually a deal. I've learned to spot the tricks that companies use to make regular prices look special.

Watch out for these common scams:

• Fake countdown timers – If a "limited time" deal keeps resetting, it's not really limited
• Hidden fees that appear at checkout – Always calculate the total cost including baggage and booking fees
• Deals on undesirable flight times – A cheap 6 AM departure might cost you more in missed work or hotel nights
• Package deals with inflated hotel components – Sometimes they discount the flight but jack up the hotel price

I always cross-check prices on at least two different sites before booking. If a deal seems too good to be true, I spend five minutes verifying it's legitimate.

International Travel Tuesday Goldmine

This is where Travel Tuesday really shines compared to Black Friday travel deals. International flights see much bigger discounts, especially to Europe and Asia.

My best international Travel Tuesday scores:

• Chicago to London: $312 roundtrip (normally $650)
• Los Angeles to Tokyo: $418 roundtrip (normally $800)
• New York to Barcelona: $289 roundtrip (normally $580)

The key with international deals is flexibility. Airlines discount routes where they have excess capacity, which varies by year. Having 2-3 destination options dramatically increases your chances of finding a killer deal.

Tools and Apps That Give You the Edge

I use a combination of apps and websites to maximize my Travel Tuesday success. Here are my must-haves:

Scott's Cheap Flights (now Going): They send Travel Tuesday alerts and have consistently found deals I missed on my own.

Hopper App: Predicts whether prices will go up or down and sends push notifications for price drops.

Google Flights: Best for setting up multiple price alerts and comparing dates easily.

Secret Flying: Finds mistake fares and hidden deals that airlines accidentally publish.

I spend maybe 15 minutes setting these up before Travel Tuesday, and they do most of the monitoring work for me.

Planning Your 2024 Travel Tuesday Strategy

Start thinking about Travel Tuesday as your primary travel booking day instead of an afterthought. I plan my entire year's travel around this one day because the savings are so significant.

For 2024, I'm already tracking prices for summer Europe trips, a fall East Coast getaway, and potentially a winter ski vacation. By having these on my radar early, I'll be ready to pounce when the deals drop.

The biggest mistake people make is treating Travel Tuesday like a surprise. The travelers who save the most money are the ones who prepare in advance and know exactly what they want to book.

Jake P.

Travel Editor

Jake has visited 40+ countries on a budget. He's been writing about travel hacks, reward programs, and booking strategies for over 6 years, helping readers save thousands on flights and hotels.