As the holidays draw near, we can't help but start to plan for 2018 travel. Coincidentally, it's also the time of year when airlines, hotels, and travel operators offer the juiciest deals — all in the name of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
You won't need to wake up at the crack of dawn to nab the best bargains. We're rounding up everything you need to know about Thanksgiving travel sales — from fare predictions to the best limited-time offers — so you can pounce on them ASAP. Watch this space as we'll continue to update with new deals as they come along.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
Flights
Thanksgiving has become an increasingly competitive period for airline sales. While there hasn't been any particular discounts announced as of yet, DealNews has released an estimate of this year's best deals: Expect domestic flights to go down to $100 or under, international flights to Europe to be cut down to around $200 per round trip, and long haul flights to Asia to start at around $500.
We've compiled a list of the best flight sales we've found so far, and it will be regularly updated.
Hotels
As far as Black Friday travel discounts go, hotels are by far the most active participants: According to DealNews, about one-third of travel-related promotions will be coming from hotel chains. Booking them directly from the hotel's official website is the way to go.
DealNews also predicts that Starwood and Hyatt will offer the most generous discounts, chopping 30% to 60% off rooms at the four and five-star properties. Want to get a head start saving up points? Check out our roundup of the best hotel rewards program.
Do yourself a favor and subscribe to Priceline's insider deals ASAP:Between November 22 and 24, subscribers can enjoy 10% to 15% off on hotel Express deals. Even more amazing deals will become available to members on the email list on Cyber Monday, including $600 off any $1,200 Express Deals Hotel stay. An addition $15 discount will be offered to in app purchases over $100.
A five-star hotel stay may soon be yours for just $50. Hotel booking site Hotwire is spending $1 million to offer an unbelievable deal: Booking a five-star hotel rooms in Las Vegas will only cost $50 for travel dates between December 8 to 28. (Yes, that includes Christmas.) Just to give you an idea, hotels rates are currently at $432 for this time period. The booking window is open until the million-dollar spending limit is reached, but we'd suggest grabbing this deal ASAP.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
From November 20 to 22, Amex Travel is holding a flash sale of up to 50% off for its hotel offerings in a multitude of destinations, including Paris, Los Angeles; Maui, Montego Bay, and Bali. The deal is valid for travel between November 20, 2017 to March 28, 2018.
Travel Packages
Do you have Machu Picchu on your bucket list? There's no better time to make this dream a reality: Intrepid Travel will be offering 15% off all of its worldwide trips this Cyber Monday. The sale runs between November 20 and 30 for tours departing February 1 to September 30, 2018. And yes, the deal applies to its popular nine-day tour of Peru, designed for solo travelers. Remember to send us a postcard.
Aching for a warm weather escape? You should bookmark CheapCaribbean's 12 Days of Beach campaign ASAP. The online travel agency will be releasing one heavily-discounted beach getaway every day for 12 consecutive days, starting on November 27. Each deal will only be available for 24 hours, so set your alarm for 10 a.m. EST to get first dibs as soon as they go live.
Going on an epic trip across multiple countries is about to get a lot cheaper: Topdeck Travel, a group trip operator aimed at millennials, will be offering a discount of up to 70% off from November 24 to 27. The deals are pretty amazing: We're talking about just $159 for a five-day trip to Sydney and a two-week expedition to Morocco, Portugal, and Spain for less than $600. Better set your alarm clock!
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
The tour operator is rolling out a $300 discount for all U.S. and Canada tours from November 14 to 20, and $600 off European tours from November 24 to 26. Additionally, doorbuster deals are available if you make the purchase between 6 am to 10am on November 24: You'll receive an additional $75 towards an excursion or $125 off a tour extension per person.
Thinking of going on an epic trip with your S.O.? Trafalgar's Black Friday travel deals can make those dreams come true — at a much cheaper price. The tour operator is releasing a $750 discount on its most popular couple travel packages, including a European Grand Tour, and a 10-day excursion to Morocco. Keep your eyes peeled on the site between November 24 and 27.
The small-group adventure tour operator is going all-out on Thanksgiving: Between November 24 and 27, you can take 20-25% off over 200 tours in the Galapagos, Mexico, Morocco, South Africa, and Southeast Asia.
Related Video:
hosted by Annie Georgia Greenberg.