Expert tips to navigate Travel Tuesday bookings

If Black Friday isn’t really your thing and you’re the type to send memes with quips like, “I’m a size window seat, business class,” then maybe Travel Tuesday is more your speed.
On Dec. 3, in the wake of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, companies from airlines and hotels to rental platforms capitalize on consumerism, dropping limited-time booking promotions for travelers from operators around the world.
Given the high volume of search-engine-optimized, click-bait-boasting deals with potentially not that much upside, “Good Morning America” tapped some top travel experts to help hone in on how to actually find a good discount and make the online sales worth your time.
“People are in shopping mode this time of the year, and sometimes we get set on autopilot, hitting purchase on just any ‘deal’ that pops up, thinking we are saving a ton of money, when in reality, the deal might not be so great,” Katy Nastro of Going told “GMA.” “We want people in the driver’s seat this Travel Tuesday, which means they have an idea of where they are looking to travel, so they can gather some estimates of what it might cost.”
For airfare, Nastro suggests “doing a few Google Flight searches” for your desired routes that may be outside of peak dates “to get a sense of what average prices might be right now.”
She said airfare works in ranges, so keep in mind that prices can change on a dime.
Platforms like the Going app or other price-tracking tools like Google Flights can deliver “up to date estimates on what a typical flight price might look like from your home airport,” Nastro said.
“Getting a sense from multiple sources and searches is helpful to have as a baseline,” to better understand the average airfare ranges, “so you can judge if that advertised price is actually worth hitting purchase,” she explained.
Google Flights for example shows an estimate on fares, but Nastro said she has found that the ranges for what a good deal are can be skewed on the higher end.
The Points Guy founder Brian Kelly joined “GMA” on Tuesday to discuss the current airfare landscape and shared some additional insights to help ensure people find a deal that’s a good fit.
“Even if one airline announces a sale, generally the other ones are copycats, just like they copy fees when [competitors] raise fees. They do the same with airfares,” he said.
Like Nastro, Kelly’s top recommendation, especially for Black Friday and Travel Tuesday deals, is to utilize Google flights and look for the new “cheapest” tab.
However, he said, “I say if you see a great deal now, snap it up. In Google Flights, it will actually tell you if it’s a great deal — so when you see the green box saying this is good, get on it.”
Kelly noted that because major airlines let you cancel within 24-hours, “you can book it, check within the 24-hours to see if it drops, then rebook it. And if it goes up, you know you got a good deal.”
While the current Black Friday and Travel Tuesday fare sales are typical for flights and travel through April, Kelly added, “You’re not going to get peak summer, but I cannot stress enough how nice Europe can be in March and April.”
“Most airlines will open up frequent flyer mile tickets at 11 months in advance,” Kelly said for travelers with accrued points. “They open up a number of seats on the calendar for every single flight — so use your points in advance, and you can always cancel them if your plans change down the line with no fees.”
“Getting double the love on any purchase is often why people look to take advantage of co-branded credit cards in travel — especially when they make big purchases that can help them get more points and miles to redeem,” Nastro said.
Apart from making sure you are using the best card for its rewards when it comes to travel, you should also make sure when you do hit “purchase” that you’re taking advantage of shopping portals when allowed or available to earn extra miles: Airlines partner with popular retailers, and in exchange for using their referral link, you get awarded extra miles per purchase.
While some could argue any savings are good savings, Nastro said that with the increase in spending around the holidays, “we want to ensure our budgets go far, so that you can go farther with your travels.”
“Any deal that touts 10% off,” for example, “is likely less than the taxes you’ll still have to pay and not really worth your time.”
“Hotels and packages will likely be where you’ll see decent savings between 20% and 30% off or more, but they often require fine-print reading,” she said, cautioning that there may be “restrictions on stays between specific dates or select discounts for their loyalty program members … to name a few.”
Just as with airfare, for those looking to book a discounted hotel stay on Travel Tuesday, Nastro noted, “Understanding what a nightly rate can be — and that it can range — will be a helpful barometer to justify whether the deal is worth it.”
She added, “One thing to keep in mind … is taxes and fees are not included in these discounts, so be mindful of those when running the numbers.”
If you can’t find a deal worth taking or miss your opportunity, Nastro said that Travel Tuesday “isn’t the only time to save.” Keep an eye out for lingering deals past Dec. 3 if you aren’t able to snap up something by then.
Eric Rosen, The Points Guy director of travel content, told “GMA” that although “Travel Tuesday has become the day that airlines, hotels, cruise lines and destinations have launched huge sales in the past, many travel companies are actually putting flights, stays, cruises and packages on sale on Black Friday.”
The Points Guy team has tracked many of those sales, which Rosen said “are starting much earlier this year,” so you may be able to find something good prior to Dec. 3.
Low-cost startup Breeze Airways, for instance, will be offering $29 fares on many of its new routes starting Nov. 29, Rosen said. International carriers, including TAP Air Portugal, will be offering round-trip airfares starting at $359 economy and $2,199 in business class to many cities in Europe from various U.S. airports.
“We have yet to see the final deals from American, Delta and United, but you can bet they’re coming,” Rosen said.
“If you see a deal that works for you, don’t hesitate to book. Many of these packages are limited in terms of availability, and once they’re sold out, that’s it,” he added.
Hotel deals
Hilton’s Season to Stay Sale gives guests rates of up to 20% off now on stays through April 21.
Hyatt’s The Seasons of Savings event shaves 25% off nightly rates at over 800 participating hotels and resorts in the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean and Latin America for reservations made before Dec. 9 for stays through April 20.
Cruise deals
Luxury cruise line Oceania is offering its best-ever holiday sale with upgrades worth up to $5,500 per stateroom and value-added inclusions such as free airfare, shipboard credits up to $1,000 and premium drinks packages.
“We don’t know if companies or destinations will go even further on Travel Tuesday itself and release even more or better deals,” Rosen said. “So keep your antennae up until then.”
Like Nastro and Kelly, Rosen said “do your homework” before you fall for any too-good-to-be-true deals.
“Research the typical prices for any flights, hotels, packages, cruises, or other travel that you are considering, and then compare them to the sales that companies are offering,” he said.
“Read the fine print carefully, too. There are often very specific booking terms — limited time windows in which to make your reservation, dates you must travel within, lists of participating hotels and things like that,” he continued. “Be sure that your travel plans fit within the parameters of any deal you book so you don’t miss out on the savings.”