Everyone knows that Black Friday is the paragon of the shopping season.
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Still full from their Thanksgiving meals, millions of Americans pack into lines outside major stores on the hunt for hefty savings. Slowly, the trend has extended over the holiday weekend.
There’s Small Business Saturday, for example, followed by a single day of rest before Cyber Monday takes the internet by storm. Like the name suggests, Cyber Monday is a prime time to take advantage of online deals.
And then there’s the latest guard in post-Thanksgiving shopping: Travel Tuesday. Travel Tuesday is focused on hotels, airlines, and other hospitality and tourism sectors.
Simply put, travelers can access serious savings across a broad range of travel brands on Travel Tuesday. If you’ve been eyeing any trip packages, flights, or even suitcases, it’s a perfect time to hit ‘buy’ before the Black Friday craze ends.
But with high-profile deals revolving around both Black Friday and Travel Tuesday, is there a secret catch? What do you need to know about shopping on Black Friday vs Travel Tuesday? Let’s explore.
Black Friday vs Travel Tuesday: Which has better deals?
Black Friday is geared more toward retail product sales. Travel Tuesday, by contrast, is focused on all types of travel deals—from transportation to hotel stays to green travel reimbursements. (If a company offers its sale from Black Friday through Travel Tuesday, don’t worry about shopping on a particular day.)
Simply put, you’ll find steeper savings for all travel deals on Travel Tuesday compared to Black Friday.
Dozens of travel companies launch their offers on Tuesday, December 3, and close them out at the end of the day or the next day. The degree of savings is greater so the window to take advantage is smaller.
That being said, don’t write off Black Friday. If you’re on the hunt for travel accessories, you can access great deals starting on Black Friday or Cyber Monday. Remember: Travel Tuesday is geared toward travel offers like those from organizers like Railbookers or manufacturers like Away, for example.
A question of waiting
Here’s the catch—should travelers who have their sights set on a specific type of trip wait to try to book a cheaper deal on Travel Tuesday? That depends on how flexible you are.
Travel Tuesday is well-known in travel circles, meaning you won’t find the crème of the crop in terms of offers. Because it’s a competitive time to book, many flights, hotel rooms, and similar offers fill up fast. You can miss out if you’re not aggressive enough with your booking plans.
That being said, if you’re more flexible with your travel dates and destinations, then you can find insane deals on Travel Tuesday. In fact, some jet-setters let the deals decide where they go, crafting a last-minute trip based on the offers they find on Travel Tuesday.
Don’t forget about the fine print
You might have noticed one clear distinction between Black Friday vs Travel Tuesday at this point. Black Friday is geared toward one-time product purchases while Travel Tuesday is geared toward broader, experiential deals that can be used to create a vacation.
But both types of deals come with fine print.
You should be especially focused on the terms and conditions tacked on to Travel Tuesday deals. As outlined above, they tend to offer really steep savings on flights, hotels, and other high-profile travel offers—and, unsurprisingly, they come with plenty of requirements.
One common condition is a time limit; for example, you can only book discounted flights in 2025. Another is geography; for example, you might only be able to book deals associated with certain routes, states, or regions. Take a closer look to make sure you know what you’re really buying.
Lastly, be ready to buy. Travel Tuesday deals might only be live for 24 hours, meaning you need to be organized and ready to take advantage of deals.
