(WXYZ) — Dreaming of a big trip? The pandemic has paused a lot of travel plans over the last 20 months. But if you're ready to start booking again, you may find some bargains on Tuesday, November 30.
It's what some call Travel Deal Tuesday, and we went to the experts for advice.
"Travel Deal Tuesday has been going on for around five years," said Lindsay Schwimer with Hopper — a travel booking appwhich monitors flight, hotel, and rental car prices.
Schwimer said the company first noticed seven years ago that the travel deals were trending on this Tuesday after Black Friday.
What can we expect this year when it comes to booking travel today?
"Savings up to 30% compared to the average day. We're seeing two times the number of deals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined," Schwimer said.
According to Schwimer, the company is already seeing domestic and international airfares down over 15% compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
The best deals? Schwimer said look at flights to Las Vegas and Nashville.
"Hopper is also offering exclusive discounts to international destinations, up to $100 off. So, destinations like the Maldives, Paris, Barcelona, London, Santorini, Greece," she said.
Ready to set sail on a cruise? David Fishman, the president of Cadillac Travel in Southfield, said the best bargains are for cruises in the first quarter of 2022. Some are even 50-75% off 2019 prices.
"Seven nights on a Caribbean cruise on a brand new ship was going around $2,300 to $2,400 per person. Now it's $1,200 per person. That's a big savings," he said.
But, Fishman said airlines don't have too many deals right now because they still have a lack of inventory in general.
"I always say airline ticket pricing is like the weather in Michigan – wait five minutes and it will change," he said.
The key, he said, is to be flexible with your dates. Look at Tuesday or Wednesday departures, and consider destinations during their off-seasons, like Europe in the winter.
Fishman cautions people about using third-party vendors to book cheap flights or hotel stays.
He said some of those sites are not legitimate, and others aren't very accessible if you have a problem while traveling.
Hopper said many of the Travel Deal Tuesday bargains should last past midnight, through around 5 a.m. Wednesday, December 1.
