Travel Deal Tuesday: The New Post-Thanksgiving Sale

Black Friday. Check. Cyber Monday. Check. Travel [Deal] Tuesday. What?

Yep, you read that right. While most brands are pulling out all the stops to generate sales the Friday and Monday after Thanksgiving, according to Business Insider, travel brands (airlines in particular) are holding back, following the likes of Amazon Prime Day, and creating their own day of deals.

You might ask why. And when you think about it, it makes perfect sense. Black Friday is all about doorbusters and getting the best deals on electronics. Cyber Monday’s discounts are usually sitewide and not product specific. And while travel brands do hold sales both days, they are overshadowed by big retailers and not thought of as traditional after Thanksgiving sale purchases.

But the industry is aiming to put a stake in the ground (or air) with a day all to themselves, offering staggering savings of 40% to popular destinations around the world. 

But the industry is aiming to put a stake in the ground (or air) with a day all to themselves, offering staggering savings of 40% to popular destinations around the world. Click To Tweet

According to travel app Hopper, Travel Tuesday was expected to have twice as many flight deals as Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Last year, the travel app sent over one million deal notifications on Travel Tuesday alone, 43% more than average.

Southwest and Delta participated, as did Emirates and Air New Zealand. Both Hilton and InterContinental offered 25% off properties around the globe, with some offers skyrocketing to a massive 65% off.

What’s interesting about Travel Tuesday is that airline and hotel brands haven’t yet started to promote the deals the way we’re used to seeing in advance of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Even more, in recent years, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving has become known as Giving Tuesday, a day of charitable giving at the beginning of the holiday season.

So what’s my advice for travel brands wanting to put Travel Tuesday on the map?

Think about the Tuesday after Thanksgiving as another opportunity to communicate directly with your audience. Don’t shy away just because Target and Amazon have multimillion-dollar campaigns and receive more time in the spotlight. Consider teasing deals ahead of the holiday, distributing dedicated emails to your subscriber base, leveraging influencers to help amplify discount messaging and possibly offering special giveaways to start he holiday season with cheer.

There’s something special in knowing you are helping to fulfill someone’s bucket list, especially around the holidays.

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