Cyber Monday isn’t just about shopping for electronics, clothing and other tangible gifts. It’s also evolved into Cyber Travel Monday with more travel deals than you can possibly enjoy in 365 days. TravelingMom.com recently interviewed Anne Banas, Executive Editor of SmarterTravel, a site devoted to advice on saving money, tips and strategies for consumer travel, and travel deals.
Banas says, “Travelers can use Cyber Monday to jumpstart their vacations for the next year or choose last minute trips for this year. Hundreds of travel deals are available, from hotel discounts to Disney family vacations to cruises and pre-packaged getaways. Cyber Monday is a virtual traveler’s buffet of vacations.”
Before wheeling and dealing with your hard-earned vacation dollars, take a look at these Top 6 Tips for Cyber Monday Travel Deals:
1) Start a bucket list of travel.
I’ve always been a fan of lists, so ask yourself, “Where do you want to take your family or significant other next year?” Cyber Monday Travel deals can make your head spin. When you have a bucket list, you’ll be surprised at how quickly you can narrow down your perfect travel deal.
2) Shop around.
Banas says, “Even when the advertised price is listed as a deal, do price comparisons. A quick search on a hotel’s website, Expedia.com or Orbitz.com, will confirm whether it really is a good deal.”
3) Look closely at what’s included in the package.
Once you uncover a deal that interests you, Banas says, “Be sure to read the fine print and exclusions.Typical exclusions include holiday and other blackout dates. Fine print might include additional fees, such as resort fees, taxes, etc., which might turn your great deal quickly to no deal at all.”
4) Flights can be a deal breaker.
Your Cyber Monday travel deal for romantic international getaway may not be such a great deal when you add on two round trip airfares at an additional cost of $2,000. Do your homework and search for flight schedules and pricing before booking packages non-inclusive of air. Banas suggests Kayak.com, a website offering comparison searches of flights. You can also set up airfare alerts, so when the price drops, you’ll be notified right away. TIP: Not included on these search engines is Southwest Airlines! Be sure to include a separate search for Southwest’s affordable flights which include two FREE checked bagsper passenger.
5) Be flexible and keep an open mind.
After all, isn’t traveling all about the journey? Sometimes, it’s best to let go of all preconceptions and just have fun. Who knows? Your newly discovered Cyber Monday travel deal might turn into your new favorite place to visit!
6) Finally, let go and just book it!
You’ve done your homework. You followed our tips. Just go for it – and enjoy your Cyber Monday Travel Deal!
For Cyber Monday Travel Deals and year-round travel deals, go to the TravelingMom.com Travel Deals section.
Traveling Grandmom and freelance writer, Diana Rowe scours the web looking for travel deals for the TravelingMom.com family. Photo Courtesy of Diana Rowe and her handsome grandson.
