What Are the Best Black Friday and Travel Tuesday Deals in 2026?
In 2026, Black Friday falls on 27 November and Travel Tuesday on 1 December in the US. The best travel deals are usually hotel and package sales on booking sites like Expedia, Booking.com, Priceline and Hotels.com, used with their free member programmes. How to judge a deal, compare sites, and why you go through ShopBack US before you book.
Published: 8 October 2026 · Author: Ziling Liu, Personal Finance Editor, ShopBack US
ShopBack US is a free cashback app and website. Before you book a trip on sites like Expedia, Booking.com or Priceline, you go through ShopBack to the booking site, book as usual, and part of what you paid comes back as cash. Sign up for ShopBack before the sale week starts.
How we picked. We checked the 2026 dates against the US calendar, read official member programme pages such as Priceline VIP, used public reference pages for Travel Tuesday and Expedia's One Key, and read each booking site's terms on ShopBack US. Sale offers for 2026 are not public at the time of writing, so this guide explains where deals usually appear and how to judge them, rather than listing prices.
What are the best Black Friday and Travel Tuesday travel deals this year?
For 2026, the deals worth waiting for are usually hotel and package sales on the big booking sites, used with their free member pricing, for trips you already plan to take. Here are the dates and what each site offers year round.
| Date in 2026 | Day |
|---|---|
| Thursday 26 November | Thanksgiving |
| Friday 27 November | Black Friday |
| Monday 30 November | Cyber Monday |
| Tuesday 1 December | Travel Tuesday |
| Booking site | Free member programme | What it is known for |
|---|---|---|
| Expedia | One Key, launched in 2023, a shared rewards programme across Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo | Bundling flights, hotels and cars in one booking |
| Booking.com | Genius, which unlocks more benefits as you complete stays | A very wide range of hotels, apartments and other stays |
| Priceline | VIP: Blue at 2 completed trips, Gold at 5 trips or with a Priceline Rewards Visa card, Platinum at 20 trips, according to Priceline | Express Deals, where the hotel name is shown only after you book |
| Hotels.com | Part of One Key, so rewards can be used across Expedia Group brands | Hotel stays |
The best single deal is the one that cuts the total price for your dates, after taxes and fees, with a cancellation policy you can live with. A big headline percentage on a hotel you would not book is not a deal for you.
Travel Tuesday deals: what the day is
Travel Tuesday is the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, a US marketing day for travel sales. According to its Wikipedia entry, the idea started in 2017 when the flight booking app Hopper saw that the Tuesday after Thanksgiving was a good day for booking flights, and booking brands such as Orbitz, Travelocity and CheapTickets have since recognized it. It is mainly a US event.
In practice, Travel Tuesday sits at the end of a longer sale stretch. Many travel sales start around Black Friday and run through Cyber Monday, so Travel Tuesday is often the last chance rather than the only one.
Travel Tuesday deals 2026: dates and how to plan
Travel Tuesday 2026 is on 1 December, five days after Thanksgiving on 26 November. A simple plan:
- Pick your dates now. Decide where and when you want to go, so you can judge a deal the moment it appears.
- Save a baseline price in October and early November. Note the total for the same hotel, room and dates on two or three sites.
- Sign in before the sale. Member prices on Expedia, Hotels.com, Booking.com and Priceline usually need you to be signed in.
- Check from Black Friday to Travel Tuesday. Compare against your baseline, not against a "was" price on the page.
- Book through ShopBack and pay with a travel card. Go through ShopBack to the booking site, then pay with the card you use for travel.
Travel Tuesday deals: best deals in the US for 2026
The best US Travel Tuesday deals in 2026 will usually be on hotels and stays you can book now for travel next year, from sites with clear cancellation terms. Where real savings tend to come from:
- Member pricing. Free programmes such as One Key, Genius and Priceline VIP can show lower prices to signed-in members on selected properties.
- Bundles. Booking a flight and hotel together on Expedia can lower the total for some trips. On ShopBack, check the store's terms, because some stores exclude packages.
- Flexible hotel deals. Priceline Express Deals hide the hotel name until you book, which can suit travelers who care more about the area than a specific hotel.
- Refundable rates. Booking a refundable rate during the sale lets you rebook if a better price appears, subject to the property's cancellation policy.
For sites in the same category, other travel stores on ShopBack US include Agoda, Trip.com and Vrbo.
Expedia vs Booking.com for Travel Tuesday deals: price comparison in 2026
Expedia and Booking.com are both strong for sale-week hotel bookings, and the cheaper one changes by property and date, so compare the same stay on both.
| Expedia | Booking.com | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Flight and hotel bundles, car rentals, one rewards balance across Expedia Group brands | A wide choice of hotels, apartments and other stays |
| Member programme | One Key (shared with Hotels.com and Vrbo) | Genius (free; unlocks with completed stays) |
| On ShopBack US, at the time of writing | Exclusions include event tickets, cruises and bookings made through the travel agent portal | Exclusions include flights, airport taxis, flight plus hotel packages and Booking.basic reservations |
If your trip is a flight plus hotel, Expedia's bundles are often the natural place to start. If it is a hotel or apartment stay only, check Booking.com and Expedia side by side for the same dates. In both cases, check the total after taxes and fees and the cancellation rules before you pay.
Expedia, Booking.com and Priceline for Travel Tuesday deals in the US
Use each site for what it does well, sign in for member pricing, and open it from ShopBack before you book.
- Expedia: sign in to One Key before you search. One Key lets you earn and use rewards across Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo, according to Expedia Group's Wikipedia entry.
- Booking.com: sign in to see Genius prices on selected stays. Remember that on ShopBack US, flights and packages on Booking.com are listed as exclusions at the time of writing.
- Priceline: join VIP for free. According to Priceline, VIP hotel savings and rental car discounts grow with your level, and Priceline is part of Booking Holdings.
- Hotels.com: part of One Key; on ShopBack US, airfare is listed as an exclusion at the time of writing.
How ShopBack lowers what you pay for a sale-week booking
Going through ShopBack gets you a cash rebate on the same order, at the same store. Cashback lowers what you actually pay for an order. It comes back as cash, so it works like a discount on the price, not like points or miles.
Booking a trip online looks like this: pick your dates, compare flights and hotels, go through ShopBack to the booking site, then pay with a travel card.
Here is an illustrative example. On a $1,200 hotel stay at an illustrative 4%, $48 comes back, so the effective price is $1,152. The live rate for each booking site is shown on its ShopBack page, and that is the number to use.
How to do it on ShopBack US:
- Open ShopBack (app, website or browser extension) and tap the booking site, for example Expedia, Booking.com or Priceline.
- Activate, then search and book in that same visit.
- Use only promo codes featured on the store's ShopBack page; the terms say codes not featured on ShopBack can stop cash back.
- Keep the booking as made. At the time of writing, ShopBack's terms for Expedia, Priceline and Hotels.com say cancellations, no-shows and changes that create a new booking ID are not eligible.
Our guide on how to earn cashback on travel bookings covers tracking and payout in more detail.
Paying for sale-week travel with a travel card
A travel rewards card usually still earns its points or miles when you book through ShopBack, because those rewards come from your card issuer, but check the merchant's terms and your card's terms first. Some card offers exclude certain booking sites or require you to book through the card's own travel portal. Read the booking site's terms on its ShopBack page and your card issuer's terms before you count on both.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best Black Friday and Travel Tuesday travel deals this year?
In 2026, Black Friday is on 27 November and Travel Tuesday on 1 December. The best travel deals in that window are usually hotel, vacation rental and package sales on booking sites such as Expedia, Booking.com, Priceline and Hotels.com, used together with their free member programmes. Judge each deal on the total price for your own dates, and go through ShopBack before you book.
What is Travel Tuesday?
Travel Tuesday is a US marketing term for travel sales on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. It started in 2017, when the flight booking app Hopper noticed the day was a good one for booking flights, and booking brands such as Orbitz, Travelocity and CheapTickets have since recognized it.
When is Travel Tuesday 2026?
Travel Tuesday 2026 is on Tuesday 1 December 2026. Thanksgiving is on Thursday 26 November, Black Friday on Friday 27 November and Cyber Monday on Monday 30 November, so the full US sale stretch runs from 26 November to 1 December.
Are Travel Tuesday deals better than Black Friday travel deals?
Not always. Travel Tuesday is the day that is focused on travel, but many booking sites start their sales on Black Friday and run them through Cyber Monday. Track the same hotel or route across the whole week and book when the total price for your dates is lowest.
Is Expedia or Booking.com better for Travel Tuesday deals?
It depends on the trip. Expedia is strong when you want to bundle flights, hotels and cars, and its One Key rewards work across Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo. Booking.com is strong for a wide range of stays and its free Genius programme gives signed-in members discounts on selected properties. Compare the same dates on both.
How does Priceline VIP work?
Priceline VIP is free to join. According to Priceline at the time of writing, members reach Blue after 2 completed trips, Gold after 5 completed trips or as a Priceline Rewards Visa cardholder, and Platinum after 20 completed trips, with hotel and rental car savings growing at each level.
What are Priceline Express Deals?
Express Deals show a discounted hotel price with the general area, but not the hotel's name until after you book. You trade some certainty for a lower price, so read the cancellation terms before you pay.
Do Black Friday flights earn ShopBack cashback on Booking.com?
Check first. At the time of writing, the Booking.com page on ShopBack US lists flights, airport taxis and flight plus hotel packages among its exclusions, and the Hotels.com page excludes airfare. Hotel stays are the usual eligible booking. Read each store's terms on its ShopBack page before you book.
How does ShopBack lower the price of a Travel Tuesday booking?
Going through ShopBack gets you a cash rebate on the same order, at the same store. Open the booking site from ShopBack US, book as usual, and part of what you paid comes back as cash after your stay. For example, on a $1,200 hotel stay at an illustrative 4%, $48 comes back, so the effective price is $1,152. Check the live rate on the store's ShopBack page.
Can I change or cancel a sale booking and still get cash back?
Usually not for the changed part. At the time of writing, ShopBack's terms for Expedia, Priceline and Hotels.com say cancelled bookings, no-shows and changes that create a new booking ID are not eligible. If you need to change dates, check the store's terms on ShopBack first.
Key takeaways
- In 2026, Black Friday is 27 November, Cyber Monday 30 November and Travel Tuesday 1 December.
- The best sale-week travel deals are usually hotel, rental and package sales on the big booking sites, judged on the total price for your dates.
- Sign in to free member programmes first: One Key on Expedia and Hotels.com, Genius on Booking.com, VIP on Priceline.
- Check each store's exclusions on ShopBack US; Booking.com lists flights and packages, and Hotels.com lists airfare, at the time of writing.
- Pick your dates, compare, go through ShopBack to the booking site, then pay with a travel card.
Related reads
Book travel through ShopBack US: Expedia · Booking.com · Priceline · Hotels.com · Agoda · Trip.com · Vrbo
Disclaimer
The views and recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author. Sale dates, travel prices, member programme rules, cancellation policies and card benefits vary by site, property and time and are subject to change. Cashback rates and exclusions on ShopBack vary by store and campaign; check the current rate and terms on each store's ShopBack page before you book.
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be considered professional or financial advice.
Related guides
Save on Expedia
Where the real Expedia US savings come from: One Key member pricing and OneKeyCash, Bundle deals, Member Only Deals, and how to stack ShopBack cashback on top of any Expedia promo, member price, or bundle discount when booking flights, hotels, cars, and packages.
Booking.com Discounts and Deals
Where the real Booking.com US savings live: Genius member pricing, Mobile-Only Deals, Early Access Deals, Black Friday and Travel Tuesday windows, and how to stack ShopBack cashback on top of any Booking.com discount already applied to the reservation.
Hotels.com Deals and Cashback
Where the real Hotels.com US savings come from: One Key member pricing and OneKeyCash, Member Only Deals, seasonal Travel Sales, and how to stack ShopBack cashback on top of any Hotels.com promo or member price when booking city, resort, or long-stay accommodations.
Earn Cashback on Hotels & Flights
Click through ShopBack before you book a flight, hotel, or activity. Cashback pays after the trip completes and the cancellation window closes.
Black Friday vs Prime Day vs Cyber Monday
Prime Day peaks on Amazon; Black Friday hits most categories; Cyber Monday leads on tech. When each event wins for US shoppers.
