Apparently tryptophan, the sleep-causing amino acid in turkey, also inspires wild bouts of shopping. How else to explain the mad rush after the holidays to empty Best Buy and Target?
Now, travel marketers are trying to get in on the action, pleading the (worthy) case that adventures are a much better gift than any sweater or cellphone case. A slew of them will be putting forward "Cyber Monday" deals to try and get a slice of the consumer pie. Here are some of the best of the offers we've seen (and we'll be updating this list as we get closer to Thanksgiving, so do check back).
Cathay Pacific: From now through December 4, this top-rated airline is slashing fares by 50% to as little as $664 from San Francisco, LA, Chicago, New York or Boston to Hong Kong. That's for travel between February 9 and April 30. Deep discounts to other cities in China plus Manila, Bangkok, Siem Riep, Ho Chi Minh City, Tokyo and Delhi are also on offer. Full details if you click on the linked name of Cathay Pacific at the beginning of this paragraph.
Hurtigruten: If you're ever wanted to see Antarctica, this is your chance to do so affordably. This Norwegian adventure cruiser goes there and through the spectacular fjords of Norwary, voyages that will be discounted by 10% for those who book by end of day December 3. That may not sound like a big savings, but the rates were already being cut. Click on the link for full details.
Liftopia: Always a good source of lift ticket deals for skiiers and snowboarders, Liftopia's offer doesn't include a discount on any particular mountain. Instead, if you register your email address between Saturday, Nov. 28th at 12:01 am MST and Monday, Nov. 30th at 11:59 pm MST you're guaranteed to win a gift certificate of between $10 and $250. Unfortunately, you'll then have to spend that gift certificate—before you can tell how the snow will be—on lift tickets by midnight MT on December 1. Still, if you score with a $250 gift certificate it will certainly be worth the gamble.
Club Med: The all-inclusive resort chain will be offering discounts of 50% for children ages 5-12, and 40% for teens 13-15 at the Punta Cana Club Med, Ixtapa Pacific, Columbus Isle, Sandpiper Bay, Turkoise, La Caravelle & Buccaneers. Vacations must be booked Friday November 27 through end of day Wednesday December 2 for travel between December 5 and June 15 (with some blackout dates).
BedandBreakfast.com: This consortium of B&B's is putting its gift card on sale and doing so in several iterations. If you're willing to abandon your family at the Thanksgiving table to go online, it will give you a $75 coupon for a free stay, with the purchase of a $200 voucher for stays. The code, appropriately enough, is "gibblets" for purchase on Thanksgiving Day itself. If you wait until Cyber Monday, you can score a $100 coupon for a free stay, but you'll have to ante up for a $300 gift card to get that. The company says it will be floating other deals through Christmas.
NewYork.com: For those heading to the Big Apple in the coming weeks, this specialist is promising deals, but it's being very coy. It won't say what the discounts actually are until November 28. We're ASSUMING that there will be discounts on tours and shows, since that's their stock in trade, but like everyone else, we'll just have to wait for the unveiling.
Starwood Hotels and Resorts: In a last hurrah for this mega chain (it's about to be gobbled up by Marriott), Starwood will be offering between 25% and 50% off for stays December 6 and September 16, 2016. That bargain will be good at around 1000 hotels in Starwood's stable: W Hotels, Westins, St. Regis, Aloft Hotels and more. The sale starts November 23. More info at the link above.
Red Roof Inn: Book on November 30th and this already-cheap chain will slash up to 30% off the cost of a night. The sale covers stays through the end of March.
(Photo by Derek Gavey/Flickr)
Rail Europe: Those looking for rail passes could do well to book theirs between November 27 and December 4. Doing so with Rail Europe could yield a savings of $100 on certain passes (key in EURAILCYBER100 at the website); the company is also taking 30% of Eurostar standard premium rail tickets.
Pacifica Hotels: A consortium of boutique hotels in the state of California, Pacifica is holding a true Cyber Monday sale, offering 40% discounts on all 24 of their coastal properties (some going for as little as $65/night), for travel from November 30 through March 11, 2016. Use the code "CYBER". For full details, click on the link above.
Friendly Planet: I wish tour operator Friendly Planet was being more specific about what exactly its Cyber Monday will consist of. All they're saying is "savings up to $1100" on 65 programs. I'm including them here because this is a company that always puts value first, so if there are additional discounts—well, they're likely worthwhile. The deal is November 30th ONLY.
