Unpacking The Best Labor Day Travel Deals On Trips And Gear

Labor Day weekend is one of the biggest travel holidays in the United States. Every year, millions of Americans pack their bags and hit the road (or skies) to celebrate the end of summer.

Since it’s one of the biggest travel weekends in America, it’s a great time to take advantage of sales, and plenty of companies throw down significant discounts during this time.

Whether you’re still piecing together a last-minute trip or looking to add to your travel gear arsenal for a future adventure, we’ve got all the best Labor Day travel deals to keep an eye on. Even if you don’t have any plans, these offers may inspire you!

My style of travel can be summarized in one mantra: follow the deal, not the destination. You may find a super cheap flight to somewhere you never thought about visiting before!

Open your mind, open some more browser tabs, and let’s see what deals we can snag. It’s a great time of year to plan travel and treat yourself!

TL;DR

Best Travel Labor Day Sales

In the United States, Labor Day weekend is typically a road trip kind of weekend. You may be able to snag a sweet car rental deal with agencies running weekend specials, but the deals you can find in the sky stand out for me.

Unlike Black Friday, when many major flight deal sites run sales on their memberships, the true benefit of flight shopping around Labor Day is the timing. As of writing, domestic flights are down 11 percent from last year, so now is your time to take advantage of these narrow windows. Going.com and Thrifty Traveler are two of the best websites to watch.

The end of Summer is a great time to buy last-minute cheap flights for fall travel, and it’s far enough away that many spring destinations are underpriced. Thrifty Traveler points out that flights are trending cheap into the Fall season, and Going.com is urging travelers to begin to think about their holiday plans, too.

Going

Going.com (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights) is one of the best websites for finding cheap flights – and they are running a sale on Premium Memberships until 8/31. If you miss the sale, use our Going.com promo code VIA20 to get a 20% discount on your membership.

Finding deals with Going.com is easy – all you have to do is plug in your departure airport (or airports, if you’re blessed to live near more than one), and Going will tell you all of the best deals. 

The catch is that you’ll need to be flexible with your travel dates and ready to book. A mistake fare may get you to Dublin at a fraction of the price, but you’re locked into specific dates.

This can pay off big time, and allow you to use those savings on excursions, hotels, whatever you want! I’ve been a member of Going for three years, and I’ve booked flights to Alaska, Iceland, Norway, and Finland with Going. I can’t recommend it enough!

Pro tip: add multiple departure airports. You’d be surprised at how cheap flights to Europe can be from major international airports like JFK and Boston. More often than not, you can grab a cheap flight from sites like Going or Thrifty Traveler and then book your domestic flight to that airport separately.

Thrifty Traveler

Thrifty Traveler is another option that offers daily flight deals, credit card offers, and travel reviews. You can even get cheap international and domestic flight deal alerts just by signing up. One click and they’ll be delivered directly to your inbox, saving you the hassle of searching for yourself. 

Thrifty Traveler is also ideal for learning more about using your credit card points and miles, hotel reviews, destination guides, and all the best travel hacks to get you to your dream destination at a fraction of the price. 

Expedia

Expedia is your one-stop shop for all your travel needs. You can find cheap flights, car rentals, cruises, and even tour packages through Expedia. If you’re a OneKey member, you’ll earn rewards across platforms, including Hotels.com and VRBO, and other sites under the Expedia umbrella. 

If you’re on the fence about signing up for a membership, let this be your sign to go for it. Right now, Expedia is offering a 20 percent savings on hotels when you book as a member.

This promotion only runs through September 24, 2023, so act fast!

Since Expedia, Hotels.com, and VRBO are all under the same company, you can easily keep track of all your bookings in one easy profile. As you book, you’ll earn OneKeyCash, which can be redeemed for savings. The more you earn, the more tiers you unlock, and you can earn up to $100 off hotels at the platinum level. 

Booking.com

Booking.com is an excellent option for finding Labor Day travel deals. The site offers discounts on hotels, vacation rentals, car rentals, and even experiences and tours with Getaway Deals.

With a 24/7 customer support service and personalized accounts to keep track of your travels, this Dutch-born travel website has come a long way since it debuted in 1996. Today, they’re one of the largest travel marketplaces online, with over 28 million accommodation listings and real-time updates with the cheapest flights available.

If you subscribe to the newsletter, you’ll get all the best deals sent right to your inbox so you can wake up to potential new adventures every day.

Best Travel Gear Labor Day Sales

Of course, you want to grab some new travel gear to match your upcoming vacation. Since millions of Americans travel during Labor Day, you can bet all your favorite travel gear goes on sale, too.

This is where you can really rake in the savings. Buying gear during the off-season can save you a ton of money. Sure, you may not need that 20-degree sleeping bag right now, but you’ll be glad you have it for your upcoming fall and winter travels.

Here are just a few of our favorite travel gear Labor Day sales:

REI Labor Day Deals

REI: Up to 40 percent off Labor Day Sale. Everyone is eligible for this sale, but members get even more special offers. The sale runs until September 4, 2023.

This year, some of the hottest REI Labor Day Travel Deals include:

Patagonia Labor Day Deals

Patagonia: Free shipping on orders $99+. They just released their new arrivals for fall, including women’s styles, men’s styles, kid’s styles, and even travel gear. 

Patagonia just dropped a ton of end-of-season deals into their Web Specials section. What’s the catch? These are closeout items, and you’ll have to act fast for sizes and color choices. Here are a few best-sellers we have our eye on:

Lensrentals Labor Day Deals

Lensrentals: Photography can be an expensive hobby, but with Lensrentals, you can rent professional-level equipment to take on your epic adventure and then return it when you’re done.

Lensrentals is offering a FREE day included with any rentals that include Labor Day. If you’re not renting so last-minute, you can also use our Lensrentals promo code VIATRAVELERS15 to save an additional 15 percent.

Amazon Labor Day Deals

Amazon: You know it. You love it. It’s America’s go-to website for getting anything and everything you want delivered right to your door. Keep an eye out for special Labor Day deals, you might be able to save big on camping gear, luggage, mountain bikes, and more. 

This year, some of the hottest Amazon Labor Day Travel Deals include:

TravelPro Labor Day Deals

TravelPro: TravelPro offers a wide range of first-class travel luggage sets and travel accessories to take your next vacation from good to great. Your luggage can take a beating, so it’s important to invest in quality gear that you can rely on. TravelPro is running a Labor Day sale of up to 15 percent off, so if you’re thinking about upgrading your luggage, this is the time to do it!

This year, some of the hottest Amazon Labor Day Travel Deals include:

Quince Labor Day Deals

Quince: Since you’re sprucing up your luggage and travel gear, how about a few new articles of clothing to complete the look? Using sustainable materials and environmentally conscious packaging, Quince sells high-quality essentials without the sticker shock.

Perhaps of most interest to travelers, they also offer a few different luggage options. We reviewed their hard-case rollers, and have heard great things about Quince duffle bags, sling bags, and backpacks made from recycled materials.

Quince hasn’t released its Labor Day Sale just yet, but here are some top-sellers:

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