The Best Deals to Help You Take Advantage of National Plan for Vacation Day

Hillary Maglin
·6 min read

Travelers looking to plan their 2020 trips have an even greater incentive to book a getaway on Jan. 28. 2020, which is National Plan for Vacation Day.

The day, which is celebrated on the last Tuesday of January each year, was launched by the U.S. Travel Association's Project: Time Off initiative as a way to encourage Americans to plan time off and make the most of their vacation days throughout the year.

Americans leave some 768 million vacation days unused each year, according to the U.S. Travel Association, which is why various booking engines, tour operators, and hotels are offering discounts to make it easier for travelers to maximize their time off.

We’ve pulled together some of the top deals travelers can take advantage of, with some that are one-day only and others that extend throughout the week.

Transportation:

Starting Jan. 28 and ending Jan. 30, Amtrak is offering 30 percent off of train travel booked between Feb. 16 and May 31, 2020. Through the sale, travelers can score deals like $39 one-way tickets from New York City to Washington, D.C. From Boston, Amtrak is offering $15 tickets to Durham, New Hampshire. This is all in addition to the train operator’s “Saver Fare,” which offers up to 25 percent off of trips booked 14 to 21 days in advance.

CheapTickets currently has flight deals that start under $62 round-trip. The domestic flights are available across a variety of U.S. stops, including flights from Newark to Las Vegas, Nashville, Orlando, or New Orleans.

Hotel Deals:

Shore Hotel in Santa Monica, California is upgrading travelers who spent their flight to the beach town in the middle seat. All hotel guests who show proof of being seated in a coach-class middle seat on any arriving flight into Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) can snag a free upgrade to an ocean-view room. However, this only applies when checking in between Jan. 28 and Mar. 31, 2020.

The Cove at Atlantis in Nassau, Bahamas will offer a $300 luxury resort credit and daily lunch on stays through Dec. 20, 2020. Guests can only book the deal through Feb. 13. Blackout dates include Feb. 15 through 21, Feb. 27 through 29, March 14 through 29, April 4 through 17, June 13 through 21, and Nov. 26 through 28, 2020.

Las Vegas’ island-themed Tahiti Village Resort, which is located less than two miles from the Strip, is offering 20 percent off of hotel stays booked before the end of Jan. 2020. The resort is made up of condo-style accommodations and attractions that include a lazy river with waterfalls and a Tahitian-themed pool with a sandy beach.

Travel service provider CheapTickets is also running a deal on select hotel stays. The booking platform is offering 16 percent off of certain hotels for bookings made by Feb. 9 for travel by Sept. 30, 2020. Use the promo code GLOBETROTTER to save as much as $150 on your vacation.

To celebrate the occasion, Travel Oregon has teamed up with a variety of Oregon lodging operators to offer 20 percent off of select properties when booking between Jan. 28 and 31 for future travel. Accommodations range from oceanfront properties to camping facilities, cottages, and vacation rentals.

Myrtle Beach’s tourism board is also offering a variety of savings across hotels. Deals range from discounted tickets for theater, golf, and other attractions to 35 percent off on a 2020 vacation stay.

The historic Pilgrim’s Inn, overlooking the Northeast Harbor and the inn’s mill pond in Maine, is offering 10 percent off for 2020 reservations when booking on Jan. 28. Use the promo code VACATIONPLAN. The inn, which was originally created in 1793, has been restored with immaculate detail and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Driskill, which is located in the heart of downtown Austin, just steps from its famed music venues and restaurants, is offering up to 10 percent off of bookings for only 24 hours. The deal starts at 1 a.m. EST on Jan. 28 and ends at the same time on Jan. 29. The hotel, which has more than 100 years of history, is home to a variety of dining options.

Hilton also has a variety of promotions that coincide with National Plan for Vacation Day. These include:

  • Savings on long weekend packages that offer up to 50 percent off of room rates for Sunday nights. The deal is available to Hilton Honors members for stays that span from the U.S. and Canada to Latin America and the Caribbean. A minimum three-night stay is required for travel throughout 2020.

  • Bookings of two or more nights at Conrad Hotels & Resorts will include a $50 hotel reward for each night of a guest’s stay. The deal is available for stays at each of the 20-plus Conrad Hotels & Resorts around the world.

Orbitz is currently knocking 40 percent off of stays at hotel destinations across the world for National Plan for Vacation Day. Hotel stays must be booked by Jan. 31, 2020.

Hotels.com is offering eight percent off of bookings made by Feb. 2 for travel by April 27, 2020 when you use the promo code SNOWBIRD. This deal is in addition to other existing offers that can save guests up to 40 percent on stays.

Booking.com also provides travelers with daily deals on a variety of hotels, with rates that can start as low as $6.

All travelers who book a trip through Travelocity by Jan. 31 will save up to 40 percent on their hotel stay.

CheapOair is running a promo offering fliers up to 20 percent off of flights booked by Jan. 31, 2020. The promo can be used on bookings that include up to four travelers.

Package Tours and Trips:

Expedia’s Destinations of the Week campaign features popular destinations that offer a minimum discount of 10 percent or more off hotels and packages. While the campaign is not tied to National Plan for Vacation Day, the deals refresh every Monday, providing travelers with savings to look forward to each week. With that in mind, be on the lookout for the promotion even after National Plan for Vacation Day to score savings.

Small-group adventure travel company G Adventures, which offers more than 700 different tours across 100 countries, has a sale through Jan. 31, which provides travelers with up to 25 percent off of tour packages. Packages range from worldwide trips that travel across entire continents like Asia and Africa to getaways that focus on particular countries or regions.

Celebrity Cruises is running several promotions through Jan. 29 for cruises departing from Feb. 22, 2020 through May 3, 2022. Deals include up to $800 off rooms, free drinks, $150 to spend on board, unlimited Wi-Fi, and up to 50 percent off for third and fourth guests joining on a cruise.

Contests:

The Belize Tourism Board is giving away free trips not only for you, but your coworkers, too. Travelers can enter to win a five-day trip for two to Belize by Feb. 18. Winners can then gift a separate trip to the Central American country to one of their deserving colleagues.