December is right around the corner, and there are plenty of reasons to travel next month. Some will want to have beautiful Christmas holidays, some will need to travel to visit their families, some will want to escape the cold winter weather, and some will be looking to get the few missing status miles together. Whichever group you belong to, we’ve got you covered. First, we’ll take care of those still planning their Christmas Holidays, then we’ll focus on other deals that you can enjoy before Christmas.
Table of contents
- Deals Available in the Christmas Holidays
- Flights
- Cruises
- Hotels
- IHG One Rewards: Up to 3x Points for Stays (Registration Required)
- Hilton Honors: 2,500 Bonus Points per Stay (Registration Required)
- Marriott Bonvoy: 2,025 Bonus Points per Stay (Max. Three Stays, Registration Required)
- Wyndham Rewards: 7,500 Bonus Points Every 2 Nights (Registration Required)
- Vancouver: Free Prepaid Mastercard for Hotel Stays = Hotels with up to 49% Discount
- Roomers Munich, Autograph Collection: €187/Night Incl. Breakfast & $100 Credit (Min. 3 Nights)
- Deals Available in December, Before Christmas
- Flights
- Xi’an, China: €1,448 Non-Stop Shanghai Airlines Business Class from Budapest
- Business Class to 20 Chinese Cities for €1,329 with Lufthansa & Air China from Norway
- Southeast Asia, China & More: €422 Shenzhen Airlines Flights from Barcelona (With 2×23 Kg)
- China, Thailand, Vietnam & More Asia: China Southern Flights from Madrid Starting at €368
- China: €664 Shanghai Airlines Non-Stop Premium Economy Flights from Budapest
- Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia & More: Etihad Business Class from Europe, Starting at €1,585
- Bangkok: €993 ITA Airways Premium Economy from Italy, Spain, France & Greece
- Kigali, Entebbe, Johannesburg & Maputo: €501 Ethiopian Airlines Flights from London
- Johannesburg, South Africa: €408 Air France/KLM Flights from Norway (€522 with Luggage)
- Bangkok: €675 Non-Stop Norse Premium Economy from Oslo & Stockholm (€769 with 23 Kg)
- Bangkok: €506 Hainan Airlines Flights from Brussels (With Luggage)
- Tokyo Haneda: €1,030 ITA Airways Premium Economy from Italy, Spain, France & Brussels
- Shanghai, China: €1,512 Turkish Airlines Business Class from Bucharest
- Cruises
- Costa Pacifica: 15 Nights from Italy → Dominican Republic in an Oceanview Cabin for €599 pp
- MSC Splendida: 7 Nights in a Balcony Cabin from Barcelona for €668 pp, incl. Tips & Credit
- Royal Princess Cruise in Balcony Cabin from Los Angeles for $935/€672 pp
- Brand New Ships: 7-Night Caribbean Cruises for €418 pp (Oceanview Cabin)
- Caribbean Princess Cruise from Fort Lauderdale for €588 pp (Outside Cabin)
- Hotels
- Hotel Stripes Kuala Lumpur (Autograph Collection): €86 per Night incl. Breakfast
- Bangkok: €152/Night at the Banyan Tree Hotel in a 48m² Room Incl. Breakfast, Lounge Access
- Regent Hong Kong: 3-for-2 Deal, Starting at €346/Night with Breakfast & $100 Credit (Flex)
- Playa del Carmen: Mahekal Beach Resort for €207/Night, with Breakfast, Dinner (min. 4 Nights)
- Flights
Deals Available in the Christmas Holidays
Still planning your Christmas holidays? Well, it’s not too late, and while there aren’t super many options, we’ve found a few things that can help you save some money on your vacation.
Flights
First, let’s see which destinations you can fly to if you still don’t have anything planned for Christmas:
New York & Miami: €2,975 Oneworld First Class Tickets from Stockholm & Lisbon
If you’ve just won the lottery and want to have the best Christmas vacation ever, then this might be a nice idea. Fly first class to Christmas-City, New York! Flights from Stockholm cost SEK 32,693 (~€2,977) with British Airways, which is a great price for that route and travel period. You can depart on the day before Christmas Eve and fly back daily between December 28 and January 1 – even allowing you to spend New Year’s Eve at Times Square before flying back.
You can also depart from Lisbon. While the tickets are around €75 more expensive, the availability is higher.
Bangkok & Singapore: €1,332 Biman Bangladesh Business Class from Rome
If you’d like to spend New Year’s Eve in Singapore, this Biman Bangladesh deal could be a good way to get there. You’d depart from Rome on either December 25 or 28, spend 24 hours in Bangladesh, and then arrive in Singapore. The 8-hour flights to Dhaka are in lie-flat business class, while the 4-hour flights to Singapore are in Recliners. The earliest flight back after New Year’s Eve is on January 5. Using this deal to Bangkok is more complicated, as the latest departure date at this price is already December 9.
Wizz Air Flights between Poland & Norway for €33 r/t (€170 with Luggage)
Dreaming of a white Christmas? It doesn’t get much snowier than spending it in Trondheim (as I did in 2010, with -30°C and waist-high snow). Wizz Air is selling tickets from Poland to Norway – even on some dates during the Christmas holidays – for as little as PLN 138 (~€33) r/t. And if you’re a Norwegian wanting to get away from the snow piles for a couple of days, the deal works in the other direction, too.
Cruises
Want to spend Christmas on a cruise ship? There are some options:
MSC Musica Islands Cruise from Tenerife, incl. Tips (Outside Cabin)
If you book this 7-night MSC cruise for dates outside the Christmas holidays (e.g. December 7-14), you’ll merely pay €437 per person for an outside cabin, including tips and meals. While the Christmas dates cannot match that price, paying €749 per person for the Christmas cruise (December 21-28) is still a very fair price. There’s also an option in between, costing €557 between December 14-21.
Ruby Princess: 16-Night Hawaii & Mexico Cruise from San Francisco in an Oceanview Cabin
Looking to spend your Christmas holidays on board the Ruby Princess, cruising both to Hawaii and Mexico? Then this 16-night cruise from San Francisco is a “cheap” option. An oceanview cabin for dates including Christmas and New Year’s Eve (December 17 – January 2) costs €1,139 per person. If you’re looking to save some money, you can take the cruise before that (December 1 – 17) for €855 per person.
Celestyal Cruises from Dubai & Abu Dhabi, Starting at €369 pp (incl. Tips & Mealtime Drinks)
If you want to spend the Christmas holidays in the Middle East, you could add these Orient cruises for as little as €369 per person, including tips, drinks during meals, and wi-fi for messaging. The cruises are 3 to 7 nights long – whichever you prefer.
Hotels
There are too many hotels worldwide for us to make specific recommendations. However, we can still remind you of the current hotel promos and our best hotel deals that are available in this travel period:
IHG One Rewards: Up to 3x Points for Stays (Registration Required)
Before we dive into specific options, here’s something that you can apply to your Christmas holidays overall. IHG is still offering triple points on stays through the end of the year, as long as you register. Now, not everyone will be spending their holidays at IHG hotels, but those who do should definitely remember to register for this promo.
Hilton Honors: 2,500 Bonus Points per Stay (Registration Required)
Same story as above. This won’t be the main factor in your holiday plans, but if you’re staying at a Hilton, don’t forget to sign up for this promo, which gives you 2,500 extra points per stay.
Marriott Bonvoy: 2,025 Bonus Points per Stay (Max. Three Stays, Registration Required)
Marriott also has a similar promotion for its members, valid for up to three stays before January 10. This one also requires you to sign up first.
Wyndham Rewards: 7,500 Bonus Points Every 2 Nights (Registration Required)
While not very popular amongst our readers, it’s worth mentioning that Wyndham also has a points promo for this travel period. And objectively speaking, it’s the most generous, as it gets you a free night (at their low-class hotels) after only 2 nights.
Vancouver: Free Prepaid Mastercard for Hotel Stays = Hotels with up to 49% Discount
If you’re going to spend the Christmas holidays in Vancouver, make sure to book your hotel on stayvancouverhotels.com, as, in simplified terms, it will get you a discount of up to CA$250 (~€154).
Roomers Munich, Autograph Collection: €187/Night Incl. Breakfast & $100 Credit (Min. 3 Nights)
If you’re spending Christmas in Southern Germany, then you may want to consider staying 3 nights at the 5-star Roomers hotel in Munich. Through our partner Classictravel, you’d pay only €178 per night, including breakfast, and US$100 (~€86) to spend at the hotel.
Deals Available in December, Before Christmas
Want to relax a bit before the family comes over on Christmas? Or want to earn some status miles while escaping the cold European temperatures? Well, we have plenty of ideas:
Flights
Looking for a spontaneous escape, leaving Europe behind you in December, before the Christmas rush begins? We have a lot of options ready for you:
Xi’an, China: €1,448 Non-Stop Shanghai Airlines Business Class from Budapest
If you’re looking for a last-minute business class flight, you could fly non-stop from Budapest to Xi’an with Shanghai Airlines. The latest outbound date at this price before the Christmas holidays is December 13. You can fly back on December 20, 27, or January 10.
Business Class to 20 Chinese Cities for €1,329 with Lufthansa & Air China from Norway
If Xi’an is not for you, and you prefer flying to other cities in China, you can also fly with Air China from Norway. The price is even €100 cheaper, though Air China’s business class is not as fancy, still flying a 2-2-2 seat alignment. The latest departure date before Christmas is December 10, with flights back to Norway at that price being available on December 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, and 26.
Southeast Asia, China & More: €422 Shenzhen Airlines Flights from Barcelona (With 2×23 Kg)
If you’re looking to explore Asia in December, last-minute and as cheaply as possible, you could fly with Star Alliance member Shenzhen Airlines from Barcelona for as little as €422, including 2 x 23 kg of luggage. Sadly, the latest departure date at that price is December 5. Flights back, however, are in abundance – almost daily until December 30.
China, Thailand, Vietnam & More Asia: China Southern Flights from Madrid Starting at €368
Flights from the other Spanish metropolis, Madrid, are even cheaper. There, you’d be flying with China Southern for only €368. However, with only 1 x 23 kg of luggage. The latest departure date at that price is December 11. You can fly back on any Monday, Wednesday, or Friday up to December 31.
China: €664 Shanghai Airlines Non-Stop Premium Economy Flights from Budapest
If business class is too expensive and economy class too uncomfortable, there’s premium economy in between. Non-stop flights from Budapest to China start at only €664 with Shanghai Airlines. The latest departure date before Christmas is on December 6, with flights back available on December 13, 14, 20, and 27.
Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia & More: Etihad Business Class from Europe, Starting at €1,585
Etihad is very popular amongst our readers, so this business-class deal might raise more than a few eyebrows. However, the latest available date in December is already December 3. In other words, this is very last-minute and not really a Christmas deal, unless you’re planning on a very long Christmas holiday. Flights back are available on every Tuesday and Sunday until December 28.
Bangkok: €993 ITA Airways Premium Economy from Italy, Spain, France & Greece
Another last-minute deal. This one has you flying to Bangkok in premium economy with ITA Airways. The price of €993 is attractive, but the last possible departure date in December is on December 4, and the last return date is also only 1 week later.
Kigali, Entebbe, Johannesburg & Maputo: €501 Ethiopian Airlines Flights from London
Looking to escape the cold winter and spend some time in Africa? Ethiopian has some options, with €500 tickets that include 2x 23 kg of luggage. Sadly, the latest departure date is on December 4, and you’ll have to fly back before December 24. So plan on spending Christmas back home.
Johannesburg, South Africa: €408 Air France/KLM Flights from Norway (€522 with Luggage)
Looking to escape the Norwegian cold before Christmas? Then Air France and KLM will gladly fly you to South Africa for as little as €408. The last departure date before Christmas is on December 7, and you have to fly back by December 25.
Bangkok: €675 Non-Stop Norse Premium Economy from Oslo & Stockholm (€769 with 23 Kg)
If you want to fly premium economy to Bangkok, paying €675 for the round-trip is an insanely cheap price – especially for a non-stop connection. This price is available for departures before December 7 and returns before December 25.
Bangkok: €506 Hainan Airlines Flights from Brussels (With Luggage)
If you’re in Brussels, you can fly to Bangkok for €506, including luggage. The flights are offered by the 5-star airline Hainan Airlines, with short layovers in China. The last departure date before Christmas is on December 8. Flying back is more flexible, with almost daily availability until December 30.
Tokyo Haneda: €1,030 ITA Airways Premium Economy from Italy, Spain, France & Brussels
ITA Airways is selling cheap premium economy tickets to Tokyo. The latest departure date for the €1,030 price is December 12. The flight back has to take place by December 24.
Shanghai, China: €1,512 Turkish Airlines Business Class from Bucharest
If you can get to Bucharest before December 11, Turkish Airlines will fly you business class to Shanghai for only €1,512. You can fly back almost daily until January 1. In theory, you could spend both Christmas and New Year’s Eve in China.
Cruises
Looking for a cheap last-minute cruise? Look no further:
Costa Pacifica: 15 Nights from Italy → Dominican Republic in an Oceanview Cabin for €599 pp
Looking to spend two weeks in December on board a cruise ship and Christmas in the Dominican Republic? Then this deal is just what you’re looking for. Departing from Savona, Italy, on December 6, you’ll only pay €599 per person in an outside cabin, including meals and tips. You’ll reach La Romana on December 21.
MSC Splendida: 7 Nights in a Balcony Cabin from Barcelona for €668 pp, incl. Tips & Credit
If you liked the idea of a December cruise but want to stay in Europe, you can book the MSC Splendida. The 7-night cruise starts and ends in Barcelona, and a balcony cabin merely costs €668. The two possible dates are December 6-13 or 13-20.
Royal Princess Cruise in Balcony Cabin from Los Angeles for $935/€672 pp
If you’d like to spend the majority of December on board a cruise ship, you can head to Los Angeles and embark on a 14-night cruise. A balcony cabin on the Royal Princess currently costs merely €601 per person. The cruise departs on December 6 and returns on December 20.
Brand New Ships: 7-Night Caribbean Cruises for €418 pp (Oceanview Cabin)
The Sun Princess and Star Princess are beautiful new cruise ships offering a range of modern amenities. This December, you have a couple of options (before Christmas) to spend 7 nights on either ship, departing from and returning to Fort Lauderdale, for as little as €418 per person in an outside cabin.
Caribbean Princess Cruise from Fort Lauderdale for €588 pp (Outside Cabin)
Retired and have loads of time on your hands? How about heading to Fort Lauderdale and getting on board the Caribbean Princess in Fort Lauderdale on December 11? Then, after 12 nights, you disembark in Fort Lauderdale again, on December 23, right in time to enjoy Christmas on the mainland. The cruise only costs €588 per person in an outside cabin.
Hotels
Last but not least, here are some of the best hotel deals available in December:
Hotel Stripes Kuala Lumpur (Autograph Collection): €86 per Night incl. Breakfast
If you’re going to Kuala Lumpur in December, we’ve got a good hotel for you. Through ASMALLWORLD, you can book Marriott’s 5-star Hotel Stripes for merely €86 per night, including breakfast, an upgrade, and a couple of extras. There isn’t even a minimum stay requirement. Sadly, the price doubles during the Christmas holidays.
Bangkok: €152/Night at the Banyan Tree Hotel in a 48m² Room Incl. Breakfast, Lounge Access
Staying at the Banyan Tree Hotel in Bangkok, with breakfast and lounge access for only €152 per night, is a great deal. Sadly, it’s not available during peak Christmas holidays, but you can take advantage of the 2-night offer on December 7-9, as well as on a couple of other nights in December for a slightly higher price. The latest available dates in December, however, are December 21-23. Remember to use code dealz8 to get the cheapest price.
Regent Hong Kong: 3-for-2 Deal, Starting at €346/Night with Breakfast & $100 Credit (Flex)
The Regent Hong Kong is currently offering a 3-for-2 deal, and while the hotel is very expensive during the Christmas holidays, you can get a price of around €350 on most December dates before Christmas Eve. Considering that this is one of the best hotels in an expensive city like Hong Kong, that’s a good deal. So, how about beginning your Christmas holidays in Hong Kong, e.g. paying €359 per night from December 21 – 24:
Playa del Carmen: Mahekal Beach Resort for €207/Night, with Breakfast, Dinner (min. 4 Nights)
Looking to enjoy some time on the beach before the Christmas holidays? Then head to Playa del Carmen, where the beautiful Mahekal Beach Resort is offering a great deal. A rate with breakfast and dinner only costs €207 per night, as long as you stay at least 4 nights. The latest check-out date, however, is December 23.
Cover Picture: Ditmar Lange