Airlines and hospitality operators use this pricing tier to capture demand when the weather is still acceptable but the main holiday rush has ended. Fares and room rates are discounted from their highest levels to maintain steady volume before dropping to rock-bottom winter or low-season pricing. Fleet and route planning teams often schedule heavy maintenance or reduce flight frequencies during these weeks.
We're cutting the Tuesday and Wednesday ferry crossings once shoulder season starts in September.
Revenue managers rely on strong shoulder season bookings to hit annual targets if the peak summer weeks underperformed.
Related terms
Winter sun
A travel industry season and market focused on warm-weather destinations during the colder months.
Excursion fare
A discounted travel ticket that requires the passenger to meet specific booking conditions.
Rack rate
The highest published price for a hotel room before any discounts or negotiated tariffs are applied.