Happy July 16, better known as Amazon Prime Day! Amazon has actually created the 36-hour day. Prime Day extends from Monday, July 16 at 3PM EST until end of day Tuesday, July 17 (for those on the East Coast, 3 a.m. Wednesday) for your shopping pleasure. (Deals may sell out and you may get an error message, allowing you to meet The Dogs of Amazon.)

Still, this is a great day (and a half) to get some travel bargains, with a couple of caveats.

1. 1. Most bargains will be on travel accessories, not travel packages like airline tickets, hotel reservations, rental cars, and so forth. Prime Day is a day for shipping stuff in boxes, not electronically or virtually.
   2. You will need to have an Amazon Prime account (currently $119) to get your bargain plus free shipping. There are various deals on Prime membership as well; students save up to 50%, for example

Headphones

Headphones play a multiplicity of roles in the traveler’s toolkit. They are the portal to entertainment and diversion, whether via seatback screen or phone, tablet or laptop. They cut the noise from roaring engines, air blowers, announcements and crying babies. And of course, just wearing them can discourage unwanted conversation from nosy neighbors.

There are a plethora of headphones on sale on Amazon Prime Day, but why not step up to Bose? The Bose QuietComfort 25 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones are available for either Apple devices or Android/Samsung for $125, a quoted savings of $174 or 58%. Bose claims the 7-ounce phones offer significant noise reduction for travel, around-the-ear fit, and the ability to control your music and calls (Samsung/Android) with inline mic/remote. The phones fold and fit into a compact, rugged case ideal for travel. Yes, there’s a newer version, but you wanted a Deal Day bargain, didn’t you?

Kindle Unlimited

If you love to read but also like to travel light, you might want to try Kindle Unlimited. You can get an Amazon Kindle e-reader, but you don’t have to; Kindle Unlimited allows you to read anytime, on any device with the Kindle app. Amazon says you’ll get unlimited access to over 1 million books and a rotating selection of popular magazines. You can also use those new headphones to listen to thousands of books with Audible narration. It’s not a no-risk offer, but it’s close: Amazon is offering 3 months of unlimited reading for $0.99.

But if you are tired of reading books on a tiny telephone screen, why not splurge on a dedicated reader? The Kindle Paperwhite, which Amazon says is their bestselling Kindle, boasts a 6″ high-resolution display with 300 ppi (pixels per inch), plus a built-in light and WiFi capability. The Paperwhite, which normally sells for $119.99, is $79.99 as an Amazon Deal of the Day.

Water Bottles

The humble water bottle has become a travel essential, in these days of “dump it out or throw it out” at checkpoints, plus long waits on planes to get water. Even our friends at the TSA recommend a refillable. “You can’t bring a bottle of water through the checkpoint, but you can bring an empty bottle through the checkpoint and then fill it up once you’re through security. That will even save you a few bucks.”

For Prime Day, Amazon is offering Prime Members 20% off on Ello, Pogo, and Zulu Water Bottles If you’re looking for a big gulp, Prime Day brings you the 40-ounce Pogo Tritan Water Bottle. Priced at $ 15.46, it includes a chug lid and a soft straw, is available in grey, pink, fuchsia or teal and has a ‘leak-proof’ cover and soft carry loop. Better yet, it’s an additional 20% off on Amazon Prime day.

Luggage

So where will you pack everything? Samsonite is a strong brand in luggage, and Amazon is offering a pair of Samsonite hard-sided rolling ‘spinner’ suitcases in silver or black. The Samsonite Tread Lite Lightweight Hardside Set includes a carry-on Spinner that measures 20″ x 13.8″ x 9.5″ (excluding handle and wheels) and weighs 7.26lbs. The larger, checkable Spinner measures 24″ x 16.5″ x 11″ (excluding handle and wheels) and weighs 9.68 lbs. Yes, they’re on the heavy side, but Samsonite says they’re scratch-resistant, have a comfortable grip and allow expansion to pack more items, and compression to keep clothes pressed. They also don’t look like every other soft-side suitcase on the baggage carousel.

Best of all, at $119.99, the Tread Lite Deal of the Day represents a 72% savings from the regular price of $429.99.