Black Friday could be the perfect time to secure your next holiday, with potential savings of up to £300 for families. According to new research by Which?, seven out of 10 deals booked during the Black Friday sales event were cheaper than at other times.
The consumer champion tracked the prices of 140 holidays and flights from 14 different companies on Black Friday 2023, then checked the prices again two weeks later in December, and once more in early January. They found that a whopping 73 percent of these deals were cheaper on Black Friday than after the event.
While this doesn’t guarantee the same bargains will be available this year, it’s certainly promising news for those hoping to bag a bargain on Black Friday. This is in stark contrast to many other high street Black Friday sales, where claimed savings often aren’t what they seem.
The study revealed that Tui and Jet2 offered the best chances of securing a holiday saving. Every single Tui holiday deal checked was cheaper on Black Friday compared to two weeks later and at the beginning of January, as were nine out of 10 Jet2 holiday deals.
One of the best holiday savings Which? discovered was a discount of almost £300 on a Tui holiday to Tenerife. A holiday for two departing in August was available for a mere £1,768 (£884 pp) on Black Friday, but the price escalated to £2,045 (£1,023 pp) when Which? checked two weeks later, before slightly decreasing to £1,889 (£950 pp) in early January. Over £200 could be saved on an all-inclusive Jet2 break to Fuerteventura.
The August break for two was priced at just £1,704 (£852 pp) on Black Friday but increased to £1,938 (£969) two weeks later, before dropping to £1,880 (£940 pp) in January. When it came to flight bookings, Black Friday proved to be the best time to book a flight with British Airways, while 70 percent of Ryanair flights were cheapest then too.
A BA flight to Oslo was half price in the Black Friday sales compared to booking in January. The flight, departing from Heathrow in March, was only £69 to book on Black Friday, before escalating to £104 two weeks later, and further increasing to £135 in January.
Ryanair flights for two from Stansted to Zagreb over Valentine’s Day (10th -17th Feb) were over £140 cheaper on Black Friday. The fare was merely £181 (£91 pp) on Black Friday, before rising to £298 (£149pp) two weeks later, and increased again to £324 (£162 pp) in January.
It was a mixed bag with easyJet and Jet2 flights, and in each case approximately half the flights Which? checked were cheapest on Black Friday, and the other half cheapest in January.
The editor of Which? Travel, Rory Boland, advised: “While last year’s data suggests holidaymakers had a fair chance of making a saving on Black Friday, don’t feel pressured to book in the sale this year.”
He warned that distinguishing between genuine bargains and less impressive offers can be tricky, noting: “When it comes to travel it can be difficult to tell a deal from a dud – flight prices can fluctuate for all manner of reasons, as can holiday costs, and there’s no guarantee the savings we spotted last year will be repeated.”
Boland also highlighted the benefits of early booking: “What we do know from tracking thousands of holiday prices is that booking as far ahead as possible will generally beat booking last minute.”
Additionally, he cautioned against potential scams, especially during peak sale periods: “Scammers are out in force this time of year, so if a deal looks too good to be true, think twice. Be particularly wary of deals advertised on social media, offers from unfamiliar companies, and accommodation listings urging payment by bank transfer.”