Holidays are perhaps the biggest spend that we make each year, so with Black Friday upon us, it’s the perfect time to splurge.
But, with so many deals and discounts, it’s hard to work out whether you’re getting a bargain, or not.
Thankfully, research has revealed the major airlines and holiday companies that offered genuine Black Friday savings back in 2023 — indicating that similar price cuts will be available again this year.
Here is what you need to know.
The best holiday and flight Black Friday deals 2024
According to Which? there are four major airlines you should consider: TUI, Jet2, British Airways and Ryanair.
The Which? research from 2023 recorded the prices of 140 holidays and flights from 14 different companies on Black Friday. These prices were then checked again two weeks later in December and again in early January.
Of the TUI holiday deals it tracked, 100% were cheaper on Black Friday, as were nine in 10 of Jet2 holiday deals.
One of the best holiday savings the consumer group found was a discount of almost £300 on a TUI holiday to Tenerife. The deal for two people departing in August could be snapped up for just £1,768 (£884pp) on Black Friday, but the price had risen to £2,0425 (£1,023pp) to weeks later.
A Jet2 all-inclusive August break for two people to Fuerteventura was just £1,704 (£852 pp) on Black Friday but rose to £1,938 (£969) two weeks later.
When it comes to flights, Black Friday was the best day of the year to book a flight with British Airways, and 70% of Ryanair flights were also significantly cheaper.
A British Airways flight from Heathrow to Oslo in March was just £69 to book on Black Friday, before climbing to £135 in January.
A Ryanair flight for two from Stansted to Zagreb over Valentine’s Day (February 10-17) was £181 (£91 pp) on Black Friday before rising to £324 (£162pp) in January.
Meanwhile, Which? found just half of EasyJet and Jet2 flights checked were the cheapest on Black Friday, with the other half cheapest in January.
Metro searched the four Which? recommended holiday companies for the best Black Friday 2024 deals so far.
British Airways Black Friday 2024 deals
British Airways Black Friday deals include flights to the UK and Europe for as little as £35 each way, based on a seven-night return journey. The lowest ticket prices are between January and March for £35 each way, while flights cost £40 and £43 each way in April and May respectively.
BA flights to Nice cost £29 each way over the same period, rising to £44 in April and £43 in May. Holidaymakers can get their hands on £35 flights to Edinburgh for most of 2025 (January to March and June to September), while tickets cost £37 in April and £36 in May.
The cheapest Black Friday tickets to Dublin meanwhile are between January to March next year for £32 each way.
TUI Black Friday 2024 deals
100% of the package holidays checked by TUI were cheaper on Black Friday, with the travel company offering £300 off holidays by booking with a TUI account.
Travellers can bag an all-inclusive stay at Holiday Village AQI Turkiye in the Dalaman area in June for £990pp, down from £1,326pp and save an extra £100 by logging into their MyTUI account.
The Coral Sea Aqua Club in Egypt is currently £884pp, from £1,141, for seven nights in June and has an extra £100 off by booking with a Tui account.
Winter getaways are also on sale. An all-inclusive stay at TUI Blue Sensatori Atlantic Caldera Palace in Crete, for example, is £821pp.
Jet2 Black Friday 2024 deals
Jet2 is offering £100pp off on all holiday packages this Black Friday, as long as you sign up with a free Jet2 account.
Most of its current summer holiday deals are discounted by £180. Seven nights in Real Palace in Malia, Crete from London Luton in April is currently priced at £290pp, down from £380pp.
Meanwhile, an all-inclusive stay at Gran Canaria Princess in April costs £967pp, down from £2,114pp.
Jet 2’s winter holiday destinations are also discounted. A seven-night all-inclusive stay at Auramar Beach Resort in the Algarve is £384pp, compared to the previous holiday price of £474.
Ryanair Black Friday 2024 deals
Ryanair has launched a ‘buy one get one-half price’ deal over Black Friday and Cyber Week. Discounted flights from London Luton to Krakow include a basic fair of £28.99, while flights discounted to Dublin cost £30.99 from London Luton.
There are plenty of deals elsewhere in the UK. Discounted flights from Manchester to Cologne, Dublin and Oslo average at £30.99 each way.
Travellers can find tickets to Brussels, Milan and Poznan for £33.99 and fly to Berlin, Bratislava, Copenhagen and Gdansk for £36.99.
‘Don’t feel pressured to book in the sale this year’
Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel said: ‘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.
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.
‘What we do know from tracking thousands of holiday prices is that booking as far ahead as possible will generally beat booking last minute.
‘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.’
Do you have a story to share?
Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
MORE: ManCave skincare sets are now on sale -with the best gift for your boyfriend, brother and beyond
MORE: Lily & Roo’s Black Friday 2024 sale has begun! Treat yourself or someone to 25% off jewellery
