Holidays may be one area where Black Friday does deliver genuine
savings, according to Which?, after new research from the
consumer champion found seven in 10 deals were more expensive
after the event last year.
Knowing the right time to book a break isn't always
straightforward – and this is particularly true during the winter
months, the peak booking period when consumers can feel
overwhelmed by the choice of holidays on offer.
Which? recorded the prices of 140 holidays and flights on Black
Friday 2023 from 14 different companies, before checking the
prices again two weeks later (December), and once more in early
January to see if the discounts held up over time.
The consumer champion found that just over seven in 10 deals
(73%) were cheaper on Black Friday than after the event had
passed – slightly less than the previous year, when it found nine
in ten deals (88%) were cheapest on Black Friday.
While consumers should exercise caution – past performance offers
no guarantee of finding genuine deals this year – the results are
encouraging to those hoping to snap up a bargain on Black
Friday.
The findings come in contrast to Black Friday shopping more
widely, where separate Which? research found nine in ten (92%)
Black Friday deals were duds, with most home and tech products
available at the same price or even cheaper during other periods
of the year.
Which? found the best chances of securing a holiday saving were
with Tui and Jet2 - 100 per cent of Tui holiday deals it checked
were cheaper on Black Friday compared to two weeks later and at
the beginning of January, as were nine in 10 Jet2 holiday
deals.
One of the best holiday savings Which? found was a discount of
almost £300 on a Tui holiday to Tenerife. The holiday for two
people, departing in August, could be snapped up for just £1,768
(£884 pp) on Black Friday, but the price had risen to £2,045
(£1,023 pp) when Which? checked two weeks later, before dropping
slightly to £1,889 (£950 pp) in early January.
Holidaymakers could also save over £200 on an all-inclusive Jet2
break to Fuerteventura. The August break for two people was just
£1,704 (£852 pp) on Black Friday, but rose to £1,938 (£969) two
weeks later, before falling to £1,880 (£940 pp) in January.
For flight bookings, Black Friday was the best time to book a
flight with British Airways of the dates Which? checked, and 70
per cent 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 just £69 to book on Black Friday, before
rising to £104 two weeks later, and climbing again to £135 in
January.
Meanwhile, 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 just £181 (£91 pp) on Black Friday,
before rising to £298 (£149pp) two weeks later, and rose 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.
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.”
-ENDS-
Notes to editors:
Research
- Which? tracked the prices of 140 flights and holidays (ten
holidays and flights with fourteen providers) on Black Friday
2023 (25th November), two weeks later on 15th December 2023, and
again on 4th January 2024.
- Where a company operates a separate flight and holiday arm,
Which? counted these separately. The companies Which? checked
were Booking.com, British Airways, British Airways
holidays, easyJet, easyJet holidays, Jet2, Jet2 holidays,
Loveholidays, Ryanair, Tui Airways, Tui Holidays, Virgin Atlantic
and Wizz Air.
- Which? tracked prices at a range of holiday companies, but
you'll get the best experience with a Which? Recommended
Provider. See the consumer champion's holiday and airline reviews for
more information.
