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The majority of Black Friday flight and holiday deals we looked at last year went down in price within weeks.
Despite the pandemic we can expect more claims of major savings from airlines and travel companies on this year's Black Friday - 27 November.
But we looked at 42 flight and holiday offers on Black Friday 2019, two weeks later, and then again in January 2020. More than half of the 'deals' offered were more expensive than the prices available for identical flights and holidays within a matter of weeks.
Even when prices were cheapest at the end of November you'd only have saved a few pounds in many cases.
For five of the bookings we looked at, Black Friday was not only worse than during the January sales period, it was more expensive than a normal day in December.
As many of those flights and holidays were later cancelled anyway, because of the pandemic, our research also demonstrates the importance of looking beyond headline prices. People who chose to book with better holiday providers or airlines were much more likely to be refunded promptly.
Find more unbiased advice on travel and coronavirus, award-winning investigations and legal advice on holiday refunds and cancelled flights with Which? Travel
This year Ryanair has been running 'a whole month of Black Friday' deals on Fridays during November. But last year four of the seven flights we looked at were cheaper later on.
A flight to Corfu cost £32.99 on Black Friday, but in December it was a couple of pounds less and in January the price was just £12.99 - a saving of £20.
The three Ryanair flights, marketed under the Black Friday banner last year, that were cheaper, offered savings of less than £5.
For British Airways flights, the Black Friday price was the best available on four of the six routes we checked. However, the saving was never more than £100.
This year is unlike any other for holidays because of the pandemic. Nevertheless, if last year's any guide, there may be better deals available in January than in November. Six out of nine Tui holidays were cheaper in January.
For one Virgin Atlantic flight from London to Barbados, you would have saved £121 if you'd waited until the turn of the year to book.
There are always some genuinely good deals on Black Friday. Last year we found two Virgin Holidays trips that seemed to offer impressive savings. One to a beach resort in Jamaica saved £125 per person compared with the next-cheapest price. Another, to Orlando in Florida, saved an impressive £311 per person.
However, given Virgin was among companies that treated customers poorly during the pandemic, this is another reminder that price isn't the only factor when choosing a holiday. It was investigated by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) for its handling of refunds. See our advice on the best companies to book with.