Press release

Which? research suggests genuine holiday deals may be found on Black Friday

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
4 min read
Press Team

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.

About Which?

Which? is the UK’s consumer champion, here to make life simpler, fairer and safer for everyone. Our research gets to the heart of consumer issues, our advice is impartial, and our rigorous product tests lead to expert recommendations. We’re the independent consumer voice that influences politicians and lawmakers, investigates, holds businesses to account and makes change happen. As an organisation we’re not for profit and all for making consumers more powerful.

The information in this press release is for editorial use by journalists and media outlets only. Any business seeking to reproduce information in this release should contact the Which? Endorsement Scheme team at endorsementscheme@which.co.uk.