As Black Friday approaches, travellers are weighing up whether advertised holiday discounts are genuine. Consumer group Which? has analysed last year's deals to identify which companies offered real savings, tracking the prices of 140 holidays and flights from 14 firms on Black Friday 2023, then rechecking them two weeks later and again in early January.
The research found that 100% of TUI package holidays checked were cheaper on Black Friday, as were nine in ten Jet2 holiday deals. A TUI trip to Tenerife for two in August was reduced by almost £300, falling to £1,768 on Black Friday before rising to £2,045 two weeks later. Similarly, a Jet2 all-inclusive break to Fuerteventura for two was £1,704 on Black Friday but climbed to £1,938 just a fortnight later.
For flights, Black Friday proved the cheapest day of the year to book with British Airways, while 70% of Ryanair fares were significantly lower. A BA flight from Heathrow to Oslo in March cost £69 on Black Friday, versus £135 in January. A Ryanair service from Stansted to Zagreb over Valentine's Day was £181 for two on Black Friday, jumping to £324 in January. However, half of EasyJet and Jet2 flights checked were not cheapest on Black Friday, with better prices found in January.
This year, BA is offering European and UK flights from £35 each way for travel between January and March, with fares to Nice from £29, Edinburgh from £35, and Dublin from £32 each way. TUI is discounting holidays by £300 for account holders, including a week in Turkey from £990pp and an Egypt stay from £884pp, both with extra savings for MyTUI members. Jet2 has £100pp off all packages for account holders, with summer deals such as a Crete week from £290pp and a Gran Canaria stay from £967pp, while winter options include the Algarve from £384pp. Ryanair has launched a buy-one-get-one-half-price sale, with flights from Luton to Krakow from £28.99 and Manchester to several European cities averaging £30.99 each way.
