Genuine savings on holidays may be found on Black Friday, with Tui and Jet2 most likely to offer the best deals, according to new research.
Consumer body Which? found seven in 10 deals were more expensive after the event last year.
It recorded the prices of 140 holidays and flights on Black Friday 2023 from 14 different companies, before checking the prices again two weeks later in December, and once more in early January to see if the discounts held up over time.
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.
The findings contrast with Black Friday shopping more widely, where separate Which? research found nine in ten (92%) 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. All 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 bought for £1,768 (£884 per person) on Black Friday, but the price had risen to £2,045 (£1,023pp) when Which? checked two weeks later, before dropping slightly to £1,889 (£950pp) in early January.
Holidaymakers could also save more than £200 on an all-inclusive Jet2 holiday to Fuerteventura. The August break for two people was £1,704 (£852pp) on Black Friday, but rose to £1,938 (£969pp) two weeks later, before falling to £1,880 (£940pp) 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% of Ryanair flights were also cheapest then.
It was a mixed bag with EasyJet and Jet2 flights, and in each case about half the flights Which? checked were cheapest on Black Friday, and the other half cheapest in January.
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 £69 to book on Black Friday, before rising to £104 two weeks later, and climbing again to £135 in January.
Ryanair flights for two from Stansted to Zagreb over the Valentine’s Day period were £140 cheaper on Black Friday. The fare was £181 (£91pp) on Black Friday, before rising to £298 (£149pp) two weeks later, and rose again to £324 (£162pp) in January.
Which? Travel editor Rory Boland 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.”
He warned: “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.”