Black Friday holiday deals are real (if you know where to look)
In the coming days, just about every airline and package holiday company will be splashing their Black Friday deals, promising hefty discounts on holidays booked for 2025 and beyond.
The tradition of booking next year’s holidays before Christmas is a relatively new one. And while you might be sceptical about this American festival of consumerism, research shows that holiday savings are generally better during Black Friday than in the January sales.
A Which? study published in 2023, which monitored 120 holidays and flights, found that two weeks after Black Friday, 88 per cent of prices had gone up. By January 3, of those that were still available, 65 per cent of the packages and flights would have been cheaper had they been booked on Black Friday. This echoed previous studies, which also found the majority of packages rising in price after the Black Friday window had closed.
According to Which?, British Airways Holidays and P&O were two examples of companies whose Black Friday deals were cheaper than when booked in January. However, this was not the case across the board. Jet2holidays and Ryanair’s deals were better in January than in November, it found.
When is Black Friday?
Black Friday 2024 is on November 29. Cyber Monday falls on December 2, and the latest addition to the festival of sales, “Travel Tuesday”, is a day later, although in the UK not many firms are talking about this one.
A number of travel firms already have Black Friday deals active on their websites, and some even have special “pre-Black Friday” offers. Most Black Friday deals expire on November 29 itself or in early December.
Aren’t these deals too good to be true?
Any Black Friday saving you discover should be taken with a pinch of salt. The notion of large savings can be misleading, as prices fluctuate greatly throughout the year and holiday firms periodically run sales. There will, for example, be Boxing Day and January sales coming around very soon. However, many reputable holiday firms do offer genuinely good discounts during the late-November period.
Do all holiday firms engage in Black Friday?
Many do, but some travel firms seem uninterested in any Black Friday shenanigans. The tour operator Adventurous Ewe, for example, has a note on its site reading: “In the Black Friday mayhem, we are rushed into buying things we don’t really need for fear of missing out. This over-consumption results in extensive waste. This is unsustainable and not in line with our values as a socially responsible brand.”
Another tour operator, Original Travel, says: “Sick of endless Black Friday emails, ads and pop-ups? Ticked off as to why the UK has even picked up this Thanksgiving-specific consumer culture from our American friends in the first place? Us too. That’s why we’re boycotting Black Friday and celebrating Green Friday instead.”
Green Friday, it says, is a chance for people to “ditch the consumerism” and “focus on how we can protect our planet”.
The best Black Friday travel deals
Telegraph Travel has scoured trusted package holiday firms, cruise companies, hotels, airlines and ski operators to dig out some of the Black Friday deals that we consider to be of good value. The below list of Black Friday deals is by no means exhaustive, and prices were correct at the time of writing. We will keep it updated as we spot new deals coming in.
Cox & Kings
The luxury tour operator has savings ranging from £150 to £300 on a variety of tours, including a nine-night trip to Oman starting from £2,995, down from £3,295. The deal is valid until November 29.
Expedia
Expedia, along with Vrbo and Hotels.com, is offering savings of up to 30 per cent on hotel stays for One Key loyalty members (from November 22 to December 4).
Explora Journeys
The luxury ocean cruise firm Explora Journeys is offering an “exclusive sale” (although not worded as “Black Friday”) amounting to 50 per cent off selected journeys, with a reduced deposit of 5 per cent. The sale runs until December 4 and applies to all cruises departing from November 29 onwards.
Explore
The escorted tour firm Explore is letting you save up to 20 per cent on bookings made between now and December 31 2025. One example is a 13-night itinerary from Tokyo to Osaka, going for £3,810 (a saving of £950). Deals are available from November 25 to December 2.
G Adventures
Save up to 30 per cent on bookings from the adventure tour operator. For example, its eight-night Cuba Explorer package (departing April 13 2025) is down from £1,229 to £860.
Hilton
Hilton is offering savings of up to 30 per cent on its existing best available rates. For example, Tempo by Hilton Times Square has savings on trips booked between April 1 and November 30 2025, with starting rates from $225 (£177.50) – which isn’t bad for New York. The offer runs until December 31.
Jet2Holidays
Customers can make a saving of £100pp on all holidays from Jet2Holidays if you sign up to a free myJet2 account. This means winter holidays start from £179pp and summer holidays start from £329pp. Deal active until further notice.
Lastminute.com
Lastminute.com is running a pre Black Friday “flash deal”, including three nights in Prague at a four-star hotel for £98pp. Its Black Friday campaign will begin on November 25.
Love Holidays
This was one of the firms highlighted by Which? as offering genuine Black Friday savings. Last year, Love Holidays’ savings amounted to up to 30 per cent off select holidays – details for 2024 are “coming soon”.
Mark Warner
The independent activity firm is offering 10 per cent off all ski holidays to Tignes, and 10 per cent off all beach holidays to Greece and Turkey next year. For example, a seven-night trip to Tignes departing on January 5 starts from £899pp. Deals end December 3.
Mr & Mrs Smith
The luxury accommodation firm Mr & Mrs Smith has cut 40 per cent off the starting rate at a number of hotels, including Daios Cove Luxury Resort and Villas in Crete (ranked 8/10 by the Telegraph). Rooms start from £370 per night, including champagne on arrival, and extras including massages and babysitting for longer stays. The booking window is smaller than most companies, applying to trips booked between November 29 and December 2.
MSC Cruises
You can find savings of up to 45 per cent on select cruises. One that caught our eye was a seven-night Canary Islands and Madeira cruise, down from £804pp to £579, with flights included. Deals end on December 2.
Olympic Holidays
Olympic Holidays has a blanket saving of £120 off all holidays using the promo code BF120. It also has exclusive Black Friday offers, including complimentary massages and transfers on select holidays. Deals end December 3.
Royal Caribbean
The cruise firm Royal Caribbean has Black Friday savings amounting to as much as £640pp, with places for children going for £99. They are also bundling in $500 (just shy of £400) of onboard spending money. The deal is live from November 9 to December 9.
Turquoise Holidays
In Turquoise Holidays’ Black Friday sales you will be able to save more than 50 per cent on breaks to Six Senses Laamu (rated 9/10 in the Telegraph Travel review of the hotel). Seven nights on a half-board basis costs from £2,999pp (including flights). Deals are available from November 28 to December 2.
Tui
Tui is offering savings of around 10 per cent: you can save £100 when you spend £1,000, £200 when you spend £2,500, or £300 when you spend £3,500. Deals are active from November 25 to December 2.
Uniworld
The boutique river cruise firm Uniworld has a pre-Black Friday promotion offering savings on selected 2025 sailings. For example, an eight-day cruise along the Danube, departing on March 23, starts from £1,998pp – a 30 per cent saving. The pre-Black Friday savings end on November 27, when its Black Friday deals will be rolled out.
Virgin Voyages
The cruise firm Virgin Voyages is offering 40 per cent off all trips until 2026, plus $300 (around £230) worth of free drinks. This means some Caribbean itineraries start from under £800. Offers valid from now until December 3.
Voyage Privé
Voyage Privé has deals of up to 80 per cent off in its Black Friday deals. We found one deal, exclusive to members, offering seven nights at the Dreams Sapphire Resort in Puerto Morelos, Mexico, with premium economy flights costing £1,761pp (down from £5,078pp) departing in September 2025. Deals available from now until November 29.
