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Plus, the one crucial thing you must do before the deals drop.
Black Friday has become one of the hottest dates on the travel calendar, but with so many great flight deals out there, how do you sort the appealing from the too-good-to-be-true?
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In 2025, Black Friday is on Friday, November 28, Cyber Monday is on Monday, December 1 and Travel Tuesday is on Tuesday, December 2 in Australia. But the travel sales have been coming in thick and fast during the entire month of November.
Read our roundup of the best Black Friday travel deals here.
To get the best bang for your buck and ensure you’re making the deals work for you, it pays to prepare. Here’s how.
Analysis of 2024 booking data from Paylater Travel shows flights dropped by 39 per cent to Samoa, Fiji by 35 per cent and New Zealand by 15 per cent during the 2024 Black Friday sale.
But those looking to bag a bargain trip to Bali were left disappointed.
READ MORE: Black Friday travel deals: Qantas, Virgin, Qatar all on sale
Co-founder, Farouk Ismail, says Black Friday deals “move incredibly fast” so you need to be “prepared to act”.
“The challenge is the competition. Airlines put a limited number of tickets on sale. It could be 100 seats, or it could be 10, so once they’re gone, the deal is over,” he says.
His top tip is to do your homework now to spot a genuine bargain later.
“Know where you want to go and track your desired routes before Black Friday. This helps you spot genuine deals versus marketed discounts. If you know a flight to Bali typically costs $1100, you’ll recognise when a $650 Black Friday fare is actually worth jumping on,” he says.
And if a fare seems too good to be true, it probably is. Watch out for non-refundable tickets, undesirable departure times, multiple stops and off-season dates.
“A slightly higher fare with flexibility might actually be the better deal for you,” Mr Ismail says.
Skyscanner travel expert, Jarrod Kris, says Black Friday is one of the best times to save on flights, “but deals can disappear fast due to demand, so it’s important to have the tools to help you”.
He suggests being flexible with your dates, and using Skyscanner’s Whole Month view to spot the cheapest dates to fly.
Activate Price Alerts now, so you’ll be the first to know when fares drop. You can also do this on Google.
The Skyscanner app has a feature called Drops that allows you to see when prices on certain routes have dropped by 20 per cent.
And think beyond the main airport, as “Flying into a smaller or regional airport can often mean lower fares. Add nearby airports to your search for more options and better deals,” Mr Kris says.
Also, think about the best times to fly: early mornings aren’t always the cheapest. Mid-week flights, especially Tuesdays and Wednesdays, tend to be cheaper than weekends, he says.
Online travel booking platform Omio says some of the best-value opportunities right now are in lesser-known destinations.
The company’s director of expansion, Florian Cointent, says choosing alternative destinations is one of the smartest ways to stretch your travel budget: “These locations offer the full holiday experience without the premium costs.”
In Thailand, try swapping Phuket for Krabi and Koh Yao Noi, which delivers “the same beaches and culture” but with “significantly cheaper accommodation and more availability during peak periods”.
In Malaysia, Pulau Besar or Bukit Malawatiare are emerging as affordable alternatives to Malacca or Penang, “offering beautiful coastlines, fresh local cuisine and fewer crowds,” Mr Cointent says.
And if you’re interested in Singapore, neighbourhoods like Katong and Tiong Bahru offer major savings compared to Marina Bay or Orchard Road. “Cheaper hotels, local dining and easy MRT access make them strong value picks,” he says.
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