Black Friday is no longer a single frantic Friday. The 2026 edition lands on 27 November, but the real deals window stretches across several days — and travel companies are among the biggest players. Travelstart's sale, for example, opens on Wednesday 25 November and runs through to Friday 27 November, with a second wave of offers on Cyber Monday, 30 November. If you wait for the day itself, you may find the best fares already snapped up.
That's mistake number one: assuming everything happens on the Friday. Airlines usually discount only selected routes, dates and travel periods, so it pays to have a few flexible dates in mind before the sale opens, and to book flights early before demand spikes.
Mistake two is still queueing in person. Everything worth buying on Black Friday — especially flights — can be compared online in minutes. But cheapest isn't automatically best. A rock-bottom fare with a 19-hour layover or no checked bag can work out worse than a slightly pricier option, so compare total cost, baggage allowance and connection times before you pay.
Third: budgeting only for the flight. A discounted airfare is just the entry fee. Accommodation, ground transport, meals and activities decide whether the trip is actually affordable. One useful development — Travelstart has partnered with GetYourGuide, opening up more than 200,000 tours and activities worldwide, so you can price experiences into your plan rather than discovering them later as an extra cost.
Mistake four is trusting the sticker. A big '50% off' badge doesn't guarantee a bargain; some discounts apply to awkward dates or barely beat the normal price. Scammers also ramp up around Black Friday, so track prices before the sale so you have a baseline, stick to established booking sites, check URLs carefully, and treat impossibly cheap offers with suspicion.
Finally, the fine print. Black Friday fares often come with limited seat allocations, blackout dates and rigid booking conditions. Before paying, check when you can actually fly, whether checked luggage is included, what happens if you need to change or cancel, and whether the final price at checkout matches the advertised one. None of this is glamorous, but it's the difference between a genuine deal and an expensive lesson.
For anyone planning a 2026 holiday, the takeaway is simple: treat Black Friday as a long campaign, not a day. Note prices in advance, keep your dates flexible, compare the full trip cost, and read the terms before your card leaves your wallet.
