Scoring Early Bird Specials: The Top Black Friday Airfare Deals for Savvy Travelers

Scoring Early Bird Specials: The Top Black Friday Airfare Deals for Savvy Travelers - Get the Jump on Discount Fares for 2023

With another new year comes fresh opportunities to plan exciting vacations and score great deals on airfare. Getting a jump start on booking discount fares for 2023 can help ensure you lock in the lowest prices before they disappear.

History shows airlines tend to roll out major sales in the period between Black Friday and New Year's. Carriers know many travelers will be both in the mood to plan future trips during the holidays and likely have extra money from end-of-year bonuses or gifts. It creates the perfect storm for consumers ready to splurge on flights.

Acting decisively once these airline sales emerge is key to maximizing your savings. While discounts are often available for a limited time, the very best fares get snapped up within the first few days. Hesitate too long and you may miss out.

One of the best ways to get notified the second deals go live is by signing up for fare alerts from your favorite airlines. Most major carriers like Delta and American have this option. You simply enter your desired routes and travel dates, and any time prices drop you'll get an email or app notification. This prevents the need to constantly re-check booking sites.

While big legacy airlines tend to garner the most hype around their sales, lesser-known low-cost and ultra-low-cost carriers can unlock substantial savings too. Allegiant, Frontier, Spirit and Sun Country run regular promotions, especially on routes where they're trying to stimulate demand. Just be prepared for add-on fees.

It's also worth checking third-party metasearch engines like Google Flights, Skyscanner and Kayak. Their flexible date grids make it easy to pinpoint when prices reach their lowest point. You can even set price alerts to track specific trips. Changing your home airport to nearby alternatives may reveal concealed deals too.

Scoring Early Bird Specials: The Top Black Friday Airfare Deals for Savvy Travelers - Act Fast Before the Best Deals Disappear

Scoring Early Bird Specials: The Top Black Friday Airfare Deals for Savvy Travelers - Use Airline Alerts to Find Out When Sales Go Live

Scoring Early Bird Specials: The Top Black Friday Airfare Deals for Savvy Travelers - Consider Lesser-Known Airlines for Deep Discounts

Scoring Early Bird Specials: The Top Black Friday Airfare Deals for Savvy Travelers - Check for Mistake Fares That Go Unnoticed

Scoring Early Bird Specials: The Top Black Friday Airfare Deals for Savvy Travelers - Use Alternative Airports to Uncover Hidden Gems

Scoring Early Bird Specials: The Top Black Friday Airfare Deals for Savvy Travelers - Don't Overlook One-Way Fares to Mix and Match

One-way tickets are often overlooked when planning flights, but they can unlock major savings in the right circumstances. The key is taking advantage of directional imbalances in airline pricing. Routes where demand heavily skews one way versus the return can create big gaps in fares. Being flexible and willing to book tickets separately versus round-trip allows you to capitalize.

I regularly find one-way fares that are hundreds of dollars cheaper than half of the round-trip price on the same route. Part of this stems from how airlines manage yield management. They want to fill as many seats as possible in each direction, so will adjust pricing based on availability and booking trends. I’ve flown from San Francisco to New York for $97 one-way, then paid $250 on the return a few weeks later. Even after adding both together, the overall spend was 40% less than the round-trip fare.

The key is checking both one-way and round-trip fares when searching for deals. Don’t fall into the trap of only looking at round-trips. And be open to mixing and matching airlines. Flying one-way on United then returning on Delta isn’t an issue. Also consider booking with budget carriers like JetBlue on one leg.

One tip frequent flyers recommend is watching for open-jaw tickets where you fly into one airport and return from another. For example, into Los Angeles and back from Las Vegas. This essentially gives you two one-way routes bundled as a round-trip. Again, the goal is to take advantage of variances in airline pricing models.

I met a couple once who flew from San Diego to Honolulu using frequent flyer miles, then purchased an ultra-cheap one-way fare from Maui to Los Angeles on a budget airline. They pieced the itinerary together themselves and saved hundreds compared to a traditional round-trip to Hawaii. Thinking outside the box can pay big dividends.

Scoring Early Bird Specials: The Top Black Friday Airfare Deals for Savvy Travelers - Watch for Flash Sales Around Major Holidays

The weeks surrounding major holidays like Christmas, Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July are prime times to find airfare deals. Airlines notoriously run flash sales leading up to big travel periods, trying to capture last-minute planners. Having some flexibility with your dates makes it possible to capitalize.

I’ve booked round-trip tickets from New York to London for under $400 over the Christmas holidays just by pouncing on a limited time British Airways promotion. Had I waited even a few days later the price would have jumped back up over $800. You really have to act fast when holiday flash sales hit. Deals that seem almost too good to be true can disappear almost instantly when booking volumes spike.

Signing up for alerts from carriers like Virgin Atlantic and Delta is the best way to get notified the minute holiday sales go live. Enabling push notifications on your phone is even better - it lets you see deals immediately without having to constantly check emails. I managed to get LAX to Hawaii for $278 on Hawaiian Airlines one Fourth of July because I got a text from them announcing a 24 hour Hawaii fare sale. Even though the booking window was short, it was ample time thanks to real-time notification.

Another good tip frequent flyers recommend is watching for holiday sales that include extra perks like free checked bags or complimentary upgrades. United has offered this in the past, allowing you to check two bags for free when booking air and hotel packages over Christmas. Considering bag fees normally run $60 round-trip, this provides over $100 in added value for a family of four.

Southwest Airlines is known for surprise holiday sales too, sometimes discounted fares pop up for certain routes as part of their weekly low fare sales. You have to watch these closely, as certain blackout periods may apply and the best fares have very limited availability. Sign up for their emails to increase your odds of catching a major holiday deal.