The concept of Black Friday keeps on expanding -- what started out as a rush of people from the suburbs descending upon downtown Philadelphia stores on the day after Thanksgiving has, 50 years later, evolved into a holiday shopping period that just keeps growing.
With the rise of online shopping, Black Friday deals have also expanded beyond deals on clothes, TVs and kitchen appliances. Airlines, cruise ships, hotels and entertainment venues have all, in the last decade, started offering Black Friday deals as well.
Amid rising prices, many shoppers are already waiting for discounts before making a purchase -- Adobe (ADBE) predicts retail discounting to reach a record 32% in the period between November 1 and December 31.
With the Labor Department finding that airfare prices rose by at least 25% between 2021 and 2022, even the perception of a deal will help entice some buyers.
Expedia/TheStreet
Now Is The Time To Look For That Cheap Flight
For those looking for a big adventure, Hong Kong airline Cathay Pacific (CPCAF) launched its Black Friday Sale across different classes -- one can fly round-trip from San Francisco to Hong Kong for $804 or Los Angeles to Manila for $679.
Flights can be booked on the Cathay Pacific website and need to be booked between now and November 28. The deal excludes the popular summer travel period as the first part of the flight needs to be completed between January 1 and May 23.
For those who'd already stretch their budget going to a nearby city, Southwest (LUV), Alaska Airlines (ALK) and JetBlue have offered significant Black Friday discounts in years past -- the latter has already started dropping $99 flights between New York and Los Angeles for those who act fast.
Those traveling north of the border will find Air Canada (ACDVF) offering 40% off certain routes as well as double Aeroplan points for flights. Those should not be disregarded as they can be used to score free flights later on.
A budget international airline launched in 2021, Norse Atlantic Airways already offers very low cost flights between the U.S. and certain European capitals for those who can forgo luggage and most other frills -- between now and Cyber Monday, one will be able to book one-way flights between New York's JFK and Oslo for $139.
Deals On Hotels, Cruises And Resort Packages
"There has never been a better time to start planning a trip to Norway, Germany, or the UK thanks to the Norse Atlantic Black Friday sale," Norse Atlantic Airways Commercial Director Bård Nordhagen said in a statement.
Travel booking site Expedia (EXPE) is promising 30% off everything from hotel stays in New York and London to Disney (DIS) cruises and flight-hotel deals to Cancun.
While this Black Friday sale is around for a while, the varying travel prices during off-season periods make it difficult to verify whether the promised 30% is a true discount. One also needs to be an Expedia Rewards member to take advantage of the deal.
But regardless of the time of year, one can also save up to 10% on domestic flights simply by booking them 28 to 35 days before the date of travel.
In its annual Air Travel Hacks report, Expedia found that one would need to buy an international flight six months in advance to get the same discount.
This article will be updated as more offers and promotions come in.
