It’s Thanksgiving week and you know what that means — before you can even finish your drumstick, those Black Friday and Cyber Monday “doorbusters” will be there for the taking. This year, instead of rushing out at 4am to grab the latest Bluetooth toaster, why not save your energy and book an incredible getaway.
But with all the Black Friday and Cyber Monday hype — it begs the question: Can you really score a great travel deal? And if so, which is the better day to book? The answer: it all depends on where you’re going.
Overall insights
When it comes to shopping for airfare during the holidays, Cyber Monday is among the most popular days. But, whether to scour the Internet for flight deals on Black Friday or Cyber Monday really depends on where you’re headed.
Regions to search for on Black Friday
If you have your eyes set on traveling to the Caribbean or Asia, Black Friday is on your side. According to KAYAK data, we’re seeing better deals for destinations in Asia and the Caribbean with overall median airfare drops between 6-10% (compared to the three Fridays before and after).
If Asia is on your travel list, booking on Black Friday can score you savings. If Japan is on your travel to-do list, last year, Tokyo and Osaka were the top spots for savings.
If a Caribbean island getaway is more your speed, last year brought savings on The Bahamas, Aruba, and St. Maarten. And with the other side of the island, Sint Maarten, on our 2019 Holiday Travel Hacker’s Trending New Year’s Eve Destinations, searches for this tropical hotspot are on the rise.
Looking for more insights? According to KAYAK data, here are the top 10 cities in Asia and the Caribbean that saw the biggest price drop in median airfare when booking last Black Friday.
- Hong Kong – 23% price drop
- Georgetown, The Bahamas – 18% price drop
- Tokyo, Japan – 18% price drop
- Simpson Bay, St. Maarten – 17% price drop
- Willemstad, Curacao – 17% price drop
- Osaka, Japan – 16% price drop
- Oranjestad, Aruba – 11% price drop
- Freeport, Bahamas – 11% price drop
- Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam – 10% price drop
- Providenciales, Turks & Caicos – 10% price drop
Find Black Friday deals
Regions to search for on Cyber Monday
According to KAYAK, median airfare is 5% lower for Cyber Monday when compared to the three Mondays before and after, indicating it is, in fact, a good time to search for airfare deals.
Those prices drop even further if you’re planning a trip to Europe. And, if Spain and Italy are on your list, you’re in luck. Ibiza, Alicante, Palermo, Bologna and Naples all see price drops of at least 14 percent (compared to the three Mondays before and after).
According to KAYAK data, here are the top 10 cities in Europe that saw the biggest price drop in flight prices when booking last Cyber Monday:
- Azores, Portugal – 42% price drop
- Salzburg, Austria – 42% price drop
- Ibiza, Spain – 41% price drop
- Mykonos, Greece – 31% price drop
- Palermo, Italy – 28% price drop
- Warsaw, Poland – 24% price drop
- Alicante, Spain – 21% price drop
- Bologna, Italy – 17% price drop
- Lyon, France – 14% price drop
- Naples, Italy – 14% price drop
Find Cyber Monday deals
Want even more Cyber Monday travel deals? Knowing this time of year is one of the most popular search periods for travelers, KAYAK is offering up our best travel deals of the entire year in our Cyber Monday Hotlist newsletter going out on Monday, December 2.
Not already signed up and want to be sure you’re getting the latest travel deals straight to your inbox? Get a free KAYAK account now.
And because you deserve to treat yourself, this Cyber Monday, we’re giving away travel gifts right from our Deals page. From travel necessities to travel vouchers, we’re like Santa – but in orange. Happy searching and Happy Thanksgiving!
Head here for the top travel deals
Methodology
All data is based on flight queries conducted from KAYAK US for international and domestic travel and is intended to be used as a guide. Search dates comprise of Black Friday 2018 (11.23.18), Cyber Monday 2018 (11.26.18) and Travel Tuesday 2018 (11.27.18) and travel dates comprise 11.1.18 through 9.30.19. All data was pulled from KAYAK’s internal database.
