Black Friday and Cyber Monday flight sales 2023 | Up to 50% off

Black Friday is on 24 November 2023, with most flight sales continuing on through the weekend until Cyber Monday (27 November).

Though 24 November is the official start date, every airline and online travel agency treats Black Friday differently. Some launch sales early and some run sales longer than just the weekend.

For example, Qatar, Qantas and Virgin Australia launched their sales early in 2023.

To ensure you don't miss out, we note the end date of flight sales on every deal, if available. If the deal is on our page, that means it's still available to book.

If you're after specific travel dates, the sooner you get in, the better. Peak season dates, weekends and school holiday dates, if available, often sell out quickly.

This year's deals are quickly being released. Here's what's happening:

• Virgin Australia: Domestic flights starting at $49 each way and international fares from $449 return.
• Qatar: Up to 15% off flights with code BF23.
• Qantas: Australia-wide flights from $129 one-way.
• Etihad Airways: 20% off flights with code BLACKFRIDAY20.
• AirAsia: Although not a Black Friday sale, AirAsia has flights to New Zealand from $199 one way and flights to Asia from $179 one way.
• Scoot: Flights to Singapore from $159 and into Asia from $179 each way.
• Air New Zealand: No details yet but Air New Zealand often has a Black Flyday sale. In 2021 it offered 10% off economy flights to the USA and Canada.

You can expect to discover cheap flights to destinations worldwide over Black Friday.

Jetstar and Virgin Australia are both known for selling seats to destinations across the nation on Black Friday.

Travel has returned and restrictions have been rolled back heavily. Here's what to know if you haven't flown yet:

• Flexible bookings: Some airlines still offer fee-free flexibility on international routes. Others may be flexible with cancellation or change-of-date policies if you're affected by COVID-19 in the lead-up to your trip.
• COVID-safe plan: All flights should have COVID-safe measures in place. This might include limited capacity to allow for physical distancing and increased cleaning to keep you safe.
• Masks and social distancing are no longer mandatory: However, you can still practise these safety measures and airlines, including Qantas and Jetstar, still provide passengers with masks.
• Contactless check-in and bag drops: To reduce high-touch surfaces, airlines are allowing passengers to check in either online or via the app before they fly. If you have any issues or you would prefer to check in in person, staff will still be at the airport to help.
• Service may be simplified: To reduce unnecessary and prolonged contact, airlines have pared back their service. This means that they might not offer you a full or hot meal on board, or they may have removed items with high-touch surfaces, such as magazines and entertainment units.
• Travel insurance: This is available for both domestic and international trips. Some even cover you for COVID-related claims.

Many airlines still have flexible fares on international flights. If you're travelling domestically you may still be able to change your flight if you contract COVID-19 or are deemed a close contact. Bear in mind that while the fee may be waived, you will have to pay any fare difference at the time of change. So if you book a Black Friday bargain but then decide to change your plans during a non-sale period, you'll likely have to fork out some extra cash for the convenience.

Most flexible fares can be booked through the airline directly or through an online travel agent. Look out for icons that say "Fly Flexible" or "No Change Fees".

If you're using an aggregator, Skyscanner has an option to "only show airlines with flexible tickets". This lets you tailor your search to pull up only fares with fee-free changes.

• Be flexible: Often the lowest prices are available on days when airlines need to fill their planes. This may mean leaving mid-week or during the low season. If you're happy to travel off-peak, you can really score a deal.
• Go wherever the sales take you: If you have a specific destination in mind, you're more likely to be disappointed. Instead, approach the sale with a broader holiday plan. You're more likely to find a deal to a non-specific beach destination than to a specific South Pacific island.
• Start your search at midnight: Many sales launch as soon as the clock strikes midnight on 25 November, so we'd recommend being ready to book as early in the day as possible before the best deals sell out.
• Forego baggage and in-flight meals: If you've found a deal on a budget airline, try to get all of your belongings into a carry-on bag and bring your own snacks for the flight. Depending on the airline and destination, these fees can really add a lot to your fare.
• Set up a price alert: If your heart is set on a specific destination, set up a price alert for your route. KAYAK and Skyscanner both offer this service. You'll get an email alert if the price of flights drops on your preferred route.

Every year, Black Friday surprises us. Not only has it become bigger and bigger over the years, but it has also become better, with more companies and better deals joining in.

But is it a better sale than Boxing Day? That depends.

Some deals are better. That's because shoppers will be searching for bargains that they can use or gift over Christmas, meaning stores are going to want to put out their top deals to get you to buy. For travellers, it's also a chance to snap up a flight or hotel deal for the holidays.

That being said, airlines know you'll be on the lookout for deals on this day and they might not want to show all of their best cards yet.

In previous years, a number of companies waited until Boxing Day to give us even bigger discounts. For example, Jetstar took flights down to $29 a pop (they started at $39 during Black Friday).

Whatever the case, if you see a deal that's too good to pass up, it's better to just get it on Black Friday. But, if you think you can wait to see if anything better comes along, Boxing Day might surprise you.