KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Black Friday deal-seekers rejoice! The annual deal day is here. But not all the great sales will fit in gifts under the tree.
Black Friday also kicks off a weekend of massive travel sales. Expect to see bargains on hotel rooms, cruises and rental cars.
When it comes to flights from KCI Airport, you’ll find deals on airfare too.
- Southwest Airlines – The carrier is offering deals on both Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Check out its website for details and to book your flight. Southwest is also offering up to $250 off on flight and hotel packages.
- Delta – To score the best deals on Delta flights, plan on booking by Monday. Most of the deals offered by the airline are for flights in January or February, but you may find a few fares that spill into March and April. The company’s deals apply to both international and domestic flights. Delta has a Black Friday Deals page where the company is posting all of its best offers.
- Alaska Airlines says its sale that started on Thanksgiving Day is its biggest of the year. Fares start at $49 one way.
- United – This carrier isn’t releasing details of its sale until Cyber Monday. The Points Guy reports that United will offer MileagePlus members deals only good on December 2. The site says to expect discounted award and round trip flights to Europe and Asia.
- American Airlines – AA plays the Black Friday and Cyber Monday game every year. While the carrier hasn’t released specific deals, expect to see deals to domestic and international destinations. And don’t forget to check back for even more deals on December 3, or Travel Tuesday.
Emirates’ Black Friday fare sale is already underway. While Emirates doesn’t fly to Kansas City, the company is offering fares from other U.S. cities to locations around the world. Round-trip flights on Emirates start at $449 for an economy ticket from New York to Milan. Business class fares for that same flight start at $3399. Emirates’ Black Friday sale ends at 11:59 p.m. November 30.
A website called Skyscanner is doing all the heavy lifting for you, if you’re looking for a travel deal. Skyscanner says it is posting all of the deals it finds and will update it over the weekend with the latest options.
Another option is to join a subscription club like Dollar Flight Club. It says it will do the work for you and provide travel deals to your inbox. Dollar Club says you’ll save more than the annual fee when you book just one of their deals.
If you don’t want to pay for the service, The Dollar Flight Club has four tips that may help you save money on your next flight. These tips are all free.
Be Flexible – The Dollar Flight Club says to be as flexible as possible with the dates you’d like to travel. You can save hundreds of dollars by traveling in either the off season or shoulder season. You may also want to check alternative airports for better prices.
“Low Prices” aren’t always the best deal – be careful when it comes to booking tickets on budget airlines. The Dollar Flight Club warns these airlines offer what may look like amazing rates. But the budget carriers may also add fees for seat assignments, baggage, and beverages. Make sure you add up all the fees to get the actual price of your ticket.
Set up price alerts – This is the easiest thing you can do to save money. Airfare fluctuates. There is no way chose an exact day or time that you’re getting the best deal. Instead, get up a price alert using Google Flights, Skyscanner, Dollar Flight Club, or another booking service. The site will send you an alert when there’s a deal on flights to your destination.
Buy from the Airline – While the price alerts will notify you about a great deal, try to book your actual tickets through the airline. By taking this step you’ll have 24 hours to cancel, for free, even if the ticket is nonrefundable.
If you’re interested in Dollar Flight Club, mentioned above, the subscription service is also having a Black Friday sale. Premium membership is on sale for $20 for the first year, marked down from $69. Premium Plus is $29 instead of $99 for the first year.
